making variable Voltage battery powered supply for silver plating small parts need help

[Fearlessleader]

I am not sure where this should go but this was the best place I could see. Anyway I need a bit of help here it should not be too hard. I am look to build a dual 26650 variable voltage cordless power supply for electroplating small parts . I need to be able to vary the voltage from about a .5 volts to 3.5 volts if it possible average voltage about 2 volts I would like it to compensate as the battery runs down a bit don't have to perfect but just help it keep the voltage steady so it will need to have a volt meter I see those all over in the diy mech mods
So I want to use a dual 26650 battery sled
A 1 amp usb charger port
I need a project box big enough
digital volt meter
I would think a mosfet to vary the voltage with a potentiometer
resetting fuse
and I would guess A piece of that project board stuff with all the hole in it like a for building stiff like this on I can't for the life of me remember what they call that board I built small projects on this stuff when I was kid so that was some time ago LOL it just a board with lots a little hole in it it's a sort of a PCB

I have a basic idea for this thing but last time a built any kind a power supply it was in high school and I am 53 now so I am rusty as Hedouble toothpicks LOL. So I really use a bit of help from someone that is good with this stuff I am sure I can build it that not the problem is getting the right values and wiring diagram and finding sources for the parts I sure one I have a wiring diagram and the values I can google most of that stuff but tips pm someplace maybe you got stuff from that has good prices and don't take a 100 year to ship LOL

In the end this will be the power supply for a silver plating with I have hope to maybe add some little videos picture and stuff of it. this will be kinda fun and I want guys to see how easy and cheap it is to electroplate silver for your box mod so when I done with the power supply I will do a tutorial help fold out in return for help with this
I will be doing stuff like nickel silver platinum. even gold plating

Any help with this would be great if it works out maybe I can plate some small parts for you as a thanks

 

[NancyR]

I admit I know nothing about this, but did a google search on your question and came up with this Easy variable voltage power supply

Hopefully it helps

 

[Mooch]

Those boards are called proto-boards or perfboards.

I see a couple of problems but none are unsolvable..
- If you want regulated 0.5V-3.5V you might need to have those two 26650's in series. Regulators need their input voltage higher than their output voltage by a certain minimum amount. You might be able to use parallel cells if you can lower your 3.5V requirement.
- If you're using USB charging, and series cells, you will need a balancer board to keep the cell voltages close.
- You can't use a MOSFET to bring down the voltage unless you want to keep adjusting the pot as the battery voltage drops. But, if that's OK you can use your cells in parallel and get 0.5-3.5V out of them...as long as the battery voltage is above 3.5V.

How much current do you need? That will determine a lot.

A couple of great resources for tinkerers are SparkFun Electronics and Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits They have stuff like this that could make it all almost a one-stop shop: Adjustable breadboard power supply kit [v1.0] ID: 184 - $14.95 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits

 

[Fearlessleader]

Ya perfboard man it don't pay to old I thought would just pick up the yihi balancer board and the MMt 1 amp charger for protovapor that way if i wanted to use the board and port later in another project I could I would say 2. 75 to 3 volts is all I would need. so a also the same thing goes for the digital volt meter I just tring to do this with as many parts as I can reuse in another project. If it work our right I will pick up a better PS on ebay something good enough for building and testing mod boxes this a temporary PS just to see how the plating procedure goes. It alny like 30 bucks in chemicals to silver plate a good amount of stuff. I was talking to my supplier and he said he set me up to do most any kind of plating even chrome gold and so on I was just going to start with stuff like copper center pins and battery springs atomizer screws and I am going to silver plate my old copper akuma mod and compare voltage drop
Truthfully I could trim the voltage as needed as you have to stir the chemicals as yoou plating with a glass rod or plastic rod It not a unattended procedure

 

[Fearlessleader]

I looked at the: Adjustable breadboard power supply kit [v1.0] ID: 184 - $14.95 that should do it fine I wish it got down to 1 volt but that is close enough and it could be powered with a supply they sell 5 volt for like 5 buck too very cool so I would make the battery box separate and just put the 2.1mm DC jack on the battery pack and this could have both stand alone power and plug in to wall very cool. I might just use the power supply they sell for 5 bucks that would be cheaper then building the battery pack and its not like I plan to do plating in the woods so buy there PSu and get me one of those digital led volt meters like they use in box mods and it up and going ready to plate.

