Stripping nickel plate

[ftruntz]

Does anybody know a DIY method to strip old nickel plating from flywheels and cylinders of antique outboards?
If this can be done easily and safely the preparation for plating could be done before going to the eletroplater
allowing careful preparation and restoration of parts and possibly saving some money.

Thank you for any ideas you may have
F. Truntz ftruntz@comcast.net

[opposedtwin]

I’d be willing to bet you’d be hard-pressed to find one that’ll guarantee anything they put over a surface they did not prepare themselves . That said, can’t that stuff be media blasted with glass bead?

[frankr]

I’m a far cry from being an expert on the subject, but I’d be concerned that any mechanical means of removing it would rough the surface, increasing the amount of polishing required for a plating job. I watched the guy polishing some motorcycle parts for me, prior to chrome plating, and it was quite meticulous and time consuming. BW, the guy later died from cancer, caused by the chromium exposure. Dangerous occupation.

[Goman]

Comes off easy enough with wet/dry sandpaper. Take it down to the finest grit you need for plating. A dremel helps in the tight places.

[AOMCI Webmaster]

Fred,

Take a look at http://www.castwellplating.com I believe it’s called metalx B-9 Nickel striper.

Travis

Travis
webmaster@aomci.org

[george-emmanuel]

I think the company is Caswell Plating. Years ago I ordered one of their kits to do some nickel plating. It is still unopened in my shop. Few shops do what the old outboard companies called "dull nickel". They don’t have the formula. Ted Marston here in the Florida Chapter has been experimenting with formulas to achieve the "dull" effect and has done some nice plating. If you send your parts out be specific as to how you want it done. Often they think everyone wants "show" plating which requires a large buildup and buffing of copper prior to the final nickel. I sent an ELTO flywheel to my plater and told him to not do show plating. I wanted the machine marks on the flywheel to remain. When I picked it up he had buffed all the marks out and it had a mirror finish,—and I wasn’t happy!

[ftruntz]

Thanks Travis………it is Caswell, looks like what is needed. Georges experience is what I’d like to avoid by doing the preperation and polishing myself. Thanks for your input guys.

[wbeaton]

I’ve always sanded the plating off before replacing. I use a Caswell electroless nickel plating kit and it works great for me.

Wayne
Upper Canada Chapter

uccaomci.com

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