Weird problem.

[thomask]

Hi, I have a s&w 2nd model .38 da barrel and cylinder. It's actually a first model I think, reissued 1871 patent date. Sn# are clearly 2nd model. Leftover parts I guess. Anyway some of the nickel was missing, very thick plating btw. I put it in my electroplating solution, just vinegar and salt and a piece of nickel and 6 volts. Done this many times to remove nickel. Anyway it removed the nickel, the patent date and the sn#. What the hell happened?

 

[wlw-19958]

Hi There,

Can you post a pic?

I once reverse plated a Colt Combat Commander slide using
the Nickel Acetate (that is what you get when you run vinegar
and non-iodine salt bath with nickel electrodes). It started fine
but it soon started to attack the base metal and left some areas
of nickel alone. It ruined that slide.

I don't know exactly what went wrong but next time I try, I will
use a sulfuric acid solution with electric current and lead electrode.

Cheers!
Webb

 

[thomask]

Hi There,

Can you post a pic?

I once reverse plated a Colt Combat Commander slide using
the Nickel Acetate (that is what you get when you run vinegar
and non-iodine salt bath with nickel electrodes). It started fine
but it soon started to attack the base metal and left some areas
of nickel alone. It ruined that slide.

I don't know exactly what went wrong but next time I try, I will
use a sulfuric acid solution with electric current and lead electrode.

Cheers!
Webb

 

[thomask]

Im a dumbass. After looking at my nickel strip used in the deplating process, I have a heavy deposit of copper, under that a nice light blue depost telling me this thing was silver plated probably. It looked good when I polished it. It was black. After i polished it it looked good, just a little duller than the nickel on the frame. Why oh why didnt I leave it alone. Now I got a somewhat rough casting. Ugh

 

[thomask]

Im a dumbass. After looking at my nickel strip used in the deplating process, I have a heavy deposit of copper, under that a nice light blue depost telling me this thing was silver plated probably. It looked good when I polished it. It was black. After i polished it it looked good, just a little duller than the nickel on the frame. Why oh why didnt I leave it alone. Now I got a somewhat rough casting. Ugh

Oh btw, I tested my matching cylinder for silver in an inconspicuous place. Yep, silver.

 

[14daMoney]

my oh my, I wish I could say that I've never made this kind of mistake - don't ask ....

 

[thomask]

I did some research last nite and was told you could special order them silver plated. Live and learn.

 

[CalifEd]

Thanks for posting, not everybody would be so forth coming.

"It's good to learn from your mistakes.
It's better to learn from other people's mistakes."
~ Warren Buffett