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How to Electroplate Household Metals

Co-authored by
Bess Ruff, MA
Last Updated: April 14, 2020
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Electroplating is a process used to coat one metal with that of a separate metal. There are
many objects in our everyday lives that have been plated with other metals: gold-plated
jewelry, nickel and copper plated coins, etc. The process involves passing an electric
current through a solution of electrolytes that allows for the transfer of metal ions from the
donor metal to the recipient metal.[1]
You can easily setup a simple apparatus at home to
electroplate your own metals.

Method Method 1 of 2:
1 Electroplating with Muriatic Acid
Gather the necessary materials. To setup this system, you will need water,
1 muriatic acid, a 6-volt DC lantern battery, two alligator clips, a piece of copper
metal, the metallic item you are trying to plate, and a container large enough for
the metal you want to electroplate to be submerged. All of these items can be
found at a local hardware or home improvement store.
The 6-volt battery has two prongs that make it easier to connect to the
system, but you can use a battery of lower voltage.
Alligator clips are insulated electrical wires that have metal clips as the ends
used for connecting circuits together.
The piece of copper is the source of ions that will be used to plate your metal
item.
Steel and nickel are two metals that can easily be plated with copper.

Wear proper protective equipment. When electroplating metals, you are

2 dealing with acids and other chemicals that you need to be protected from.
Wear protective eye goggles, gloves, and a lab coat or clothes that you don’t mind
ruining if something splashes.
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Scrub the metal surface clean. To get an even electroplated coat, you must
3 first clean the surface of your metal object. Dirt and oils on the surface can
prevent the donor metal from coating the surface. Start with a degreaser such as
a detergent (dish soap) and then scrub the metal with an abrasive, acidic cleaner
to ensure the surface is very clean.[2]
A mixture of vinegar and baking soda can be used as an acidic cleaner to
scrub the surface clean.

Measure 5 parts water. To make the electroplating solution you will mix 5
4 parts water with 1 part muriatic acid. Never add water directly to acid! Adding
water to acid causes an exothermic reaction that can lead to the acid exploding
and be very harmful. You want to fill a container large enough to submerge both
pieces of metal that will be used for the electroplating process. Start with 5 cups
of water and add more as necessary.[3]
Always maintain the ratio of 5:1. For example, if you need more than 5 cups,
measure out 10 cups of water and add 2 cups of muriatic acid.

Add 1 part muriatic acid to the water. To avoid injury, remember to always
5 add the acid to the water. If you’ve measured out 5 cups of water, measure
out 1 cup of acid and slowly add it to the water while stirring.[4]
Remember to keep the ratio of 5:1 water to acid.
The outside of the container will be warm because adding acid to water is
exothermic (it creates heat).
Stir with a glass or plastic stirrer because the acid will degrade a metal.

Connect one alligator clip to each prong of the battery supply. The
6 battery will serve to produce the current necessary for the electroplating
process. Attach one clip to one prong and the second clip to the second prong of
the battery.
At this stage, it doesn’t matter which clip is connected to which terminal, just
that a separate clip is attached to each one.

Connect the copper to the positive terminal of the battery. Using an

7 alligator clip, attach the positive terminal of the battery to the piece of copper.
If you clip the copper piece to the wrong terminal, the electroplating will not
work.[5]
On a standard 6-volt battery, the positive terminal is the male side of the
battery.

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Connect the metal piece to be plated to the negative terminal of the

8 battery. Take the clip attached to the negative terminal of the battery and
attach it to the metal you are trying to plate. Clip the pieces in the least
conspicuous way possible. If there is no out-of-the-way place to attach the clip,
you will need to alter its location during the plating process so the piece of metal
gets evenly coated.[6]
The negative side of a standard 6-volt battery is the female component.
If you attach the positive clip to the metal, the electroplating will not work.
Double check that you have the correct terminals attached.

