Our Smoky Chrome Brush Plating Solution is a sophisticated choice for bathroom fixtures, jewellery and other items. Recommended electrode – Carbon. Once you have mixed your solution, you’ll need to allow it to stand (preferably overnight) at room temperature prior to use.
As well as the visually appealing qualities of the plate, it’s a very hard, scratch-resistant coating that doesn’t tarnish and is fingermark-resistant.
When using this product, we recommend the operator conducts the plating operation wearing a respirator fitted with appropriate filters or extracts the fumes with a ventilator hood.
Please click on the Tech Specs tab for further information concerning recommended health and safety procedures.
Because this is a two part system, you’ll need to mix it 50/50 before use. Leave it to stand for at least three hours before use and preferably, overnight.
HS Code: 3824 99 70
Our smoky chrome brush plating solution can add a sophisticated finishing touch to a range of items, from bathroom furniture to mobile phone covers. It is extremely scratch resistant so is ideal for items that see a lot of handling and wear.
Our brush plating equipment is powered by our MultiPlater. It’s very straightforward to use, compact and lightweight.
Here a mobile phone cover has just been smoky chrome brush plated using one of our carbon electrodes and a short extra fluffy swab. To see the video of how this was done, please click on the ‘Video’ tab above.
The end of a disposable lighter and the detail on a silver signet ring have been smoky chrome plated, demonstrating this plating solution’s decorative possibilities.
Ensuring long shelf life and mixing only the amount of solution you need, thus saving money
Fingermark resistant finish
Plating personal items such as watches key fobs and other items
Technical Tips;
Plate at 10 volts
Temperature: 20 – 25 centigrade
Electrode – Carbon or platinum
For optimum results, we recommend warming the work piece to 30 centigrade by immersion
in warm water just before plating.
For help with setting up your brush plating equipment, please click HERE for a guide.
2. Using the Conductivity Tester
Before you start, check that the surface you’re plating is conductive. This is particularly important if the object you’re plating is a decorative item that is designed to be handled regularly, as these items are often coated with a protective layer of lacquer to prevent tarnishing. This layer will stop any plating taking place and will be detected by the conductivity tester. If this is the case and your item is coated with lacquer, proceed to the next step. If not and the needle on your tester shows the surface to be conductive, go straight to the fourth stage.
3. Stripping off any lacquer
Strip the lacquer off with the same kind of preparation you would use to strip household paint from doors or varnish from floors. We suggest that you do this twice, to be absolutely sure that you’ve removed all traces of lacquer. Clean thoroughly with MPU and then test again with the Conductivity Tester, before you start plating.
4. White bronze plating
Remember to fit a platinum or carbon electrode into your electrode handle, using the allen key supplied with the electrode handle kit. Adjust the voltage if necessary and start plating with the usual circular strokes of the swab.
5. Smoky chrome plating
Adjust the voltage according to the the tech specs on the product or the label on the product bottle and start plating with regular, circular strokes.Try to make electrical contact in an area that is out of site to prevent marking of the work. Alternatively you could use one of our Conductor Strips, which can be purchased from our website.
6. Finishing
Rinse with deionised water. Dry and seal with MetaSeal.
Troubleshooting table
Type of problem
Possible reason
What to do
No Plating taking place
1. Voltage too low. 2.Incomplete electrical circuit 3. Surface not clean enough. 4. Surface inactive because of thin film of oxidisation especially when plating on to stainless steel.
1. Increase voltage as per Tech Specs tab on product page. 2. Check all electrical connections and clean if necessary. Make sure the swab is fully soaked in solution. 3. Repeat cleaning cycle. 4. Rub with MPU and if plating on to stainless steel gold flash. If the piece you are plating is large (making it likely that the nickel undercoat will be exposed for a length of time), we recommend you gold flash and then smoky chrome plate to avoid this problem of oxidisation.
Plating is patchy or not plating at all
1. Refer to all of the above. 2.Incomplete stripping of already present chrome layer.
Strip the existing chrome and rub with MPU.
Dark streaks appearing in the plating.
Metallic contamination, most commonly caused by iron for nickel rom using a stainless steel electrode.
Check that the contamination isn’t caused by any other stage of the process and replace the stainless steel electrode with a carbon electrode.
Brush Calculator
How to use this calculator:
In the first box, select the solution you are using.
In the second box, enter the surface area of the item you are plating.
In the third box, enter the thickness you wish to plate to.
In the fourth box, select the type of swab that you are using.
Click ‘Calculate’ to see the volume of solution required and the plating time. The weight of metal plated is also shown. This can be especially useful if you are using accurate scales to check the weight plated and can potentially lead to more accurate measurements.
Operating Conditions and Deposit Data
Voltage Range
9 – 11 volts (see notes)
Temperature
20 – 30 °C
Lightness (L*) of deposit
65 – 70%
Electrode
Carbon or Platinum Electrode (see notes)
Chromium content in plate
99% (balance carbon)
Plating Rate at (10 volts, Carbon Electrode)
Approx. 2 micron per minute (spot)
Maximum plating thickness
3 microns
Hardness (as plated)
800 Hv (see notes)
Hardness after heat treatment
1500 – 1600 Hv (see notes)
Density of deposit
7.2 g/cm3
Stress
Hi stress
Special storage requirements
None
Shelf life
1 – 2 years
Health and Safety classification
Not classified as dangerous
Special considerations
None
Transport (UN number)
None: Not classified as dangerous for transport
Notes:
Heat treating at 220 °C increases the hardness of the deposit from 800
to 1600 Hv.
