WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.300 --> 00:00:05.000 Narrator: Welcome back! You're watching Ship Shape TV. 2 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:07.000 Boat improvement made easy! 3 00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:11.000 John: Fantastic! We are 4 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:13.500 so thrilled that you're still with us at this time. 5 00:00:13.500 --> 00:00:15.500 Where just before the break 6 00:00:15.500 --> 00:00:17.500 we were showing how bronze 7 00:00:17.500 --> 00:00:19.800 thru-hull fittings get cast 8 00:00:19.800 --> 00:00:21.400 and then machined. 9 00:00:21.400 --> 00:00:23.400 And where we really left off was we were 10 00:00:23.400 --> 00:00:25.000 showing you how the thread 11 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:27.000 on the thru-hull fitting gets cut 12 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:30.500 into it. And we've since moved locations. 13 00:00:30.500 --> 00:00:32.500 We're now in the final 14 00:00:32.500 --> 00:00:35.500 prep area for the plating process. 15 00:00:35.500 --> 00:00:37.500 Again we have the privilege of having 16 00:00:37.500 --> 00:00:39.300 Wolf Henning on the program. 17 00:00:39.300 --> 00:00:41.700 And Wolf is the director 18 00:00:41.700 --> 00:00:45.200 of engineering out here at Perko Incorporated. 19 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:47.200 And Wolf I want to 20 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:49.200 talk about how and 21 00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:51.200 why - you put some type 22 00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:54.300 of a finish over top of the bronze. 23 00:00:54.300 --> 00:00:56.300 First off, why do you do this? 24 00:00:56.300 --> 00:00:58.700 Wolf: Well it's basically for aesthetics. 25 00:00:58.700 --> 00:01:01.000 And a lot of customers and boat builders 26 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:03.500 have requested that we chrome plate these thru-hulls. 27 00:01:03.500 --> 00:01:05.500 So that when their thru-hull 28 00:01:05.500 --> 00:01:07.500 is on the side on the hull, 29 00:01:07.500 --> 00:01:09.500 you don't have that green line running down 30 00:01:09.500 --> 00:01:11.500 from a bare bronze thru-hull. 31 00:01:11.500 --> 00:01:13.500 It makes it much prettier. 32 00:01:13.500 --> 00:01:15.500 John: Bare bronze will turn green 33 00:01:15.500 --> 00:01:17.500 over time and you don't want that to drip. 34 00:01:17.500 --> 00:01:20.700 Okay let's talk about the process. Where does it begin? 35 00:01:20.700 --> 00:01:22.700 Wolf: It begins in the racking room. 36 00:01:22.700 --> 00:01:25.400 The ladies clean the parts manually clean the parts 37 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:27.400 and then they're placed on copper racks. 38 00:01:27.400 --> 00:01:29.900 And sent down to the conveyor to the plating. 39 00:01:29.900 --> 00:01:31.900 John: What are the racks made from? 40 00:01:31.900 --> 00:01:33.900 Wolf: The racks are made from copper so that 41 00:01:33.900 --> 00:01:35.300 they can conduct electricity. 42 00:01:35.300 --> 00:01:37.300 John: The plating process is based 43 00:01:37.300 --> 00:01:39.300 on electricity 44 00:01:39.300 --> 00:01:41.800 and it's really really fascinating. 45 00:01:41.800 --> 00:01:43.800 But let's kind of go down the 46 00:01:43.800 --> 00:01:45.800 line here. What has to 47 00:01:45.800 --> 00:01:47.800 happen to the part prior to dipping it 48 00:01:47.800 --> 00:01:50.600 into any type of tank with electric current in it? 49 00:01:50.600 --> 00:01:52.600 Wolf: We go through a number of 50 00:01:52.600 --> 00:01:54.600 cleaning processes. 51 00:01:54.600 --> 00:01:57.400 We go through an alkaline cleaner, 52 00:01:57.400 --> 00:01:59.400 and then a degreaser, 53 00:01:59.400 --> 00:02:01.200 and a electro cleaner and then 54 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:03.500 we have the first thing is a copper strike. 