Casull said:
I know nothing about electroplating. Can you give as an explanation?
Thanks.
Sure I can. But I have to charge you a consulting fee now.
Electroplating is the process of depositing one metal on another metal using electricity. It is both a very simple concept which there is some evidence to suggest was known thousands of years ago, and a very complex science which can obtain amazingly complicated reasults.
What you would be doing is more properly called electroforming because the coat will be much thicker than typical plating.
Here is a basic diagram for the process:
In your case, the anode would be a chunk or plate of copper. The cathode would be the bullet to be coated. The rectifier could can be bought commercially, or be a battery trickle charger, or even just simply a 6-9v battery. The electrolyte is any mildly acidic electrically conductive solution. I've heard of coca cola being used even, but best results will be obtained by using a commercial solution. You can mix your own out of distilled water, copper sulphate, and swimming pool acid. Instructions for this can be found on the 'net, but it has it's hazards, and again, best results will be obtained with commercial solutions. The tank can be any material that can hold the solution and not be plated itself. Pyrex is best because it can then be put on a hot plate to warm the solution and work faster.
How it works is simple: Electric current causes atoms of the material of the anode to pass into the solution and from there to be deposited on the cathode. The longer you do this, the thicker the coat. I have electroformed copper jackets up to 1mm thick onto wax models with a commercial model. Areas that you do not want plated can be coated with a resist. Laquer or nail polish will work fine. The finished bullet could be swaged or tumbler burnished for best hardness and dimensionality. Although it does take time (about 48-72 hours per 0.25mm - 0.5mm with the set up I used) it is an absolutely hands off operation and good for large quantities.
Here is a site for kits and resources:
http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/index.html
Here is a good technical writeup on it:
http://electrochem.cwru.edu/ed/encycl/art-e01-electroplat.htm