Nickel Plating Lever Cap

[Asssiss]

Hello folks...I have many planes ...one plane I still needing is the Lie-Nielsen # 10 1/4 but not avaible for while...

I always want a Millers Falls plane and now I have one. ⁶Similar a Stanley #3...
The plane arrived today and just for comparsion about prices around the world I paid $95 for it.

I need to confess one thing.I hate planes where the lever cap is not shine as new.Rust is to me very bad at lever cap .Paul Seller talk about history and patina at each plane and he thought we need to clean just a little and keep the history at plane.

I am agree in part... so all my planes I need the lever cap brand new appearence.

I recovery some and here is how I did it.
I"ll add new pictures each time I have.
Here the video where I learnt how to do:

Here the history about Millers Falls hand planes:

Millers Falls Planes

The history, studies and research about the planes made by the Millers Falls Co. from 1929 through 1990. The material covers bench planes, block planes, specialty planes and many of the rebrand planes made by Millers Falls Company in Millers Falls and Greenfield Massachusetts.

www.justtheplanefacts.com

I"ll start this week .

Some pictures:


Very bad appearence

Knob and handle are good condition

Brass wheel

Nickel source

Power source

Starting the process

Normally I clean and keep the patina at back...no new plating

The blade and cap are gone...a new Hock kit is waiting


Actual solution beeing green

Thanks for attention

 

[Asssiss]

Here some pictures from others lever caps done before...
I prefer spray the paint and clean the letters. Before spray I used a toothpick with little cotton at sharp point and apply vaseline at each letter...clean easy after.

Here how green a solution been (old one)

Stanley lever cap bad condition



Outside solution ready to polish

Polished

Sanded and ready to start the process of nickel plating

Spray paint

Ready...the black spots at orange paint is Autosol after polished...after dried I cleaned .

Record was not so bad

But I prefer like this

Thanks for attention

 

[SENC]

Great work!

 

[Asssiss]

Some pictures from another Stanley lever cap:

Before nickel plating

Just out of solution with a dull appearence and nickel excess at surface.

First polished

Logo service

The Black spots of Autosol...after dry I cleaned use a toothpast and tooth brush...just a light use for no damage at paint.

I saved all lever caps at paper and plastic...they are all spare lever caps

 

[Nature Man]

Love the way you repurpose tools!

 

[Asssiss]

Hello folks I just add two short videos at YT...They were from my last nickel platinng in 2023/10.

The quality of image is not so good because was from WhatsApp videos.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

Thanks for attention

 

[Nature Man]

Hello folks I just add two short videos at YT...They were from my last nickel platinng in 2023/10.

The quality of image is not so good because was from WhatsApp videos.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

Thanks for attention

Process really brightens it up! So nice! Chuck

 

[Asssiss]

Process really brightens it up! So nice! Chuck

Some more pictures:
I just finished the clean and sand step and tomorrow if the solution be ready I"ll start the nickel plating itself...

The solution at power only when I am at home and never over night...I like to be alert.

More smooth surface means better quality nickel plating.

So bad



Rough sanded

Must to take all paint off

I sanded 120 until 5000 (but can stop at 1500)

Lacquer thinner at paint

Cleaned and sanded

Like a mirror

Almost ready

One more short video...only sanded yet...sorry for the sound but I love to work with Music

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

Thanks for attention

 

[Nature Man]

Some more pictures:
I just finished the clean and sand step and tomorrow if the solution be ready I"ll start the nickel plating itself...

The solution at power only when I am at home and never over night...I like to be alert.

More smooth surface means better quality nickel plating.

So bad
View attachment 273450

View attachment 273451
Rough sanded
View attachment 273452
Must to take all paint off
View attachment 273453
I sanded 120 until 5000 (but can stop at 1500)
View attachment 273454
Lacquer thinner at paint
View attachment 273455
Cleaned and sanded
View attachment 273456
Like a mirror
View attachment 273457
Almost ready
View attachment 273458
One more short video...only sanded yet...sorry for the sound but I love to work with Music

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

Thanks for attention

All the difference in the world!

 

[Asssiss]

Please look how the solution is changing and beeing green (means good quality nickel source)...

