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Experienced in electroplating? Here you will find valuable tips!

Provided you already have experience with electroplating projects, you will find valuable tips here on how to additionally improve your electroplating process so that you obtain perfect and shiny results. In addition, the following page serves as a source of inspiration for your existing or future projects.

It all comes down to the right preparation for your coating project!

Polishing the surface

Polishing the surface

No matter which object you want to silver-plate, nickel-plate, chrome-plate or gold-plate - the right preparatory work is always helpful. The cleaner and more uniform the surface BEFORE the plating process, the better the results AFTER! We recommend a number of processes for this, which of course depend on your object and the feasibility. To get as smooth or even a surface as possible, we recommend first sanding the object with fine sandpaper and/or polishing it with TIFOO Power Polish.

Cleaning and degreasing

Since polishing or cleaning cannot be carried out without leaving residues, the object should be degreased in the next step. Before the object is refined with the help of bath, pen or brush electroplating, the surface must inevitably be "activated" with the galvanocativator.
Cleaning and degreasing
Determine electrolyte quantity

Determine electrolyte quantity

Choosing the right electrolyte is almost as important as calculating your needs. After all, you want to know how big your bath is and how much electrolyte you need. Take a look at our [demand calculator] for this and other details such as voltage and surface area calculation!Protective anode bags have proven to be helpful for use during the electroplating process. Why? Because the sacrificial anode slowly dissolves in the galvanic bath and, depending on the material, also corrodes (this is quite normal). This ions are transferred into the solution when voltage is applied. However, this also produces corrosive precipitation, dirt and other waste products within the bath. To prevent the solution from becoming contaminated, we strongly recommend the use of protective bags to ensure that your electroplating results remain as clean and shiny as the first time! It is important that the material the bags are made of is as permeable as possible. Cut-to-size coffee filters, for example, have proven to be particularly helpful for this application.
To the products

Tips for the electroplating process

For the correct voltage and current figures, please refer either to our [demand calculator] or to the application instructions of the respective electrolyte. It is important that you know the surface size of the object to be coated or at least an approximation of it.
Basically, the more time and fewer amperes are applied, the slower the deposition. The slower the deposition, the easier it is to compensate for errors during the process. If too much electroplating is done too quickly, black spots can appear or many deposits can be deposited unintentionally in one place (nodules).
If the object is rotated during the process, the metal layer can settle more evenly on the usually shapeless surface. To do this, the object can be removed and rotated by hand. However, a motor can also be installed that rotates the object automatically. Try the assembly instructions for a rotary motor from a satisfied customer.
Tips for the electroplating process
Helpful steps for post-processing

Helpful steps for post-processing

Electrolyte fluids are used up after a certain time. The solution to this: filter the electrolyte after each use. This prolongs the durability of the electrolyte and improves the results. However, as soon as the electrolyte is depleted, it should be replaced for further usage.
For post-treatment, polishing is recommended - with the help of [Power Polish] or with abrasives or other appropriate equipment. But be careful: depending on the thickness of the layer, never polish away too much layer.

Frequently asked questions

Our products cover the majority of the most common aluminium alloys. However, the industry is constantly evolving. For an overview table of compositions suitable for anodising, please see our anodising guide.

Aluminium and titanium are suitable for anodising. We recommend our products exclusively for aluminium.

When anodising, the surface area of the workpiece is calculated in dm² and multiplied by 1.5. This gives the necessary amperage for your project. As soon as you set this on your machine, the voltage regulates itself automatically.

In this case, the concentration of the colour solution is not high enough. We recommend 10g/L. Also possible: the alloy is not or only insufficiently suitable for anodising. You can find an overview table on this in our instructions for anodising.

No. Only the aluminium piece and titanium wire may be immersed in the solution with the anodising bath. The alligator clips must not come into contact with the bath.

This is most likely because the remnants of the bluing agent have not been rinsed off cleanly enough. This causes components of the bluing to crystallise on the surface and form a reddish-brown layer that looks like rust. Make sure that residues of the bluing liquid are completely removed at the beginning and end and that the surface is clean. Repeat the blackening process and wash off the bluing chemical carefully and completely at the end!

Our product range currently allows us to burnish the following materials: Iron, steel, zinc, aluminium and various non-ferrous metals. Check the product detail page for compatibility with the material you have.

Our bluing agents primarily create a black coloured surface that is not a real coating but inhibits the existing surface of steel, stainless steel or aluminium. Corrosion protection is only achieved if the blackened layer is oiled or painted at the end.

If the blackened layer does not last, there are several options. 
1. If the surface is nano-coated or covered with an invisible clear varnish, this layer must be removed so that the bluing liquid can adhere.
2. The surface may be made of an incompatible material. 
3. The pre-treatment may not have been carried out thoroughly enough. Bluing will only work on a clean surface, free of dust, dirt and other contaminants. 
4. The bluing agent may have been too concentrated. Depending on the product, you may dare to dilute it with water.

