[68bird400HO]

I have recently been trying this zinc plating at home. I did a lot of research on what all to use, including the instructions in this thread. One thing I found is it seems like the electrolyte solution formula is pretty flexible. I saw one guy using 100% vinegar with epsom salt. I saw another using a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water, and then this formula which uses less vinegar. It seems they all plate well. I didn't bother with the zinc sulfate as the solution will quickly become saturated with the zinc from the anode. You can also just let some zinc sit in the vinegar for a while before mixing everything up to help load the solution.

I first few things I did turned out pretty good. These included some alternator fans and pulleys. But now after just these few things, I am having troubles getting anything to plate good. The pulley I was just working on plated in some spots and left bare metal in other spots. I thought one problem could be the copper wires were getting so zinc plated that the current to the part was affected. Tried new wires and didn't help. I have been careful to clean the parts well with alcohol, use rubber gloves, the whole bit. Not sure what the problem is. I am thinking maybe the electrolyte solution is dirty or contaminated, but, I would hope it would last longer than just a few parts. Anyone else run into this issue? Any help/suggestions appreciated.