Starts here



We are here

The target

 

[Asssiss]

Hello folks...the process is going on...
The YT short video:

- YouTube

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I read at place if the voltage is lower the better will be the nickel plating.
I have some old sources here and for this step I changed for this:

Lower voltage
1,2V

Thanks for attention

 

[Nature Man]

Hello folks...the process is going on...
The YT short video:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

I read at place if the voltage is lower the better will be the nickel plating.
I have some old sources here and for this step I changed for this:

Lower voltage
1,2V
View attachment 273527
Thanks for attention

Fascinating process!

 

[Asssiss]

Hello folks ...during the final part something was wrong and the surface of lever cap showing some spots without nickel plating...
I"ll start all process again from zero.

Can be that change of power source ...can be any contamination at solution becuse is black now. I"ll use all that way I always did..

Tomorrow I"ll filter the solution and see what is inside the jar.

Thanks for attention

 

[Asssiss]

Hello folks...I hope tomorrow I can starts the all process again from zero.

I filtered the soluion and didn't find nothing visible...so I discarded it.

See how black the solution was :


Must to be green after the process and it is ready to use for new "mission".This is garbage.

Thanks for attention

 

[Asssiss]

Hello folks...I just started all process again...the solution is the first step....tomorrow I"ll sand all lever cap again (the worst part).

I believe I found the contamination source...but not the reason.

See the pictures below:
The solution starts forming again

These hooks I always used at before process

They always intact at final and good quality nickel plating

This hook is misses some body parties

This is not pure nickel (is stainless steel) and this parts mixed at solution....one more thing when I was puting salt at first solution I put it too much (escape from spoon)...so extra salt and extra current (less voltage but more current)I believe the mistake was here...At final of this journey "ll know

I"ll use this source all process as always did

Thanks for attention

 

[Asssiss]

Hello folks...I just started all process again...the solution is the first step....tomorrow I"ll sand all lever cap again (the worst part).

I believe I found the contamination source...but not the reason.

See the pictures below:
The solution starts forming again
View attachment 273614
These hooks I always used at before process
View attachment 273615
They always intact at final and good quality nickel plating
View attachment 273616
This hook is misses some body parties
View attachment 273617
This is not pure nickel (is stainless steel) and this parts mixed at solution....one more thing when I was puting salt at first solution I put it too much (escape from spoon)...so extra salt and extra current (less voltage but more current)I believe the mistake was here...At final of this journey "ll know
View attachment 273618
I"ll use this source all process as always did
View attachment 273619
Thanks for attention

Almost do the same mistake...the stinless steel inside the jar (liquid) and mixing with pure nickel...
I changed the wire and put back outside the liquid...only nickel now in contact with solution..
Here the wire outside and no contact



Here inside and in contact...since 2023 my last time..a check-list can help at step by step...I saw after 5 minutes and I believe I can save the solution....but only in the future I"ll know...I don't want to discharge this solution....will be a lesson

Now I can understand all mistake was the stainless steel in contact with solution...both during formation of green solution and during the processe itself...instead of sending nickel to lever cap I added stainless steel because the wire was inside the jar and not outside as must to be.

Because low quality will be easier than I was thinking

Like fish scales

 

[Asssiss]

Almost do the same mistake...the stinless steel inside the jar (liquid) and mixing with pure nickel...
I changed the wire and put back outside the liquid...only nickel now in contact with solution..
Here the wire outside and no contact
View attachment 273621

View attachment 273622
Here inside and in contact...since 2023 my last time..a check-list can help at step by step...I saw after 5 minutes and I believe I can save the solution....but only in the future I"ll know...I don't want to discharge this solution....will be a lesson
View attachment 273623
Now I can understand all mistake was the stainless steel in contact with solution...both during formation of green solution and during the processe itself...instead of sending nickel to lever cap I added stainless steel because the wire was inside the jar and not outside as must to be.

Because low quality will be easier than I was thinking
View attachment 273625

 

[Asssiss]

Compare this two videos...one the wire outside and only at lever cap is inside...and the wire covered with "extra nickel"...

- YouTube

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The other video the wire inside the solution adding stainless steel and ruining the job

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[Asssiss]

Hello folks ...now the solution and lever cap are ready and I started the process again....

Ready to start again


The numbers are "leaving" because sand paper.

Here the YT short video:

Nickel Plating Lever Cap Second Time

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

Thanks for attention

 

[Nature Man]

Hello folks ...now the solution and lever cap are ready and I started the process again....

Ready to start again

View attachment 273663
The number are "leaving" because sand paper.
View attachment 273664
Here the YT short video:

Nickel Plating Lever Cap Second Time

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

Thanks for attention

Such a dramatic improvement!