Getting the copper off?

[rwm]

eric what you did is a great way to neutralize rust. i read that in an old hot rod mag you can turn red rust in a neutral black rust. but if your electrods touch you have a pile of metal mush. anyway i got lye today and will soak copper nickel and aluminum in it till 6pm tuesday

[exeric]

I have been following this post with much interest. I have tried all manner of removing nickel and copper and had ZERO success. The only thing works for me is a die grinder, cartrige rolls, rotary files, sand paper, and sandblasting. The last non mechanical method I tried was making a bath of sulfuric acid in a 5 gallon bucket and using a lead anode to transfer the copper or nickel off the part. I had the part hooked up to my buzz box welder and gave it 75 amps of current. All it did was turn the part and the lead anode black. Oh yeah, and it probably added $10 to my electric bill. I was really hoping to hear something good about that stuff that's suppose to safely remove all plating from the parent metal but moon wolf didn't seem too impressed. A friend of mine just had some parts stripped of chrome and replated and got charged a ridiculous amount of money. The plater told him the nickel is very hard to remove and he has to use a very toxic bath. I really would like to hear some encouraging advice for doing this process at home.

[Paps]

Try Amish people or a supplier for their communities, such as LeMans, just outside of Canton, Ohio. Pretty sure they have a website.

[23JDCA 808]

put a penny in lye acid ....

You may have meant lye solution; lye is a caustic, opposite of acidic. ...bill

[moon wolf]

Thanks guys. I remember reading something and I think it was here about using a car battery and battery acid to remove chrome. Wounder if it would take the copper off to? I think I'm going to drop a dime to that on line store that makes the the mini platting kits.

I tried the chemical they advertised as a chrome stripper. It did absolutely nothing.

[flat-happy]

well if you don't want to try the glass beads maybe you have a furniture stripping place nearby? they use lye all the time

[rwm]

ace hardware store it's use by plumbers to clean rust and scale out of iron pipes it's also the same stuff in hot tanks at your local engine rebuilder the plater near you is sterling restoration assc. 70 herbert ave closter nj 201 788 1140 also used in cleaning french fry oil for bio fuel

[jmanjeff]

Try here

http://www.boyercorporation.com/

[Robert Luland]

Well RWM in the name of back yard chemistry. I been out looking for lie. So far I hit the A&P, Home Puke, the hardware store and the gardening store. No lie but they all looked at me strangely. I had one eye glued to the rear view all the way back to the shop. Anyone here know were ya can find lie. I know drain cleaner has it but it’s watered down and cost a small furtion. I also couldn’t get a handle on that platter.
Paps, Nether do I. Bob L

[Paps]

I've electroplated copper and silver onto surfaces in industrial applications, while on the job. I can't see why it isn't reversable. Paps

[rwm]

put a penny in lye acid and see what happens.there is a plater near you. steve d'atri hobart ave cloister n.j.

[Robert Luland]

Thanks guys. I remember reading something and I think it was here about using a car battery and battery acid to remove chrome. Wounder if it would take the copper off to? I think I'm going to drop a dime to that on line store that makes the the mini platting kits.

[moon wolf]

I'm not buying it! There has to be some earth wrecking goop to take this stuff off. I live in the getto. If the stuff kills the inhavitants of my hood. The earth as a whole would be a better place. Bob L

Here's what I found on a technical site. Have no idea of the environmental consequences:

"Nitric acid in commercial grade will dissolve nickel and copper without attack to aluminum. Steel is severely attacked by nitric, so, if this is your substrate, you would require a dedicated striper for ferrous mateirlas..."

Also, Queen City plating in Mukilteo, Washington claims they can remove all the plating layers from you castings. Haven' tried them either.

http://www.queencityplating.com/

[Re-cycleInc]

Sulfuric Acid

I was looking for chemicals to strip cad plating and I came across some threads on using heated sulfuric acid to remove copper. Not sure of the whole process or the science behind it , but it sure sounds interesting. I'm no chemist so I wouldn't try it after more research, but I figured I throw in what I have found. Good luck

[Robert Luland]

I'm not buying it! There has to be some earth wrecking goop to take this stuff off. I live in the getto. If the stuff kills the inhavitants of my hood. The earth as a whole would be a better place. Bob L