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Old 01-19-2019, 07:11 AM   #1
Steve Plucker
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Default Caswell's Copy Cad...

We all know that plating services are getting fewer and far between...and the cost is rising to get a job done especially the Cad Plating process.

I always worry about "Am I getting the exact parts I sent to a plater 500 plus miles away back or not."

Most of us have heard about Caswell's Copy Cad product.

That being the case...Who has tried this product and what are your experineces with it and is it worth the money in the restoration of the Model A/AA Ford or for anything as that goes.

Just how long does a part using this product stay protected from the enviroment.

Of coarce if you were to ask the company they will tell you what they want to but let's hear it from those who have actually tried and used this product and your thoughts.

Thanks.

Pluck
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Old 01-19-2019, 07:54 AM   #2
BRENT in 10-uh-C
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Default Re: Caswell's Copy Cad...

Steve, I tried this years ago and the problem I had with it was not the protective part but the color of it. In Fine Point they were looking for 'white cad' which bordered on a fuzzy light silver to whitish color, -and the results we were getting was a dull grey. I don't know if it was something we were doing incorrectly or whether that was the general nature but on non-FP we just stated using the Eastwood Cadmium aerosol spray paint. You might ask Caswell about this.
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Old 01-19-2019, 10:08 AM   #3
Jim Mason
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Default Re: Caswell's Copy Cad...

Too high amp per sq in. will darken the plating. plate, brass brush lightly gets best results. I don't know if it will pass FP. as I am unaware of the process used on the vehicles I've judged.
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Old 01-22-2019, 09:07 PM   #4
Alaska Mike
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Default Re: Caswell's Copy Cad...

I have used Caswell products for several years. I have done copy cad, flash copper, fill copper, nickel, and will soon try copy chrome. It works very well for small projects, but you probably won't be doing a bumper.


Caswell produces an excellent manual that will tell you how to plate just about anything. They also have excellent customer service if you call them. Like any skill, it takes practice to get good at it. There are many variables in the plating process, temperature, amperage, cleanliness, contaminants, just to name a few. I have had excellent results, and some things I had to do over, but it can be very satisfying. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to learn new things.
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Old 01-23-2019, 06:55 AM   #5
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Default Re: Caswell's Copy Cad...

As a follow up to the discussion, I often will just plate with nickel. It can be plated right over steel rather quickly. It provides the corrosion protection, and looks very similar to cad plating. But I will admit that I do not have the experience of others to say whether it looks "correct" for the application.
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Old 01-23-2019, 10:55 AM   #6
Keith True
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Default Re: Caswell's Copy Cad...

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I've been kind of wondering about that process myself.I have around 100 pretty nice lug nuts that I really don't need,but I would like to make nice to use on driver cars.Grey would be fine for me.I have a tumbler so I can get them real clean to start with.I've never tried the Eastwoods stuff,any sprays I've tried in the past haven't worked out well on lug nuts.It's really a lot to ask out of any kind of spray to hold up on lugs.Years ago I worked on a lot of British bikes.I would collect every bit of hardware I could find,nuts,bolts,sprockets,clamps,brackets,spokes,e tc and toss it all in the tumbler.When I had about a bucket full I would take it to the plater.He said because the parts were so clean he could just give them a quick phosphate wash,(I think that's what he called it)and run them through with the industrial plating he was doing.He says now he hasn't done any cad in 25 years or more.
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