Mit den TIFOO Patinierungen lassen sich Kupfer, Messing, Bronze und Silber gezielt verändern. Auch nichtmetallische Oberflächen wie 3D-Drucke können nach einer geeigneten Vorbehandlung mit Liquid Gold patiniert werden.

Je nach Metall und verwendeter Patinierung entstehen dunkle Antik-Effekte, natürliche Grünpatina oder bunte, irisierende Oberflächen. Auch kontrastreiche Schattierungen auf Silber sind möglich.

Bunte, irisierende Farbeffekte lassen sich mit der TIFOO Patinierung auf Kupferoberflächen erzeugen. Durch unterschiedlich lange Einwirkzeiten entstehen verschiedene schimmernde Farbnuancen. Besonders gut kommen diese auf frisch verkupferten Oberflächen zur Geltung.

Ja, mit TIFOO Liquid Gold lassen sich geeignete nichtmetallische Oberflächen zunächst messingfarben beschichten. Anschließend können diese mit der TIFOO Patinierung oder Grünpatinierung veredelt werden.

If the patination does not last, there are several options. 
1. If the surface is nano-coated or covered with an invisible clear varnish, this layer must be removed so that the patination can adhere. 
2. The surface may be made of an incompatible material. 
3. The pre-treatment may not have been carried out thoroughly enough. The patination will only work on a clean surface, free of dust, dirt and other contaminants. 
4. The patination may have been too concentrated. Depending on the product, you may dare to dilute with water.

You have to multiply the current density recommended for the respective electrolyte by the surface area of the workpiece in dm² and then get the required current intensity. The voltage will readjust when the current is set accordingly.

If you want to coat from both sides at the same time, you should place an anode in the tank on each side and place the workpiece in the middle. The deposition is then more uniform than with the method with only one anode.

The depletion of the electrolyte can be recognised by the slowing deposition. The colouring of the gold electrolyte Midas, for example, does not indicate that the electrolyte has been used up.

For gold and palladium: stainless steel or graphite. For copper (basic and acidic): Copper. For nickel electrolyte: nickel. For silver electrolyte: silver. For zinc electrolyte: zinc. For chrome electrolyte: not compatible with bath electroplating.

This varies from electrolyte to electrolyte. If the anodes are made of the same material as the salt in the electrolyte solution (e.g. copper, nickel, silver, zinc), the salt content remains constant because the anode dissolves slowly but steadily. However, the electrolyte is still contaminated at some point and brighteners (if present) are used up.

Certain electrolytes can be diluted. The gold electrolytes Flash and Midas can be diluted in a ratio of up to 1:1. However, the speed of deposition and the shine then decrease rapidly.

No, unfortunately that is not possible. Our chrome electrolyte only works in conjunction with the brush process (tampon electroplating).

The anodes should be at least as large as the surface of the object to be coated. The supply of 2 anodes (left and right) has been proven to give better results.

No. For ultrasonic measurement, the BarScreenSensor’s probe must be in direct contact with the smooth surface of the object, with ultrasonic gel (included) acting as a medium.

Devices such as the GoldScreenSensor or the magnetic scale are better suited for measuring through thin packaging and blister packs. Coins and bars weighing up to approximately 2 ounces can be tested with the GoldScreenSensor. With the magnetic scale, the limit is even up to 250 g.

Rust Piranha can normally be painted over or treated further. However, please check on an inconspicuous spot whether the rust converter is compatible with your paint colour.

No, unfortunately that is not possible with these products.

The zinc object must be clean and free of residues such as dirt, oil or particles. The object is then degreased, e.g. with the TIFOO Galvano Degreaser. Depending on the size, the object is immersed in the yellow chromate for a few minutes. 3 minutes is a good guideline.

In principle, it is possible to gold-plate some aluminium alloys with the Gold Star, but so far this only works with a few compositions. The success of the application can therefore not be guaranteed for all aluminium alloys.

Our products for electroless silver plating only deposit on copper and brass as a base, as the products can only deposit silver with these materials. Accordingly, the products for electroless silver plating can NOT be deposited on silver. If copper or brass are coated, a thin silver layer of 200 - 300 nm is produced, which is intended for decorative purposes only. If you want a thicker silver layer on your object, the only process left is electroplating!

Yes, this is possible with the help of our conductive copper varnish. The object is sprayed or brushed with copper conductive paint or copper conductive lacquer spray, which first creates a metallic layer. The object is then given its final conductivity in a galvanic bath with acidic bright copper electrolyte. This creates a continuous, conductive copper layer that can then be further treated like any other copper layer, e.g. by silver plating.

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