Submerge both metals into the diluted muriatic acid bath. Once
9 everything is connected, you can place both metal pieces into the bath. The
copper piece doesn’t have to be fully submerged, but the piece you are plating
does.
Stir the solution during the plating process to get an even coat.
Keep the two metal pieces at least an inch apart from each other to avoid
getting burn spots where the copper accumulates too quickly.

Remove metal piece when you are satisfied with the coat. Using this
10 method makes it a little more difficult to get a thick coat of copper, but you
will be able to get a thin, even coat. When are you are satisfied with the look of
the metal you were trying to plate, you can remove the metal from the bath and
place it on a towel to dry.
The plating can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours.
If you have more metals to plate, you can connect the next metal to the clip,
place it in the acid bath, and stir to coat.

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Method Method 2 of 2:
2 Electroplating with a Metal Ion Electrolyte Solution
Gather the necessary materials. To electroplate with this method, you will
1 need a piece of copper, the metal to be plated, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide,
alligator clips, a 6-volt lantern battery, a glass/plastic container, and gloves. All of
these items can be purchased at a local hardware or home improvement store.
A cheap and easy way to obtain 100% copper is to use a copper scrubbing
sponge that can be found in the cleaning aisle of the supermarket.

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Alligator clips are electrical wires that have metal clips on each end used for
connecting circuits.
You can use a battery with a voltage as low as 1.5 volts if you don’t have a
lantern battery.
Use a container large enough to submerge the metal that you’re trying to
plate.

Combine and heat equal parts vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. You will
2 need enough of this solution to submerge your to-be-plated metal. To make
four cups of solution, add two cups of vinegar to two cups of hydrogen peroxide.[7]

Combining vinegar and hydrogen peroxide makes peracetic acid which must
be handled with caution.[8]

Soak half of the copper scrubbing pad in the vinegar-peroxide solution.

3 The solution will turn blue, indicating that the scrub has dissolved into the
solution. You now have a copper ion solution that can be used for
electroplating.[9]
Wear gloves from this step on because the copper solution is toxic.
Soak the copper until the solution turns a light blue. It is better for the solution
to be of weak concentration, so remove the copper scrub before the solution
gets too dark.

Attach one end of each alligator clip to the terminals of the battery. The
4 battery provides the current necessary to transport the metals from the donor
to the recipient. Connect one alligator clip to the positive terminal of the battery
and another alligator clip to the negative terminal.
At this stage, it doesn’t matter which clip is connected to which terminal, as
long as there is a separate clip attached to each one.

Clean the metal to be electroplated. Before starting the electroplating

5 method, you must ensure that the metal is clean so the new metal atoms can
form a solid bond to the recipient metal.[10]
Wear gloves to both protect your
hands and keep the metal surface clean. It is essential to do this step well for an
even electroplate.
Clean the grease with a mild detergent such as dish soap.
Scrub the metal surface with an acidic, abrasive cleaner. A 50-50 vinegar and
baking soda solution works well to clean copper.[11]
Rinse the surface well to remove any residue and pat dry with a paper towel.

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From this point on, handle the metal only with gloves on to avoid
contaminating the surface.

Connect the positive alligator clip to the copper scrub. Take the other half
6 of the copper scrub that wasn’t used to make the solution. Attach the alligator
clip connected to the positive terminal of the battery and connect it to the copper
scrub. If you attach it to the negative terminal, the electroplating won’t work.[12]

Connect the negative alligator clip to the to-be-plated metal. The other
7 clip should be connected to the negative terminal of the battery. Attach this
clip to the metal that you are plating. Try to attach it in a place that is
inconspicuous.
You may need to move the clip during the plating process, so you get an even
coat.
If you attach the metal to be plated to the positive terminal, the electroplating
won’t work. Simply switch the clips and the process will work.

