Uploaded July 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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Easy electroplating of copper with things that everyone has at home with a method that does not involve a bath. How it works, and the results of some experiments is what I shared in this video.

This video is meant to show some experiments and to understand how the underlying chemistry works, rather for fun than for any productive result. Nevertheless this method can be actually used to achieve some decent result.
Electroplating a piece of steel with copper can be useful not only for aesthetic but even to help protecting the metal from rust. Also on top of the copper layer it is possible to electroplate other metals such as nickel.
This method do not involve the use of a chemical bath for electrolysis, instead the electrode is moved directly onto the part to electroplate as if it were a paintbrush, and indeed even making it possible to “paint” the part. It is therefore less bulkier and easier to do at home, and does not involve nasty chemicals but items that can be found in any kitchen, such as lemon, vinegar, and table salt.

I am not a chemist, so I could have mistaken some points in the explanation, if you spotted any please feel free to provide your corrections in the comments section.