Cadium Plating at home

[knirk]

This "do it your self" Cadium Plating set is for sale in Norway for about $430. The supplied chemicals will be enough for 10 liters of fluid. No info about replacement. Anyone have experience with these kind of sets?

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Per G. Birkeland
69 280 sl aut 834
Norway

[mdsalemi]

You do NOT want to fool around with genuine cadmium plating at home.  Cadmium is a very toxic material and has NO PLACE in an uncontrolled environment, and certainly no place at home or in a domestic garage.  If the kit you are talking about is real cadmium, stay away from it.  If you don't take my word on this ask your doctor!

In the USA,Eastwood http://www.eastwoodco.com/ has a variety of plating systems and coatings that emulate or duplicate various finishes, and they are worth checking out.

Michael Salemi

Mike Salemi

[knirk]

I e-mailed the supplier before your answer.

He explained that the set is a ”Bright Nickel” set and cadmium fluid. You get two for one – you can chrome the part, and if you wish the golden finish, you dip the chromed parts in the cadmium fluid.

I will e-mail him again about your comments, and if it’s real cadmium or a fluid that emulate the color. This is a serious car supplier, and with our strict rules about toxic and environmental hazards I find it hard to believe that this could be fishy – but thanks for your concern.


Per G. Birkeland
69 280 sl aut 834
Norway

[knirk]

Got an answer by the supplyer to day. The fluid that gives the Cadmium look is not Cadmium - It is some other liquid, and it's harmful, not toxic.



Per G. Birkeland
69 280 sl aut 834
Norway

[Tom]

Per,

I bought a plating kit from Caswell Plating here in the USA.  The procedure is to first clean or bead blast the part.  Then electroplate zinc onto the part.  This involves submerging an anode of zinc in an acid bath and attaching electrical terminals to the anode and the part to be plated.  This releases zinc from the anode into the acid bath and the other charge on the part to be plated attracts the zinc in the acid bath.   The final step is to dip the clean zinc plated part in the yellow di-chromate bath, then air dry.  The yellow di-chromate etches the zinc leaving that yellow cad look.

Works well-see attached picture.

Best,

Tom

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1971 280sl Tunis Beige Metallic (restored & enhanced)
1971 280sl Tobacco Brown (low mileage stock)
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[Naj ✝︎]

Tom,
Those are good results!!
How much was the kit?
address?
naj

65 230SL
68 280SL

[knirk]

Tom,

By your description this seems to be the same kind of set.

What’s your experience with the resulting “Cad look alike layer” on the parts?


Per G. Birkeland
69 280 sl aut 834
Norway

[Tom]

The source for this kit is Caswell Plating and here is the link to this product:

http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/zinc.htm

For best results, I bead blasted the parts to get them smooth.  A bead blast cabinet and compressor can be had for about $300-$500.  If you are interested in plating, you would likely find the bead blast set up very nice.

Key to a good finish is prepping the part first (sounds like body work).

Best,

Tom


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1971 280sl Tunis Beige Metallic (restored & enhanced)
1971 280sl Tobacco Brown (low mileage stock)
_____________________________________________

[Cees Klumper]

I don't know the cost of having items cadmium plated by a professional shop, but I would guess that you can have a lot of items plated for the $430 you would need to pay for the european kit. Plus then you have the real thing. I decided against having items plated on my recent engine rebuild project, since it just does not last, it will wear off in ?? years. I decided to, rather, just polish all of the metal lines, brackets, hose fittings etc to a nice shiny finish using steel wool and some chrome polish, and I will maintain that look by re-polishing from time to time. It looks great, even if it is not the original cadmium color.

Cees Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic