Trouble electroplating with zinc.

[Kurt_]

In short: I can't get it to work.

I've tried zinc from half-sanded american pennies, and from a zinc-carbon battery anode. I'm trying to electroplate steel.

The zinc has been sittng in a solution of vinegar, epsom salts, and a little sugar (an apparent "brightener") for about two hours. Also, some scraping from the carbon-zinc battery (what I am pretty sure is zinc chloride) are in the mix.

The power source is a charged 1.5V alkaline battery. The zinc is the positive end, and only hte zinc is touching the water. The steel is the negative end.

It's not working. Have any of you tried this before? Both sides are bubbling. The zinc bubbles when just left to sit in the acid though, and the steel does too, I think, so I guess that's no help.

Suggestions?

[Bass Creator]

put at least a 9 volt on it. I put 2 toke 5 min.

[Kurt_]

All the tutorials I found online said to use 1.5 volts. However, 9 volts and it appears to be working. Maybe, we'll see. assume it's working unless I plead for more help.

[Kurt_]

I'm not sure if it worked. I tried electroplating two parts at once, and one didn't rust afterwards, but the other did. Any other suggestions if it didn't work? Hopefully it was just a bad connection.

[timmeh87]

k now galvanize it like real men.

[Kurt_]

I got it working. Emptied some of the contents of a carbon-zinc battery, and used the case for the zinc.

Works quite fast and quite nice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6tZI5xNpms

The time has come to... galvanize!

[Bass Creator]

yeah the volts doesnt matter ... to much...

[Triton]

Works quite fast and quite nice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6tZI5xNpms

The time has come to... galvanize!

star guitar is a better song by them lol

[timmeh87]

yeah the volts doesnt matter ... to much...

(citation needed)

[Kurt_]

Too much voltage = oxides, I believe. Too little, the thing won't electroplate.

[Tibia]

Too much voltage will start etching what you're trying to electroplate. I use a similar setup to do metal etching.