Submerge the metals in the blue copper solution. Once both metals have
8 been connected, submerge them in the blue copper solution you already
made. Because they are connected to the battery, a current is flowing through the
circuit. Atoms of copper will transfer from the copper metal and bond with the
metal you are plating to form a coat.[13]
To avoid burn spots (spots where the copper accumulates too quickly), keep
the two metals at least one inch apart and keep the solution in constant
motion.

Remove the metal when the coat is even. When you are satisfied with the
9 look of the plating on your metal, remove it from the solution. You can take it
out of the solution and check the coat, then replace it in the solution without
disrupting the process.
Rinse the metal and set on a towel to dry.

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Community Q&A

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Question

Can I use a copper electroplate on semiprecious gemstones and glass to

make jewelry?

Paul S
Community Answer

You cannot directly electroplate the gemstones themselves, but the jewelry they
are mounted on can be plated. It is best to plate the jewelry without the
gemstones, then mount the stones in the plated material.

Question

Can I use nickels for a donor metal to nickel plate items?

Community Answer

No, nickels are not pure nickel, they are a alloy. I think Amazon sells pure nickel
strips.

Question

Is electroplating with muriatic acid easier than plating with a metal ion
electrolyte?

Paul S
Community Answer

No, since extreme caution must be used, along with personal protection such as
gloves, goggles, and apron. Good ventilation of the area you are working in is
also very important. The used acid will also be hazardous.

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Question

Aren't some copper scrubbing pads just copper plated iron or steel? Are
there other sources of copper?

Paul S
Community Answer

This is true. Electrical wire is an excellent source of copper once the insulation is
removed. It is inexpensive and easy to work with.

Question

What material is used for chrome plating?

Paul S
Community Answer

The part to be chrome-plated is first plated with copper, then nickel, and finally
chromium.

Question

How do I safely dispose of the chemicals after use? Is it okay to pour down
the drain?

Community Answer

It depends. If you are using muriatic acid, you need to dispose of it safely by
giving it to a chemical disposal company or reusing it.

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Question

Can I use this process to plate in gold?

Community Answer

Yes, but you must use pure gold and not an alloy. Do not try to use a gold ring as
jewelry, gold is usually a mix of metals.

Question

Can you use this same process to electroplate plastic?

Nigel Lemieux
Community Answer

No, unfortunately, you cannot. Plastic does not conduct electricity, so there would
be little hope of doing this.

Question

Can a material besides copper be used to plate the object?

Mo.mow.mo.money
Community Answer

Yes, but copper is much easier to plate with.

Question

Can I plate on plastic with a lead pencil?

Community Answer

Electroplating doesn't work with plastic because plastic doesn't conduct

electricity. Both materials must be conductors for electroplating to work.

See more answers

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Tips

It doesn't matter if you are using distilled vinegar or not.

It doesn't matter if your host metal is already plated, but it is easier to see the
copper plating process, if your metal is a different color.

The bottom of a plastic milk jug works well as a container.

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Warnings

Wash your hands after handling electrolyte solution, which may cause irritation to
eyes and skin if not rinsed off immediately.

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References

1. http://www.explainthatstuff.com/electroplating.html
2. http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Core/Analytical_Chemistry/Electrochemistry/Electrolyt
ic_Cells/Electroplating#Preparing_the_Surface
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIU3lsZMx7A
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIU3lsZMx7A
5. http://www.explainthatstuff.com/electroplating.html
6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIU3lsZMx7A
7. http://hackaday.com/2013/11/01/copper-electroplating-the-cheap-and-safe-way/
8. http://science.blurtit.com/163489/what-would-happen-if-i-mixed-vinegar-and-
hydrogen-peroxide-together
9. http://hackaday.com/2013/11/01/copper-electroplating-the-cheap-and-safe-way/
10. http://www.explainthatstuff.com/electroplating.html
11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8Xo43sfLgY
12. http://hackaday.com/2013/11/01/copper-electroplating-the-cheap-and-safe-way/
13. http://hackaday.com/2013/11/01/copper-electroplating-the-cheap-and-safe-way/
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