The voltage should be raised from 10 volts if using a Carbon Electrode to 11 volts when
using a Platinum Electrode.
We strongly advise against the use of stainless steel anodes for most of our plating processes.
Plating rates are calculated over a sample area which is permanently covered by swab.
Delivery information
We ship worldwide, except for products that carry a UN classification for transport.
UK courier delivery (FedEx/APC): We use FedEx and APC. Delivery usually takes 2–7 working days from dispatch.
Royal Mail: Available for a limited range of non-liquid UK orders. Usually 5-10 working days from dispatch.
Free UK mainland delivery: On orders over £200.
International delivery: Usually 5-10 working days from dispatch.
Shipping costs: Add the items you require to your shopping cart and click ‘View cart’. Towards the bottom of the cart page, click ‘Calculate shipping’, select your country and enter your postcode. Then click ‘Calculate Shipping Costs’ to see the delivery charge.
VAT, import taxes and duties: For orders delivered outside the UK, we do not charge UK VAT once the delivery country has been selected correctly. Your destination country may charge its own import VAT or other local taxes when the goods arrive. Customs or import duty may also apply, depending on the product and destination. Import VAT and customs duty are separate charges, although the courier or customs authority may collect them together. We do not include these charges in our prices or delivery charges, and you are responsible for paying them.
Please click on the link below to download the SDS for these products:
Preparing the surface for electroplating - creating a water break-free surface
Good surface preparation is one of the most important steps in successful electroplating. In fact, many plating problems occur because the metal surface hasn't been cleaned or prepared properly.
Before you start plating, your aim is to achieve a water break-free surface. This gives your plating solution the best possible chance of producing a sound, well-adhered finish.
The following guidance applies to pen, brush and tank electroplating.
What Is a Water Break-Free Surface?
A water break-free surface is a metal surface that’s completely clean and free from grease, oil and other contamination.
You can check this by holding your item under gently running water.
If the water flows evenly across the surface without forming droplets or pulling away into patches, you’ve achieved a water break-free surface.
However, if the water gathers into droplets or breaks apart, contamination may still be present. You’ll need to repeat the cleaning process before plating.
The photograph of the copper sheet above shows the difference.
On the top half of the copper sheet, contamination causes the water to gather into droplets.
On the bottom half, the water drains away evenly because the surface is clean. This is the water break-free finish you’re aiming for.
Step 1: Make Sure Your Metal Has the Finish You Want
Before cleaning, check that your item has the surface finish you want to achieve.
Electroplating follows the contours of the underlying metal. Therefore, it won’t hide scratches or turn a matt surface into a highly polished one.
If your item needs polishing, complete this first.
If your work needs a lot of polishing and surface finishing you will need to make sure all of the residue from these processes are completely removed before attempting to electroplate.
For more information, see our guide to Hand and Machine Polishing Metal for Electroplating.
Step 2: Removing Polishing Compounds, Grease and Dirt
If you’ve polished your item with Autosol or used a polishing machine, you’ll need to remove any remaining polishing compounds.
Start by cleaning the surface with a suitable solvent or our MetaPrep.
Next, use liquid detergent to remove any remaining solvent or MetaPrep.
Finally, rinse thoroughly under running water until you’ve removed all traces of detergent.
This initial cleaning stage prepares your item for the final cleaning and activation process.
Step 3: Clean and Activate the Surface
Cleaning removes dirt, grease and oil. Activation removes the oxide layer that can form on metal surfaces.
Some metals, particularly stainless steel, nickel and nickel-containing alloys such as nickel silver, need special attention because of their oxide layers.
Spa Plating offers several ways to clean and activate your work. The best method depends on the metal you’re plating, its size and its surface condition.
For Small and Medium-Sized Items
If your item has a fairly smooth surface and isn’t made from stainless steel, nickel or a nickel-containing alloy, we recommend MPU (MetaPrep Ultra).
MPU removes remaining traces of oil while activating the metal surface at the same time.
Apply it using tissue paper, making sure you treat the whole surface.
For Stainless Steel, Nickel and More Difficult Surfaces
If you’re preparing stainless steel, nickel or nickel-containing alloys, we recommend our ActiClean.
ActiClean cleans and activates the surface in one process.
It’s also a useful choice for very large items or those with uneven surfaces.
For this process, use a Carbon Electrode, preferably, or a Platinum Electrode.
For Tank Plating and Items with Recesses
If you’re preparing items for tank plating, you can use our powered Cleaning Beaker together with our Cleaner. You can use our in-house designed and manufactured MultiPlater to power this stage.
This powered immersion method is particularly useful for items with rough surfaces or recesses.
For example, some surfaces may catch on a cleaning swab, while recessed areas can trap traces of MPU. The Cleaning Beaker provides an alternative way to prepare these items.
Step 4: Check for a Water Break-Free Surface
Once you’ve completed the cleaning and activation process, it’s time for the final check.
Hold your item under gently running water and watch how the water behaves.
If it flows evenly across the surface without forming droplets or breaking apart, your item has passed the water break-free test.
However, if the water gathers into droplets or pulls away from certain areas, repeat the appropriate cleaning steps.
Don’t start plating until you’ve achieved a water break-free surface.
Ready to Start Plating?
Once you’ve achieved a water break-free surface, you’re ready to move on to the appropriate plating process for your metal.
Remember, taking a little extra care during surface preparation can make a considerable difference to your final plating result.
