Copper Plating Kit Acid V-Brite 100

V-Brite 100 Copper Plating Kit – Plate Items Yourself

All 2 liter kits are now delivered as a 3 liter kit!
From now on, you get 3 liters of electrolyte instead of 2 liters as standard – for the same price!
That means a bigger pool, more workspace, and more options for your projects.
(each 3 liter kit comes with a larger 3.8 liter bucket + 1 extra liter electrolyte)

Complete Copper Plating kit to quickly apply a thick, shiny copper layer with high filling capacity. The V-Brite 100 copper electrolyte quickly builds up layer thickness and levels out small bumps. Ideal for restorations and projects where you want to fill in damage and need a sturdy, adhesive copper base. Ideal for electroforming where a strong foundation is needed. Good to use on 3D prints and organic material after treatment with conductive paint.

• 3 litres
• 6 litres
• 12 litres

V-Brite 100 vs V-Brite 200 Electrolyte

V-Brite 100 builds thickness faster and fills small bumps (levels). V-Brite 200 gives a thinner, highly glossy layer that preserves fine details to the maximum. Choose 100 for fill/layer thickness, 200 for detail retention.

Included in this kit

• Bucket
• V-Brite 100 Acid Copper Electrolyte
• V-Brite X copper brightener including dosing syringe
• 2 × copper anode (phosphorous)
• 2 × filter cloth
• Anode connection cable
• Circulation pump
• 2 meters of 0.5mm copper wire for hanging workpieces
• 2 × 20 cm copper wire 2 mm for hanging anodes
• Nylon rod with clamps for hanging workpieces
• Liquid filter
• Baking soda + bucket for neutralization
• Gloves
• Clear manual

Power supply can be ordered separately. Guideline value current density: 0.2 ampere per 10 cm².

Properties of the V-Brite 100 copper electrolyte

• Fast layer build-up with high filling capacity (levels small irregularities)
• Soft, flexible push-off with low internal tension – easy to sand and polish
• Works on copper, brass and nickel; Suitable for conductive paint on non-conductive objects
• Use of phosphorus-containing copper anodes (0.03–0.05% P)
• Recommended current density: 0.2 amps per 10 cm²
• brightener: V-Brite X (periodic refill according to manual)
• Temperature: 21–32 °C, optimal approx. 32 °C
• Long shelf life with proper maintenance (filtering, topping up with brightener, replacing anodes in time)

Selling parts yourself – step-by-step plan

1. Prepare the copper bath as described in the manual and add the brightener according to the dosage.
2. Hang two copper anodes in the bath and connect them to the red plus of the power supply; Turn on agitation (pump or air).
3. Clean and activate the workpiece thoroughly; Rinse and check with a water breakage test if desired.
4. Place the nylon rod on the bucket and hang the workpiece with copper wire in the electrolyte.
5. Connect the black negative of the power supply to the workpiece and make sure that plus/minus and anodes/conductors do not touch each other.
6. Set the power supply to 0.2 amps per 10 cm² of workpiece area and start the process.
7. Periodically check the outlet; Typically, 10+ minutes is enough for a thicker, glossy layer. Rinse, neutralize (5% baking soda), rinse again and dry.

Neutralizing objects in baking soda

After acid copper-plating, acid remains on the surface. This can cause rapid oxidation/rust and discoloration. Neutralize this immediately with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) dissolved in water: rinse the workpiece briefly, dip it in the baking soda solution and rinse clean again.

Electroforming & non-conductive objects

Provide the object with a thin layer of conductive paint, let it dry and place it in the copper bath. Thanks to its filling capacity, V-Brite 100 is suitable for building/leveling shapes in electroforming of o.a. 3D-prints, plastics and organic material.