This information is to be found nowhere else on the web. These are arcane gutterworks for only the most skilled and artistic hand. If you wish you buy supplies please fax your order.
Artist types will find these skills useful with copper sculpture. Call for prices. Scroll down to read it all.
Solder the seam THOROUGHLY. Make a mess and coat it thick. Make sure that the solder penetrates all the way through the seam and rivets and really cook it on there thick.
Take a 4" disk grinder with a coarse grind blade and shape the solder as you see fit to "Sculpt" the seam. Finish with a fine grit disk.
Wear gloves!!! Wipe it with denatured alcohol and buff with steel wool. Re solder now if needed and repeat the steps until here.
Use Activator Fluid No.3 with abrasive board #79 on the solder. DO NOT GET ANY OF THESE FLUIDS ONTO YOUR SKIN AS THEY WILL QUICKLY TURN IT INTO PASTE. Wipe dry with a paper cloth.
Place plastic sheet and/or carpet underneath the work area to make sure the chemical DO NOT GET ONTO STONE OR TILE SURFACES!!!
Connect the ground lead of your plater to an area close to the seam.
Do this over dirt if doing downspouts or short lengths of gutter, like endcaps. Wear a mask and gloves.
Crank up the plater, dip the anode into the fluid and apply it to the solder [ soak in the fluid for about 45 secounds ] by rubbing it, light but quick, across the seam until it is a terra cotta brown color. Go over it twice.
Rinse immediately with water, wipe dry, dispose of paper cloths
Use fine grade steel wool and buff the plated area until it is showing the new copper look. Use a steel buffing tool to polish the rest of the work area.
Important! Make sure you rinse and dry completely with plenty of water to avoid staining! Leaves a lost lasting true metal finish. Sounds more difficult than it is. Video instructions $200.00
This document will outline the hazards involved with the use of the Rapid
Electroplating Process, Inc. rapid portable plating system. It will detail procedures to be followed to minimize the risk of exposure of Plasma Science and Fusion Center employees to electroplating chemicals and electrical hazards.
The rapidportable plating system is primarily used to plate a silver surface onto electrical components. This generally involves first preparing a metal surface with a copper activating solution, plating out a copper layer, treating the copper layer with a silver activator and then plating out a silver layer.
Scope:
This procedure covers employee safety during the handling and use of electroplating chemicals when using the rapid portable plating system to silver plate copper and aluminum metal components.
Safety Analysis:
Failure to follow this procedure could result in primary skin and eye irritation from direct contact with the electroplating solutions; toxicity or poisoning from cyanide compounds due to absorption of electroplating solutions through the skin, inhalation of hydrogen cyanide or cyanide-containing vapors, or accidental ingestion by smoking or eating after skin contact with cyanide-containing compounds.
Definitions:
(reserved)
Responsibilities:
The supervisor or responsible person shall designate and train employees who
are required to use the Rapid Portable Plating unit. The supervisor or responsible
person shall ensure that necessary supplies are available to clean up spills
of electroplating solutions. The supervisor or responsible person shall ensure
that the Rapid Portable Plating unit is used in accordance with good work
practices in adequately ventilated areas.
Assumptions:
The supervisor or responsible person shall be familiar with the hazards associated
with cyanide-containing electroplating solutions and appropriate spill and
emergency procedures described in this document.
Rapid plating operations shall only be performed in well-ventilated areas.
Required Supplies:
Disposable paper coverings to place on top of working surface and paper towels.
Protective gloves. The thin PVC gloves used during routine applications should
be sufficient to prevent skin contact with small quantities of electroplating
solutions, however, these are not suitable for cleaning up a chemical spill.
Glasses. Splash-proof goggles or face shields shall be worn. Employees who
wear contact lenses must be provided with splash-proof chemical goggles when
handling the electroplating solutions. Note that the caustic material in the
activator solution can cause permanent eye damage if allowed to contact the
eye.
Impervious chemical-resistant apron
Spill materials Paper towels or adsorbent materials, and chemical resistant
gloves (Nitrile gloves are provided).
Procedures:
Read the Material Safety Data Sheets for all of the electroplating solutions contained in the Rapid Portable Plating unit, prior to initial assignment to perform rapid electroplating.
Set up the work area in a well-ventilated location. Use local ventilation,
such as a drop or fume hood if the size of the job permits. If a long work
run is anticipated, set up the work near the overhead garage door and keep
it open throughout the electroplating procedure. If working near the garage
door, do not leave the setup unattended.
Ensure that there are adequate paper towels, sand, or vermiculite nearby in
the event that the electroplating solutions are spilled.
Ensure that an eyewash is located nearby to flush the eyes in the event of
eye contact. If there is not an eyewash nearby, another employee who can escort
the affected employee to an eyewash shall remain in the vicinity of the operation.
Ensure that gloves, an apron, and eye protection or face shield are worn.
Cyanide-containing compounds may be absorbed through the skin and through
open wounds. Ensure that there are no acids or food products in the work area.
Prepare the aluminum surface for copper plating.
Inspect the palm sander for signs of defects, especially cuts or nicks in
the cord insulation. Also inspect the plating equipment connect wires.
Buff surface with electric powered palm sander (Milwaukee finishing sander,
double insulated) with Scotchbrite pad attached. After buffing, clean the
surface with acetone.
Check the general work area for grounding. All electrical outlets should be
grounded. NEVER connect ground to metal table or surface other than piece
being worked on. When not in use, clip the ground to the plating equipment
case.
Place the part on wooden blocks on the table. When treating metal surfaces,
follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Treat surface with Aluminum Activator #5 solution. Use the #59 wand. Drench
the wand in the aluminum activator #5 container. "Scrub" activator
back and forth onto the metal until a light gray finish appears, then wipe
off the piece with a paper towel. Aluminum Activator #5 contains sodium hydroxide,
which may cause severe skin and eye burns.
