Holley Carb Restoration-Part 3-Plating small parts

[Gerard F.]

Re: Holley Carb Restoration-Part 3-Plating small parts

Jerry -

Are there manuals on getting started for this type of plating? Your posts are very interesting and I would like to know more about how to do the process, where to get materials and costs.

Joseph,

If you are interested getting into plating, try the Caswell site:

http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/index.html

They have an excellent manual which covers all types of plating, which I would recommend you get first before you buy one of their plating kits.

That way you will know what accessories you need, power supply, dedicated area with ventilation. Be prepared to spend quite a few hundreds of dollars.

Maybe someday, a corner of your garage will look like mine in the picture above. Oh heavens.

[John M.]

Re: Holley Carb Restoration-Part 3-Plating small parts

Jerry, You say you use beadblasting or the nylon wheel on the potmetal parts. Which do you prefer? I've used glass beads and walnut shells and both result in an even, dull finish. The fine wire wheel finish gives a more greenish yellow finish but is a bit too shiny. Also, how do you get the nylon wheel in the nooks and crannies?
Thanks,
John

[John M.]

Re: Holley Carb Restoration-Part 3-Plating small parts

Jerry and all,
Here's something of interest.
May 16th, 2008, 07:06 PM
Gerard Fuccillo (42179)
Extremely Frequent Poster
Join Date: July 1st, 2004
Posts: 2,550


Re: 67 Original Holley Carb Color
Gary,

Here's what I believe was the original gold irridescent look, although this one might be a little overdone and too even in coloring:



This is my 67 Holley 3810 just after recoloring. (Sorry guys, I know you've seen this one before, but I'm proud of it )

I say it is a little too even in coloring, as the coloring was done more or less at one time and with the same dichromate solution. I think true factory carbs probably had a higher variation in color of the individual parts (like the one in Joe's pictures) as the parts were done separately in separate varying solutions. Some parts even took on a greenish tint.

I think the manager at Holley's has it backwards. They start out with the light gold irridescent finish, and get darker and lose the irridescence with age and use. Dichromate on zinc darkens and gets duller with age. If he is initially making them dark and brassy, they will get darker and duller with age, they just ain't going to lighten up and go irridescent.

In your picture of the bright carb, I think it is too bright, and not what I would consider gold irridescent on the potmetal. It looks like bright gold dichromate, similar to what you would get on a zinc plated steel part.

The potmetal parts (fuel bowls, main body) in your picture looks like they were zinc plated first, then dipped into the dichromate mix, heat blasted bring out the red and green tones. That's not how the originals were done. The potmetal parts were not zinc plated, they were freshly cast zinc potmetal, just cleaned up with some sort of pickling bath, and dipped in the dichromate solution.

I found that the best way to recolor potmetal is to get the surface down to a fresh zinc potmetal finish and then do the dichromate dip. If you plate it over, it will come out too bright.
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Jerry Fuccillo
1967 327/300 Convertible since 1968

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NCRS Discussion Boards > Technical Discussion

[Gerard F.]

Re: Holley Carb Restoration-Part 3-Plating small parts

Jerry, You say you use beadblasting or the nylon wheel on the potmetal parts. Which do you prefer? I've used glass beads and walnut shells and both result in an even, dull finish. The fine wire wheel finish gives a more greenish yellow finish but is a bit too shiny. Also, how do you get the nylon wheel in the nooks and crannies?
Thanks,
John

John,

I actually do both beadblasting and the nylon wheel on potmetal parts.
The problem with the nylon wheel (I use a blue-medium fine) is that it can't get into the little cranny's.

So I beadblast first, and then touch up all the high spots with the nylon wheel to bring out the brightness. On the simple parts, like the secondary vacuum cap, I just use the nylon wheel but make sure it isn't too shiny.
That's how the carb in the post below was done.

[Jeffrey S.]

Re: Holley Carb Restoration-Part 3-Plating small parts

Jerry:
How old is your Caswell Copy-Cad solution? They have updated it recently and though it takes more current to plate, it accepts the dichromate a lot better. I am getting much better results with it.
Jeff

[Gerard F.]

Re: Holley Carb Restoration-Part 3-Plating small parts

Jerry:
How old is your Caswell Copy-Cad solution? They have updated it recently and though it takes more current to plate, it accepts the dichromate a lot better. I am getting much better results with it.
Jeff

Jeff,

I'm using the older Caswell solution (2006) before they changed it. I understand the new solution takes more amps per square inch.

Also using pure zinc ingots as anodes per this post:

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthread.php?p=447823&uid=1527

With a dose of zinc brightener, the parts come out brighter and take the Caswell dichromate very well.

I'm also doing a little experimentation with pure Sodium Dichromate powder(10 oz/gallon water) with battery acid (1 1/2 oz/gallon) as the dicromate dip. Seems to come out golder and takes right away on the bright parts but that might be because it is a new solution. The mix is per a Greg Linton post sometime back in the archives.

The 5 amp power supply works just fine with my solutions and plating sizes. But I have a 10 amp one in case I upgrade or go to larger parts.

Cheers,

[Jeffrey S.]

Re: Holley Carb Restoration-Part 3-Plating small parts

Jerry:
The new Caswell solution uses much less of the brightener than the old. I don't have the book in front of me but, if I remember correctly it only requires 1/2 teaspoon per 1 1/2 gallons. I still use the 0-3 amp rectifier I got from Caswell but I also have a 0-250 amp 220 volt rectifier (it will strip the chrome off a 53 Buick bumper in no time!) yhat I can use for very large pieces. Your work is superb!!!
Jeff

[Rick S.]

Re: Holley Carb Restoration-Part 3-Plating small parts

Jerry,
and Jeff's work is superb also!! +++++

Rick




P.S. Jerry, If I drive to your place will you restore my 67 3810 carb?

[Gerard F.]

Re: Holley Carb Restoration-Part 3-Plating small parts

Jerry,
and Jeff's work is superb also!! +++++

Rick




P.S. Jerry, If I drive to your place will you restore my 67 3810 carb?

Rick,

Sure I'll do your carb, if you want to leave your car with me for six months

[Randy R.]

Re: Holley Carb Restoration-Part 3-Plating small parts

Where did you purchase the zinc ingots?

Randy

[Gerard F.]

Re: Holley Carb Restoration-Part 3-Plating small parts

Where did you purchase the zinc ingots?

Randy

Randy,

Google "rotometals", look under zinc anodes, look for the 99.9% pure.

You'll be amazed how cheap they are.

You can also get other metals there.

[Rick S.]

Re: Holley Carb Restoration-Part 3-Plating small parts

Jerry,
It has turned into the "non-driving season" here in Michigan but I will leave for Calif in a couple of days for the carb restoration.

Rick

[Gerard F.]

Re: Holley Carb Restoration-Part 3-Plating small parts

Jerry,
It has turned into the "non-driving season" here in Michigan but I will leave for Calif in a couple of days for the carb restoration.

Rick

Rick,

You can park it out front where this one is parked:



But this one has the garage for the winter.

It only snows a couple of times each winter here in the foothills of N. CA. (but it rains a lot), so bring along a good car cover.