Copper Plating that is Safe and of a High Quality
The problem with many methods for doing copper electroplating is that they are either dangerous or cost a lot of money. Added to that is the fact that the quality of the results might be quite low. To do a proper job of copper plating means that the copper shown have a brilliant, shiny red glow and it should be done in a way that will not create chemical or hospital bills.
The method that will be described here is called the copper acetate method where the copper acetate will be made to carry out the process. There will be no need to buy pre-made kind of copper acetate.
There are many uses for copper plating. An object that has been copper plated can then be anodized to create lovely, multicolored items. It can also be used in electrical AC circuits as a skin for wiring or it can be an effective conductive surface for soldering. It also serves as the first process for plating with other materials on metals that are resistant to plating.
It is important to note that since copper acetate is poisonous, all safety precautions should be taken during and after the plating. The solutions should not be exposed to the mouth or nose and the hands should be carefully washed following the procedure. Please make sure to wipe down all surfaces that were near to or exposed to the plating solution. The containers that are used should not be used with any food or drink afterwards. Children who are involved in this process should be carefully supervised. This method is however safer than many others that require powerful acids or the opening of batteries.
Step 1: Materials
The materials that will be needed are fairly easy to find and can be located at the local supermarket, hardware store, pharmacy or even at home. The list of ingredients includes:
- Distilled White Vinegar of 5% or higher
- Hydrogen Peroxide with a strength of 3% or higher
- Cameo Aluminum and Stainless Steel Cleaner
- 100% Copper scoring pad/ scrap copper pipe or wire
- Alligator Leads
- 6V Lantern Battery
- A wide mouth mason jar that can hold about 1 pint of liquid.
- Paper towels
- Nitrile gloves
Please note that the more items that are set to be plated the more of each ingredient will be needed as well as larger containers.
You can substitute the copper scoring pads for scrap copper pipe or wire. The one (huge) benefit to using the scoring pads is that they have a very high surface area which will be useful in later steps.
*See my note in the last “step” about the 6V lantern battery. You can replace it with a 1.5V battery or a couple AA’s if you’d like.
Step 2: Creating Your Electrolyte 1/2
The first step is to make the electrolyte, copper acetate. Please remember that copper acetate is poisonous. Use the mason jar and put in equal parts of distilled vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. The purpose of the peroxide is to oxidize the copper which will then allow the copper to react with the acetic acid from the vinegar.
Heat this mixture in the microwave for about one minute and 45 seconds depending on the microwave, or until the mixture starts to steam. If a microwave is not available, the mixture can be heated over low heat in a GLASS container. This allows the copper to react more quickly.
Step 3: Creating Your Electrolyte 2/2
Carefully wash your hands so that all oils are removed. If the copper scouring pad is used then uncoil it and break it into pieces. Since the copper might be sharp, it is wise to use gloves to protect the hands at this stage of the process. Put about half of the copper into the warm mixture. Put the lid on the mason jar and then swirl the mixture around.
The longer this mixture is left to rest, the more blue it will become. The copper wires that are put into the solution of peroxide and vinegar is what will dissolve into the water to give the blue color and create the copper acetate. The longer they are left in, the more copper will dissolve making the solution bluer in color and stronger in its concentration of copper. Since a stronger solution decreases the quality of the electroplating, leaving burn spots on the object, it is better to have a weaker solution than a stronger one. That means if the solution becomes too blue, it might create some burn spots.
Step 4: Making the Copper Electrode
Take about a half of what is left of the copper scouring pad and make it into a “teardrop” shape (a wad or ball of copper at the top, attached to a slender tail-like portion at the bottom). The ball at the top will need to be tightly packed in order to prevent it from floating. The strands that make the tail will need to be kept out of the acetate solution in order to attach the alligator clips to them. Try to prevent having the alligator clips from getting into the solution as this will cause the iron in them to leach out.
The first end of the alligator clip will be attached to the “teardrop” which is now a copper electrode. The other end of the alligator clip is to be connected to the positive terminal of the battery. Place the teardrop into the copper acetate as far as is possible to one side of the jar.
Step 5: Preparing Your Metal Object for Electroplating
Before putting the object in to be copper plated, please be sure to prepare the surface of the metal so that the finish will be of a high quality. If the surface is not clean, the plating will enhance all the spots, dirt marks and even finger prints.
Use a small amount of dish-washing liquid and scrub the object thoroughly. After that, make sure to rinse well. This should be effective in removing most if not all of the dirt, grease and grime that may be on the object. It is advisable to use the nitrile gloves for this part of the proceedings. Use a dollop of the cameo aluminum and stainless cleaner along with some water to make a paste. Use this to scrub the object again. Since cameo is an acid, it will remove any oxidation that had occurred on the object. Make sure to do this well and ensure that the surface has a dull, even color. Rinse the object well and pat it dry with a paper towel.
At this point the second alligator lead will be used to attach to the object. Find a place that is least noticeable when attaching this to the object. If an object like a coin is being used that has no hidden surfaces then the clip will need to be moved often during plating. Attach the other side of the clip to the negative terminal of the battery.
Step 6: Electroplating
Place the object into the acetate mixture so that it is completely covered. Hold on to the wire and gently move the object back and forth in the solution, while slowly turning it in a circle. The base metal should start to change color and change into a yellow hue. This is a good encouraging sign that the steps have been followed correctly up to this point. The longer the object is moved around in the solution, the thicker the plating will become and the hue will become more and more reddish in color. Moving the object around ensures that there is no burn spot and that the plating is done properly and will not flake or rub off easily. It is also very important that for a high quality finish, the object must be kept an inch or more away from the copper electrode (teardrop) in the solution.
Step 7: Post Prep
Oxidation of the object that now has its shine and new color is inevitable. Once it becomes exposed to air, water, salt, skin and a variety of other substances, patina will occur. However, the discoloration created by this can be easily removed by applying a light polish. Please be careful though not to apply too much pressure or effort while polishing as this will remove the plating that was done, since the plating is really quite light. Reverse electroplating is another way to get rid of patina by switching the terminals on the leads and doing a quick dip in the copper acetate solution.
It is also possible to apply a lighter, clearer coating of polish to prevent the oxidation process on objects whose only function is to be kept pretty and decorative.
As mentioned before, copper plating can be used as the first step in doing other plating with thicker metals such as nickel.
The copper acetate solution does not have to be discarded right away but can be kept for plating at a later date. Simply seal the lid on the mason jar tightly, label it with its proper name and status and store it in an appropriate place for poisons, away from the children and animals. Please ensure that it is clearly labeled “POISON – COPPER ACETATE.” Thoroughly clean up the work area and the utensils and other equipment used and also store them in a safe place.
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