Painting over nickel plating

[wrndln]

I have a pair of pickup door latches that were completely nickel plated, contrary to my instructions to the plater. I only wanted the handles nickel plated. They look "purty", but I don't have a hotrod. I would like to either remove the nickel plating from the latch portion or at least be able to paint over it. Nickel plating is rally hard, so I don't think beadblasting or sandblasting would easily remove the plating or even roughen the nickel much for paint to adhere to the latch. The main part of the latches should be painted black. I think I will need to disassemble the latch to make sure the nickel plating didn't bind any internals together. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to remove the nickel plating or allow paint to adhere to the main part of the latches?
Rusty Nelson

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by wrndln

I have a pair of pickup door latches that were completely nickel plated, contrary to my instructions to the plater. I only wanted the handles nickel plated. They look "purty", but I don't have a hotrod. I would like to either remove the nickel plating from the latch portion or at least be able to paint over it. Nickel plating is rally hard, so I don't think beadblasting or sandblasting would easily remove the plating or even roughen the nickel much for paint to adhere to the latch. The main part of the latches should be painted black. I think I will need to disassemble the latch to make sure the nickel plating didn't bind any internals together. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to remove the nickel plating or allow paint to adhere to the main part of the latches?
Rusty Nelson

Rusty, two choices in my view. You can mix-up a 33% (2 parts Water / 1 part acid) solution of Muriatic (Hydrochloric) acid and immerse the part you want to remove the plating from, --OR you can tape them up the best you can and beadblast the areas you want the paint to adhere to. Both of them have the negatives so you must decide if you can get the acid neutralized well enough that the inside of the latch does not rust, ...or make sure you get all of the media grit from inside the latch. Good luck which ever way you choose!

[SeaSlugs]

well unless this is a show car I know you may not like it but I would leave it alone. Only time anyone is going to see it is with the door open and 99% of the public wont know the difference...

Hopefully you didnt pay for this and had what you wanted done in writing...

[RawhideKid]

Isn't there an upholstered panel that covers up everything but the arm?

If you are really intent on painting it, just take some 00 steel wool and scuff it a bit, then use a decent primer and squirt it. The nickle isn't that hard.

[woodiewagon46]

I do know that muriatic acid will remove chrome. I purchased a bunch of old coins and in the group was a silver dollar that someone had put on a belt buckle and chrome plated. The coin was worthless in that condition, so I had nothing to loose. I removed the dollar and placed it in a cup of muriatic and two weeks later it was chrome free. Remember, this was a silver coin. I do not know how it will affect plain steel or the interior parts, such as springs in your latches.

[Tom Wesenberg]

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I know muriatic acid will remove chrome, but thought it wouldn't touch nickel. That was my experience when I used it full strength on a chrome plated speedometer bezel.

I used Black Beauty to remove the plating from a headlamp bucket, but it took a very long time to get to the steel.
I would either just leave it, or sandblast only the part that shows. It should roughen up in just a few minutes if you use new Black Beauty on just the part that shows.

I would not use acid.

[Russ/40]

Beadblasting is ok, but I find sanblasting more aggressive. Aluminum oxide is good too. My headlight buckets were chrome plated by someone before I got them, and after an aggressive blasting, they will not be a problem.

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by RawhideKid

Isn't there an upholstered panel that covers up everything but the arm?

If you are really intent on painting it, just take some 00 steel wool and scuff it a bit, then use a decent primer and squirt it. The nickle isn't that hard.

Yea the only part that shows is the latch part when the door is open... The rest isnt even visible with no panel.

[Big hammer]

Wire wheel the part that shows, then paint. The shiny inside will be a diamond in the rough in a hundred years :-)

[aandtman]

After cleaning parts in Muratic Acid for whatever reason, you can neturalize the acid buy dipping the parts in water and baking soda, 1/2 cup or so to a gal. Paint soon after or they will rust.

[wrndln]

I decided to open up one of the latches. It was pretty gross inside. I'm glad I did. I beadblasted the latch inside and outside. Amazingly, the nickel plating came off pretty easily, however the base copper the plater used was really bonded to the steel - probably a good thing. The beadblasting slightly roughened and dulled the metal, so I think the paint will bond to it OK. I think I can paint the internal and external parts so they don't rust and the paint will hold up OK.
Rusty Nelson

[Tinbasher]

As a extra step to get adhesion apply a coat of epoxy primer first. Then paint it. You should be good for at least 10 years.

John Poole

[brito36]

Why not just take them back to the plater and have them stripped. After all, he was instructed to plate just the handle and not the whole lock. He should strip them for no charge since he made the mistake.

[wrndln]

I did ask the plater to strip off the nickel on the main part of the latch, but he hemed and hawed around and said there could be problems stripping the nickel off and really didn't want to mess with it. I have had a lot of plating done with this plater, but I doubt I will have any more done by them. Up to now, I have not had any problems with the plater. I think by opening up the latches and beadblasting the insides and outside the latches will turn out OK. I just wasn't sure beadblasting the nickel would allow paint to adhere to the latch, but it appears it will. The underlying copper left on the latches will probably keep the insides from rusting for a LONG time.
Rusty Nelson

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Vermins' new STAINLESS door locks were just TOO PRETTY to paint!
They're from Brattons & were very reasonable.
Bill Shine