Bright nickel dip

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

I am renovating a Rabone Chesterman 6″ Engineers level. It is missing one of the “lugs” that fit into the end of the round body and also its bubble!

I have a vial suitable for a 6″ level, hence the idea of a renovation. I can make the “plug” without much trouble. However I would like the new plug to be a reasonable match to the rest of the level. I think the finish is nickel plating (but could be chrome?).

I seem to remember that one can get a bright nickel plating dip. Am I correct, or has the memory failed? I am reluctant to set up a nickel plating tank for such a small job. Is there any other alternative?

Thanks,

Andrew.

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Brush plating may be an option.  Brenton, on the Repair Shop, seems to favour this method for repairs.

Rod

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

I’ve not [yet] tried it … but this looks very promising:

https://www.instructables.com/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/

MichaelG.

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

I have used the Nickel Acetate method with success, following Geoffrey Crocker’s method on Youtube

https://youtu.be/G-PtnwtOR24?si=GVxQk3e-xEA0Bw1J

Rod

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

At a guess, the finish on a measuring device would be be likely to be dull chromium plate.

My Height Gauges, Bore Gauges and Micrometers mostly seem to be dull chrime. finish

How youn achieve this in a home workshop, may be a difficult task, needing specialist knowledge and chemicals.

There may be a plating shop, in your area who could / would do the job for you?

Howard

[Kiwi BlokeParticipant @kiwibloke62605]

Andrew – you may be thinking of ‘electroless nickel plating’. This is chemical, rather than electrolytic deposition of, IIRC, a bright nickel/phosphorous plating. You can find out about it on the ‘net. It’s better than electroplating, in some respects, because the plating is uniform, and there’s no problem with the plating being most deposited closest to the nickel electrode, with little or none deposited in ‘shaded’ regions of the workpiece. IIRC (I really should have looked it up…), it’s fine on Fe-based substrate, but Cu and its alloys require an additional step, with an extra chemical dip. Brownells, the gunsmith-supply folk in USA supply a kit. Whether they will ship to you, and whether you can get things like sulphuric acid where you are, I don’t know.

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

Thanks everyone,

Kiwi Bloke, seems to confirm my dodgy memory about a nickel dip. Electrolytic processes are OTT for such a small part. I have in the past used such processes for coating different metals, but it is just too much effort and expense for this very small job. It would be different if I had lots of stuff to plate with nickel.

Looking at some of my stock, I have a length of German silver, which is a good colour match also some 303 stainless which isn’t too far off. I think I will use either of these two possibilities and quietly forget coating!

Thanks again for all the good suggestions,

Andrew.

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