How was nickel plating done before electricity?
- Thread starter gwalchmai
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Jim Watson
New member
Hanged if I know how it was done, or IF it were done. Electroless nickel plating is a fairly modern process.
Quackenbush was doing electroplating in 1871, said to be some of the best in the business, on airguns and .22s. I have seen mention of the process as early as 1850.
Quackenbush was doing electroplating in 1871, said to be some of the best in the business, on airguns and .22s. I have seen mention of the process as early as 1850.
Silver and gold "washing", a chemical process, was done for centuries, but AFAIK, nickel plating was always done by electroplating. Remember there were batteries back before Sam Morse started clicking, and Sam Colt set off explosives with an electric charge.
Nickel plating just about everything to make it appear better became so much of a fad in the late 19th century that when W. H. Vanderbilt had to bid against Jay Gould for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis railroad, he said he paid so much that the railroad might as well have been nickel plated; the name stuck and the line was thereafter known as the Nickel Plate Road. (Some sources say the name originated earlier, but the Vanderbilt business makes a better story!)
One thing to remember about nickel electroplating is that nickel won't plate directly onto steel. So nickel electroplating of guns was done by first applying an undercladding of copper, then plating the nickel over that. If the nickel is scratched or worn, an ammonia cleaner (like Hoppes No.9) can get through the nickel and attack the copper underneath, causing the nickel to come loose and peel. Best advice is not to use ANY ammonia type cleaner (lead remover, copper remover, etc.) on a nickel plated gun.
Jim
Nickel plating just about everything to make it appear better became so much of a fad in the late 19th century that when W. H. Vanderbilt had to bid against Jay Gould for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis railroad, he said he paid so much that the railroad might as well have been nickel plated; the name stuck and the line was thereafter known as the Nickel Plate Road. (Some sources say the name originated earlier, but the Vanderbilt business makes a better story!)
One thing to remember about nickel electroplating is that nickel won't plate directly onto steel. So nickel electroplating of guns was done by first applying an undercladding of copper, then plating the nickel over that. If the nickel is scratched or worn, an ammonia cleaner (like Hoppes No.9) can get through the nickel and attack the copper underneath, causing the nickel to come loose and peel. Best advice is not to use ANY ammonia type cleaner (lead remover, copper remover, etc.) on a nickel plated gun.
Jim
Dfariswheel
New member
As I recall, nickel plating was invented in by an Italian in 1805 to plate gold.
By the 1830's chemists in England had invented plating of copper and nickel.
Nickel plating was probably first used in the US for guns in the 1850's.
By the 1830's chemists in England had invented plating of copper and nickel.
Nickel plating was probably first used in the US for guns in the 1850's.
Dfariswheel
New member
Yes.
Prior to that, there was no good way to coat metal with nickel.
So called "dipping" didn't work, and it was only after the electroplating process was invented was it possible to coat metal with dissimilar metals.
Prior to that, there was no good way to coat metal with nickel.
So called "dipping" didn't work, and it was only after the electroplating process was invented was it possible to coat metal with dissimilar metals.
History of electroplating:
http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynam...tisanplating.com/articles/platinghistory.html
http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynam...tisanplating.com/articles/platinghistory.html
Carbon Steel does not need to be plated with copper first to take a nickel plate. Some lower grades of Stainless Steel need a Wood's Nickel Srike first to take a nickel plate. Triple plated Chrome is copper polished then bright nickel followed with chrome.
There are three types of nickel plating: electoless, bright and sulfumate.
I worked as a plater for years it's a nasty job. Hot and smelly. P5
There are three types of nickel plating: electoless, bright and sulfumate.
I worked as a plater for years it's a nasty job. Hot and smelly. P5
Mach II Sailor
Moderator
Jim,
""he said he paid so much that the railroad might as well have been nickel plated; the name stuck and the line was thereafter known as the Nickel Plate Road."""
thank you for this bit of history, i once worked at NPRR, in Brewster Ohio, building four hopper coal cars, they gave me a watch fob for my efforts ! and a pretty nice sized check every teo weeks.
""he said he paid so much that the railroad might as well have been nickel plated; the name stuck and the line was thereafter known as the Nickel Plate Road."""
thank you for this bit of history, i once worked at NPRR, in Brewster Ohio, building four hopper coal cars, they gave me a watch fob for my efforts ! and a pretty nice sized check every teo weeks.