Is there a cadmium plating home brew?

Great Lakes Greg

Great Lakes Greg

Well-known member
Is there something I can cook up on the stove without blowing up the kitchen, or is this a strictly commercial endeavor? I'm thinking head nuts, lug nuts and other hardware. There is a process on youtube, but it is just an Eastwood commercial and the gold tint is all wrong.
 
Cad plating is an extremely toxic process. I suggest that you check with the local aircraft propeller repair shop. They have a lot of Cad plating done during the process of propeller overhaul and would know where the best plating shop is located. Gar Williams
 
The current home plating is all a zinc plate made to look similar to cad (eastwood, caswell etc). Cadplating is CdCN (cadmium cyanide) plate. The NaCN is no longer easily available, and shouldn't be handled with out proper saftey precautions. Read not in the house.
 

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Not only is the plating solution a cyanide based bath, but the cadmium salts used are CdO, cadmium oxide. CdO is also extremely toxic as well as a known carcinogen. Then the waste product has to be treated for being both a cyanide and a heavy metal.
 
Jim Mason said:
The current home plating is all a zinc plate made to look similar to cad (eastwood, caswell etc).
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So are these any good? I have a few small parts I'd love to salvage like door handles and such. I presume the parts need to be stripped to bare metal with no remnants of previous coating. (not easy) The complete lack of platers around here has me debating whether its just easier to buy reproduction stuff.

Bob NJ
 
I did all the brightwork on this carb with a Caswell copycad system. It can easily consume a full day setting up the solution then prepping and plating a handfull of parts, but I find it less stressfull doing the parts as needed.
 

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That looks great!

I also have the Caswell home plating kit. It comes out quite dull, but looks better after I give it a light brushing with a small brass brush. I also give the parts a wipe with an oily rag every once in a while, otherwise the parts start rusting after a couple years.
 
The secret seems to be the thickness of the plate. If you get it thick enough you can give it a good polish for a pretty nice gloss, and it will not rust.
 
If you're going for an original look, cadmium should appear dull as opposed to glossy.
That being said, the Caswell copycad system is actually zinc & I know it's not original but experimentation with submersion times & amperage can achieve a look VERY close...if you exercise some persistance & patience.:(
Meanwhile you are avoiding exposure to deadly chemicals & possibly challenging ordeals with plating shops.:rolleyes:
 
Craig, You're right that the original cad was quite dull in appearance. Your parts on that carb look great. I never used the Caswell home plater, but after seeing your parts, maybe it's worth a try. Can you post any other close-up photos of cad plated parts you did at home?

Dave Lopes
 
Dave I have a few more pictures of the copycad on my work computer. I'll find some more and post them soon.
regards Craig.
 
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