Plate a copper layer onto the workpiece.
Treat surface with Copper Coatalyte #314 solution. Use the #444 wand. Drench the wand in the Copper Coatalyte #314 container. Swab this solution onto the workpiece without current first. Clip the connect to the workpiece, and continue swabbing. Swab onto plate from lowest edge of the workpiece first using short, circular rubbing action. Wipe off excess material with a paper towel.
Prepare the copper surface for silver plating.
Treat surface with Rapid Activator #4 (Copper Activator). Use the #49 wand. Drench the wand in the Rapid Activator #4 container. Swab this solution onto the workpiece with rubbing action. Wipe off excess solution with a paper towel.
Plate a silver layer onto the workpiece.
Clip the connect to the workpiece. Treat surface with Silver Coatalyte #316 solution. Use the #446 wand. Drench the wand in the Silver Coatalyte #316 container. Swab this solution onto the workpiece from the lowest edge of the workpiece first, using a short, circular rubbing action. After a suitable finish has appeared, detach the connect from the workpiece and turn the plating unit OFF. Wipe off excess material with a paper towel.
Segregate waste material.
Gloves,rags, brushes, paper towels or other materials which are contaminated
with the coatalyte solutions must not be placed in the regular trash because
of the cyanide content of the solutions. They should be placed in a separate
platic bag and clearly labeled with a red hazardous waste tag containing the
name of the contaminant material. These may be held until full in a satellite
accumulation area. Once the bags are full, contact C. Fiore so that they may
be removed to a hazardous waste accumulation center. Empty containers may
be rinsed 3 times with water (the rinse water should be placed into a container
for hazardous waste disposal) and placed into the regular trash.
It is especially important that these wastes be segregated from acids, as contact with acids could generate hydrogen cyanide gas.
Training:
The supervisor shall supply this procedure to affected employees and verify
that they understand it. Employees should understand the health hazards of
cyanide solutions, and the routes of exposure. The fact that toxic quantities
of cyanide may be absorbed through intact skin, and through open wounds should
be emphasized, as well as the importance of washing hands thoroughly after
use. The conditions whereby hazardous concentrations of hydrogen cyanide gas
may be generated should also be emphasized.
Spill Procedures:
The major cause of release of hydrogen cyanide from the electroplating solution
would be accidental contact with acid, acid salts, and weak alkalies. Industrial
hygiene measurements have shown detectable concentrations of hydrogen cyanide
just above an open container of the Copper Coatalyte solution under normal
atmospheric conditions. Therefore, in the event of a large spill of the material,
(i.e., the entire contents of a 500 ml container), employees shall restrict
access to the work area and dial 100.
Small spills of a few milliliters may be absorbed or wiped up using paper towels. After absorbing any excess liquid, contaminated surfaces may be cleaned using soapy water and rinsing thoroughly.
Silver, copper, and sodium cyanides are all regulated as "acutely" hazardous wastes in accordance with CMR 310 30.00, Hazardous Waste Regulations. Therefore, paper sheets or mats placed on top of work surfaces, paper towels, and gloves which are contaminated with the Coatalyte or any other cyanide-containing solutions, as well as empty Coatalyte containers, may not be placed in the ordinary trash. All paper mats, sheets, and towels used in the rapid plating process shall be placed in plastic bags, and tagged as cyanide-containing waste using a red hazardous waste label. The Safety Office shall be contacted to pick up these wastes. Full waste bags shall be stored in a hazardous waste accumulation area (contact C. Fiore), away from other chemicals, until they are picked up by the Safety Office for hazardous waste removal.
It is especially important that these wastes be segregated from acids, as contact with acids could generate hydrogen cyanide gas.
Emergency and First Aid Procedures:
Signs, Symptoms, and Routes of Exposure. Cyanide intoxication may be felt
as weakness of the arms and legs, reddening of the eyes, headache, confusion
and sometimes nausea. Initially cyanide poisoning causes a red or ruddy complexion
because the tissues are not able to use the oxygen that is brought to them
by the blood (this appearance is usually noted postmortem). Exposure to cyanide
compounds may occur through skin absorption, and especially through mucous
membranes or open wounds.
Skin Contact. Immediately flush the affected area with water for 15 minutes. Any contaminated clothing should be removed immediately. Contaminated clothing may hold chemicals in contact with the skin without being immediately noticed. If prolonged skin contact occurs, if skin irritation develops at the area of contact, or if contact of the Coatalyte solution comes into contact with mucous membranes or open wounds, the affected employee shall be immediately taken to the Medical Department for examination.
Eye Contact. In the event of eye contact, a nearby person shall dial 100. Flush the eye of the affected employee with water continuously for 15 minutes, or until medical help arrives. The affected employee shall be immediately taken to the Medical Department for examination.
Inhalation. Inthe event that an individual is overcome with vapors, dial 100 for emergency assistance. The area where the individual has been affected may be hazardous to others trying to assist.
Loss of Consciousness due to Ingestion or Absorption. In the event that an individual becomes unconscious due to ingestion or skin absorption, dial 100 for emergency assistance. Performing CPR on a person who has succumbed to cyanide poisoning may be hazardous.
Fire Hazards. Toxic gases including nitrogen oxides, metal oxides, cyanates, and hydrogen cyanide may be given off if these chemicals are involved in a fire. Carbon dioxide or acid-based extinguishing media may result in the formation of hydrogen cyanide gas. Therefore, do not attempt to put out any fires involving these chemicals.
References:
• American Industrial Hygiene Association, "Hygienic Guides"
(1982 - hydrogen cyanide)
• Manufacturer Material Safety Data Sheets for specific electroplating
chemicals in use
