Nickel Plating Brass

[Stuball48]

Have read about many folks on LTG forum needing parts that are Nickel.
One of several things I have collected and restored is old brass telegraph keys ( yes, I still communicate using morse code). It became necessary to nickel plate many parts. I wrote a lengthy step by step "Nickel Home Plating Rig" on the Practical Machinist Forum in 2006. It was given and taught to me by the late W. R. Smith an award winning Clockmaker. Too long for me to transfer here but if need such information just google
Practical Machinist Forum
General discussion
Search "Nickel home plating rig" and that is the title.
Hope this might help you "do it myselfers."
If this is not appropriate a moderator delete it.

 

[GAD]

Very cool - thanks for the share! 73 DE K2GAD.

 

[dreadnut]

I used to do gold electroplating repair on circuit board connectors...

 

[Stuball48]

I used to do gold electroplating repair on circuit board connectors...

You would have to help me with the tiny stuff. Screws, washers, and telegraph key parts are easier to hang in a solution.

 

[dreadnut]

We electroplated with a swab dipped in gold solution and an electrical charge. The plating didn't need to be very thick. The base metal was copper.

 

[GAD]

I would love to re-plate some gold parts. I'd also love to learn anodizing. And Cerakoting. And Aikido. And...

 

[Guildedagain]

The beauty of nickel vs chrome, subjective and somewhat of an obsession, aged nickel parts. Gibson stopped using it by maybe as early as '63. What about Guilds? I haven't seen that many electrics but I seem to remember just chrome on 60's guitars, was there nickel hardware on Starfires before that?

 

[dreadnut]

Anodizing is awesome, we used to anodize a lot of our aluminum parts. Well, we had a vendor who anodized them. Basically, super-oxidation. They did colors too - red, gold, etc.

 

[GAD]

The beauty of nickel vs chrome, subjective and somewhat of an obsession, aged nickel parts. Gibson stopped using it by maybe as early as '63. What about Guilds? I haven't seen that many electrics but I seem to remember just chrome on 60's guitars, was there nickel hardware on Starfires before that?

I don't think so, but Hans may correct me. The HB1s and AntiHums I've handled have all been chrome while all the Newark St. pickups I've handled are nickel.

 

[merlin6666]

In the early 80s I bought a used Ibanez Telecaster Deluxe copy and its saddles were badly corroded. So my late dad machined massive brass saddles and nickel plated them. They are as shiny and gorgeous now as when he made them. I don't play electric guitars any more but I kept some because they have my dad's best work in them.

 

[Stuball48]

In the early 80s I bought a used Ibanez Telecaster Deluxe copy and its saddles were badly corroded. So my late dad machined massive brass saddles and nickel plated them. They are as shiny and gorgeous now as when he made them. I don't play electric guitars any more but I kept some because they have my dad's best work in them.

People/machinist like your late father amaze me beyond words. No CNC, just knobs, wheels, and handles. I have an upright telegraph semi-automatic telegraph key (Bug) that my old clockmaker friend made me and stunning is vastly an underrated description.

 

[chazmo]

On an unrelated note, my trumpets have always been silver-plated or lacquered. I think I once played a bugle (two-valve) in the Air Force Academy drum-and-bugle corps that was nickel-plated brass. Nickel is really hard, if I recall correctly, and will likely (for a brass instrument) make the sound much brighter than other coatings. I may have that totally wrong, but I'm sticking with it.