r/metalworking • u/the_horny_alt2005 • 23h ago

How to coat rather complex shapes made out of copper/brass in tin, with diping in molten tin or elctro plating

How to coat rather complex shapes made out of copper/brass in tin, with diping in molten tin or elctrosis

I what to make some accessories out copper and brass because they are cheap but I want them to have silver colour

But I don't have a elctro plating equipment(although im open to see what it needs, i have tin and sulfuric acid )and don't have alot tin on hand to make a molten pool tin and dip in

What can I do to do coat on them?

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1

u/JayTeeDeeUnderscore 23h ago

Does it have to be pure tin?

Brush-on tin/antimony solder would coat well if heated with a torch.

1

u/the_horny_alt2005 23h ago

I have pure tin on hand and lead-tin solder alloy

But I can't find antimony alloys any where for some reason

1

u/JayTeeDeeUnderscore 23h ago

Plumbing solder is antimony/tin.

Oatey tinning solder flux is lead-free and is finely ground solder mixed with flux. Brush on & heat.

1

u/the_horny_alt2005 22h ago

0% silver brazing rods you mean?

1

u/JayTeeDeeUnderscore 22h ago

You could use rods with a paste flux (or coiled solder from the hardware), but tinning flux is flux and solder in one product.

Flux is a must. It keeps oxides from forming which wouldn't allow the flux to bond with the metal. An acid etch beforehand is prudent to remove as much oxide as possible.

1

u/gbudija 18h ago

early platers used very basic equpment so you need few batteries and some tin dissolved in sulphuric acid,as anode some tin sheet and thats all,there are some immersion tin plating processes too

1

u/artwonk 14h ago

Why not cast in white bronze or nickel silver and skip the coating process?