55 00:02:03.500 --> 00:02:05.500 Wolf: Okay, how much copper 56 00:02:05.500 --> 00:02:07.900 are we putting over top of the bronze? 57 00:02:07.900 --> 00:02:09.400 Wolf: Just a few mills (millimeters). 58 00:02:09.400 --> 00:02:10.800 John: Okay so it's very very thin. 59 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:11.500 Wolf: Very thin. 60 00:02:11.500 --> 00:02:13.000 John: And what's it function? 61 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:15.000 Wolf: It's function is to promote adhesion with 62 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:17.000 the other metals that we've deposited 63 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:18.500 in later stages. 64 00:02:18.500 --> 00:02:20.500 John: Okay, can we talk about actually 65 00:02:20.500 --> 00:02:22.500 what's going into the tank 66 00:02:22.500 --> 00:02:24.500 and the process of how 67 00:02:24.500 --> 00:02:26.500 copper kind of transfers 68 00:02:26.500 --> 00:02:28.000 over to the part? 69 00:02:29.500 --> 00:02:31.500 Where do you put the copper first off? 70 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:35.500 Wolf: The copper nuggets are suspended in 71 00:02:35.500 --> 00:02:37.700 the tank in a solution in the tank 72 00:02:37.700 --> 00:02:39.500 from an anode rod. 73 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:42.500 And there's current, approximately 74 00:02:42.500 --> 00:02:44.500 400 Amps, that float 75 00:02:44.500 --> 00:02:47.100 between the anode rod and the cathode. 76 00:02:47.700 --> 00:02:49.100 And the cathode is 77 00:02:49.100 --> 00:02:51.100 where the racks, the plated 78 00:02:51.100 --> 00:02:52.800 racks, are suspended from. 79 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:54.300 John: And this is electroplating? 80 00:02:54.300 --> 00:02:55.000 Wolf: Correct. 81 00:02:55.000 --> 00:02:57.000 John: Now how do you get the next layer 82 00:02:57.000 --> 00:02:58.800 of metal to stick? 83 00:02:58.800 --> 00:03:00.600 Do you have to sand it? 84 00:03:00.600 --> 00:03:02.600 Do you have to buff it or what? 85 00:03:02.600 --> 00:03:04.600 Wolf: We have an acid etch. After 86 00:03:04.600 --> 00:03:06.600 the copper there's an acid etch. 87 00:03:06.600 --> 00:03:09.000 Which will promote the adhesion 88 00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:10.700 of the next layer which is a 89 00:03:10.700 --> 00:03:12.200 semi-bright nickel. 90 00:03:14.200 --> 00:03:16.200 The next tank is a bright nickel. 91 00:03:16.200 --> 00:03:17.900 Where brightener has been added 92 00:03:17.900 --> 00:03:19.300 to the nickel tank. 93 00:03:19.600 --> 00:03:21.300 And that makes the part look nice 94 00:03:21.300 --> 00:03:23.300 and bright and shiny already. 95 00:03:23.300 --> 00:03:25.100 John: The nickel, these are nuggets, okay and 96 00:03:25.100 --> 00:03:27.300 that's the same right in both of these tanks? 97 00:03:27.300 --> 00:03:27.900 Wolf: Correct. 98 00:03:27.900 --> 00:03:30.100 John: But the brightener what is that like a solution? 99 00:03:30.100 --> 00:03:32.100 Wolf: It's a solution that's added into the tank. 100 00:03:32.100 --> 00:03:33.900 John: Okay, very cool. 101 00:03:33.900 --> 00:03:35.900 Now again some rinsing takes place 102 00:03:35.900 --> 00:03:38.100 and we've got to put it into 103 00:03:38.100 --> 00:03:40.100 what's called "Chromium"? 104 00:03:40.100 --> 00:03:42.100 Wolf: Yes. Before it goes under 105 00:03:42.100 --> 00:03:44.100 the Chromium it gets to be activated 106 00:03:44.100 --> 00:03:46.100 with a nickel activator and 107 00:03:46.100 --> 00:03:48.100 from there it goes into a rinse tank 108 00:03:48.100 --> 00:03:49.800 and then goes into the Chromium tank 109 00:03:49.800 --> 00:03:52.700 where the final layer of chrome is applied. 110 00:03:52.700 --> 00:03:54.700 John: Wolf how many thru-hull fittings are you 111 00:03:54.700 --> 00:03:56.500 guys making a year here at Perko? 112 00:03:56.500 --> 00:03:58.500 Wolf: Probably hundreds of thousands. 113 00:03:58.500 --> 00:04:00.500 (*swoosh*)