First test run on gallon-jar copper electro-plating system
By jesseg
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Oh blah. I see that some browsers are playing the video sideways. Sorry about that, I'll have to re-shoot another day.
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I don't yet know if this will work but it's a gallon glass jar with about 15 feet of 6AWG solid copper wire coiled up around inside surface of the jar as the source copper.
It's running a fraction of an amp through a little 12v lamp from a little 12v plug in power supply.
An old fish tank air bubbler pump provides air to keep the solution stirred.
Recipe, as scraped from the web, is:
5 & 1/2 Cups distilled water
5 ounces Copper-sulfate penta-hydrate crystals
2 & 1/4 Cups of fresh battery acid
25 CC of Hydrochloric acid pre-diluted to 0.35%
4 & 3/4 Teaspoons Polyethylene Glycol 3350
The hydrochloric acid comes as Muriatic Acid 35% from hardware store, but I diluted some with 1CC of acid to 99CC of distilled water to make it easier to measure out small quantities of the active ingredient. But if you have a 1/4 CC syringe then you can just put in 1/4 of a CC at full strength of 35%.
Note that a lot of chain stores are starting to carry "Low odor" Muriatic acid which may be diluted down, and may not be marked the percentage. I had to go to a local farmer's supply store to get regular old 35% Muriatic acid -- and it said "35%" right on it.
Battery acid is available from autoparts stores. For reference, some drain unclogger products are pure concentrated sulfuric acid -- same acid as for car batteries, but more concentrated. Yes, it's sold to put down the drain too. But it may be hard to know what you're getting, a whole lot of super strong drain unclogger products are not acid at all, or if they are acid, may be mixtures of different chemicals or acids, so battery acid really is the best way to go if you can find it.
The copper sulfate are those same blue crystals you've seen in "Root kill" product in hardware stores for killing roots that grow into your septic pipe. Yes, it's made to put down your drain. Go figure. Last bottle of "Root kill" I checked said it was 99% copper sulfate penta hydrate.
The Polyethylene Glycol 3350 just happens to be those same white crystals you've seen in the ClearLAX/MiraLAX/you-name-a-LAX Laxative that is carried at all drug stores and many big chain stores that have any pharmacy. just make sure it says Polyethylene Glycol 3350 on it.
Just because you can buy all these at local consumer supply stores does not mean that they are safe! Be very careful, especially with the acids. Keep them out of your eyes and mouth and nose and if they get on your skin rinse them off within a few seconds, but don't panic and drop something just because you splash acid on yourself, you only make things worse. Just calmly set down whatever you're holding, then go rinse off. These two particular acids won't kill you if they touch your finger for a few seconds, although they may burn holes in your clothes or burn your skin if left on for very long, so don't wear your Sunday best. Also, be sure to have some baking soda by to neutralize any acid spills.
However, if they get in your eyes, immediately flush your eyes with lots of water until you can see well enough to read the unreadably fine and blurred warning print on the bottle to see what it says to do. Maybe you should just read the warnings before using so you know what to do, because if you get it in your eyes I don't think you'll be able to read the warnings. You may not be able to read them regardless.
Also, if you feel something itching or burning, it may be that you splashed acid there and didn't know it -- so just to be sure, rinse it off well with plenty of water.
As a final disclaimer, don't do anything, it could hurt you. I'm not even sure the air is safe to breath -- everyone who breathes it dies, and I bet in California, air is known to lead to death, so might want to hold your breath if you're in California.
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