Plating went well with the electroless plating kit I got from Caswell. I was apprehensive about getting one shot at it and screwing it all up, but that wasn't the case. The process is virtually fool proof and if something does go wrong, it can be fixed. Unbelievably, nothing went wrong during this process. Unfortunately, however, the quality of the plate is dependent upon the quality of the surface before plating. That is, a polished surface will get a mirror finish, while a rough one will get a dull finish, and any flaws are still visible. Makes sense.
Here are the results:
You can see in the close ups how the condition of the part affects the outcome. You can plainly see all the pits and flaws. The plate is too thin to hide flaws but thick enough to cause tightness during reassembly. Some of the tolerances are so small, I had to get creative during reassembly. I actually did this weeks ago and have been reassembling the machine over the past month.
The hook is badly pitted and I doubt will be usable. It isn't smooth in the slightest. And the bobbin case has a sandpaper like texture that would not buff away. It was virtually useless in the machine because it would grab the thread rather than letting it pass over. I've ordered replacements.
Here is a close up of the assembled bobbin winder and stitch length knob:
The stitch knob turned out beautifully because its finish was relatively undamaged. The toothed wheel of the bobbin winder still had most of its mirror finish, although pitted, and it is shiny and smooth after plating. All the silver parts in this photo have been plated.
The machine is back in the treadle base now and I'm just making final adjustments and waiting for the replacement parts. Overall, I'm quite pleased with how this project is turning out. I was expecting it to look more amateurish than it does, even though it is certainly amateurish. It actually looks quite good and stands up fairly well to inspection. I'll be making a final update and cost recap once the job is completed.