14.95 got the Adjustable breadboard power supply kit
PSU 5V 2A (2000mA) switching power supply - UL Listed ID: 276 - $7.95 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits $ 7.95
volt meter Mini 3-wire Volt Meter (0 - 99.9VDC) ID: 705 - $7.95 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits $7.95
I just need a pair of good heavy duty alligator clips and a real small set of alligator clips for fine stuff and I thinks that will get it
Oh ya the bread board Half-size breadboard ID: 64 - $5.00 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits $5.00 half size

Ok am I missing something here

 

[Mooch]

I think you can get the voltneter for a lot less but I don't have a link for you. Hopefully soneone else can chime in with one. You could search the forums in the mean time though. Not sure what the shipping is though. Sometimes getting everything from one place can be better than buying less expensive parts from multiple places.

I'll be able to take a closer read of your posts later today. You can also try Jameco (Jameco Electronics - Electronic Components Distributor MPJA (Electronic Components and Accessories | MPJA.COM or All Electronics (All Electronics | Electronic and Electro-Mechanical Parts and Supplies at Discount Prices for parts, kits, etc. There are some great deals there sometimes.

 

[Fearlessleader]

here a real kick in the pants after we went and figured out all this stuff I can buy a better VV psu right on eBay for like 32 bucks Touchpad Digital Integrated Variable Voltage Tattoo Power Supply with 4 Presets | eBay

 

[Mooch]

Nice find!
It just occurred to me...Do you need a constant-current supply? If the plating solution has enough resistance to limit current then probably not. If the plating solution doesn't limit current then you'll need a constant-current/constant-voltage (CC/CV) supply.

[edit] for good plating, is it beneficial to adjust current? Or do you just adjust voltage and let whatever current wants to flow....flow.

 

[Fearlessleader]

I think it just draw what it needs and it more like milliamps not amps needed the way I was show is you start off .08 volts and make to climb slowly till at the end you're at like 2 volts. the solution density controls the milliamps of draw and that is in parts per million Its some how funny to think so little power is used to electroplate also this is for silver different metals sure all act different but this is one of those time less is more do you rate of bonding is slow and steady this is what gives you that nice even layer and good shine that needs less buffing.

Like said chrome and nickle gold all behave a certain way or pattern to it behaver. The principle stays the same its just the fine point that vary that my understanding and some metal at more dangerous well your are using stuff lie cyanide and various acids you have one mixture for cleaning the metal of at least for copper. what you use for preparing the base metal fist it get changes but this is always the same the base metal get mechanically cleaned sanding buffing Ect.. Then chemically cleaned, then plated and some maybe chemically cleaned again and than buffed again to bring out the shine. Now for what I Am using this for is a bit different too its for conductivity and corrosion resistance so in the end ship and all that jazz don't mean nothing to me to point you still want your work to look good but not the same as is needed for cosmetic plating there are small changes or a bit less work. I have plans to do a mod made from copper pipe that will a single 26650 and a DNA 40 in it. I am calling The Pipe Bomb I will have some engraving done in the copper before I do the full silver finish I have not decided yet if it be satin or high polish yet I know the thing will be a fingerprint magnet but damn real silver high polish like a mirror I have also considered doing the engraving thru the sliver to expose the copper so it will look a bit like a cloupor t-50 and bit like the copper stingray 26650 mech mod I also plan to make the buttons out of copper too and use a copper 30 mm juice well or washer. I am also considering doing a 24K gold version for a maxi bling factor. It should be killer. The battery contacts are for a friend of mine mod and he's getting raped by shapeways on a small x brace and the bottom battery contacts. and there stuff still need to plated to prevent corrosion on his and the X brace is cosmetic
Check out his its a lot farther along its almost done well it is done it some fine tuning check here

 

[Mooch]

Some interesting ideas there!
Sounds like you'll have some cool looking mods too. I like the matte silver idea with exposed copper engraving. Would be very cool if the copper could be coated to prevent tarnishing. Naming it The Pipe Bomb will certainly cause some...umm...reactions.

If the current draw never exceeds 2A then you can use that tattoo supply. Those four voltage presets will be handy, I would think. Looking forward to seeing pictures!

 

[Thrasher]

There are some super cheap plating kits on amazon, almost got one last year.

Nothing more then a variable circuit and a 12 v wall wart. Its the plating solution that costs


I've seen it done with. 9v battery and 2 wires