Teapot whistle

[RJSakowski]

My mom used aluminum pots and pans for cooking her entire life and she lived to 85. I would be more concerned about galvanic action.

Zinc is not a good actor for food handling. If it were me, I would nickel plate the brass and anodize the aluminum. I believe that you can plate nickel directly over brass.

 

[Tim9]

Yeah Ken. I’m with you. Don’t want that white corrosion. Anodizing seems easy but even it will tarnish over time. The heat and moisture will surely take its toll. I’m going to try anodizing it.... then a zincate coating and then Watts bath electroplating. I think this will be the best solution.
Yes AChip.... it gets way too hot. I mentioned in an earlier post, I plan to make a delrin knob at the top of the whistle
It’s all still in prototype stage so to speak.

and yes RJ...the brass whistle will be just a Watts nickel plating. I’ve read more damned electroplating crap than I want to admit. Tons of notes and saved pages. I’ve done some zinc electroplating too. And nickel. But, the stumbling point at present is nickel plating anodized aluminum. It’s a little tricky but from what I’ve read I think it’s doable for home shop stuff. No cyanide needed and no harsh acids. FWIW....tin is an excellent plating for the brass whistle too. And it can be heat plated. That’s how copper pans are done....just rosin flux and a torch.

 

[brino]

I’m going to try anodizing it.... then a zincate coating and then Watts bath electroplating. I think this will be the best solution.

I’ve read more damned electroplating crap than I want to admit. Tons of notes and saved pages. I’ve done some zinc electroplating too. And nickel. But, the stumbling point at present is nickel plating anodized aluminum. It’s a little tricky but from what I’ve read I think it’s doable for home shop stuff. No cyanide needed and no harsh acids. FWIW....tin is an excellent plating for the brass whistle too. And it can be heat plated. That’s how copper pans are done....just rosin flux and a torch.

I would really appreciate you taking us along for that ride, too!
I have never really done electroplating but would like to understand some basics.

-brino

 

[Tim9]

I would really appreciate you taking us along for that ride, too!
I have never really done electroplating but would like to understand some basics.

-brino

I’ll make sure to take some pictures and document the process when I get around to finishing this project. I still haven’t picked up my sulfuric acid drain cleaner and distilled water which I need for the anodizing step. I’ve got some zinc powder.... just not sure whether it’s zinc sulfate or zinc oxide. Like I said.... I’ve been over taxing my brain reading up on all this stuff. And the problem with electroplating and finishing metals is that almost all of the processes are proprietary. These guys in this sector just rarely share their secrets.
The Watts nickel is well documented and it’s easy to find those instructions. But, that’s about it. To add to the complications, many of the recommendations on nickel plating aluminum is the electroless nickel plating process. It supposedly works best. Another recommendation is a cyanide plating process on the aluminum.
But... from what I’ve also read is that one can do a zinc coating and then the Watts nickel bath to electroplate the anodized aluminum. That’s the one I think I’m going to try.
Anyway.... when I give it a go, I’ll document and update this thread. It will get done, but I just don’t have a plan of execution fully worked out yet.
FWIW.... Caswell does have everything to do many of the above mentioned processes. It’s just that I’m a bit cheap for this.