Coating nozzle (CHT clone) with nickel using electrolysis?

Bambu Lab X Series User mods
21

Well working pretty well, I need to find something to polish.

The coin have changed almost immediately of color (20 seconds)

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EDIT: with a bit of polish

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22

Yes, I know coating a hardened nozzle is completely dumb :slight_smile: But I was needing a guinea pig.

Result is not that good, but that’s a very first & fast try, interesting.

I got a couple of ideas to improve this process.

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23

Hey, me again.

You can improve your results by “preparing” the surface of your nozzle.
You’ll be looking at removing oils from it and removing oxydes.

You can remove oils by dipping them in a hot bath of soapy water and handling them with gloves, never with your bare hands.
You can remove oxydes by dipping them in a bath of HCl, which is commonly found in hardware stores. I’d suggest diluting it first.

I must also point out for your safety to avoid using table salt (NaCl) as a conductive salt to improve your solutions conductivity.

24

What are the risk ? Chlorine ?

Once dipped into Hydrochloric acid, before putting it into the electrolysis bath, I just need to rinse it under water ?

25

Yes, chlorine gas can build up around electrodes.

Here’s a protocol I suggest you use :

  • Degreasing bath : 5 mins, 60°C ; 10% dishsoap in water
  • Rince
  • Oxyde removing bath : 2 min, ambiant temp, no more than 10% HCl in mass ;
  • Rince
  • “Activation” bath : 30", ambiant temp, 1/10 the concentration of your previous bath
  • Very light rincing (maybe none if you’re not sure)
  • Nickel coating (use Faraday’s law to work out time)
  • Rince straight away when done
  • Dry

I have more ressources if you wish, but they’re in French ; you can use a translator. I happen to teach electrochemistry and applied electroplating.

26

Thanks, Well, I am french, so it should be ok :wink:

EDIT: maybe PM those to me, to avoid having a French discussion on this thread

27

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