Drive/prop shaft electroplating?

[Twitchfast]

Has anyone done anything remotely similar to this?

I'm planning on plating them with zinc, alongside all the screw heads once I've done the shafts.

 

[Mr.Duke]

Will this be done in an effort to ward off rust?

 

[Twitchfast]

That's the plan, with a side benefit of the shafts/screw heads looking a bit nicer.

 

[Mr.Duke]

My only concern would be the layer of zinc inside the hex on the screw heads causing tolerance issues when inserting tools.

I've found that treating all the steel parts with a product called Fluid Film as soon as I get a new Arrma does a great job at preventing corrosion long term. It needs to be reapplied every 6 months or so but it works better than anything else I've found.

 

[Twitchfast]

I had considered that, truthfully I figured the layer wouldn't be thick enough to cause a significant issue but I was going to just wing it and see how it turns out.
My only concern with fluids of that nature is I fear it will just pick up particulates, that being my problem with things such as WD40/GT85, I presume that hasn't been an issue with Fluid Film?

 

[Mr.Duke]

It does slightly, but nothing an air hose won't fix. A lot easier to remove than surface rust.
I'll put everything in a container, spray the parts down and let it sit overnight. Then wipe everything down good before reassembling. Screws just get the head dipped and wiped, not on the threads.

I'm curious how the zinc plating would turn out though

 

[Twitchfast]

I can now speak from experience, do not electroplate your drive/prop shafts.
When made, they heat the main shaft to expand the hole and then pins are inserted, the shaft cools and contracts.
Electrolysis produces what is called hydrogen embrittlement, can you tell where this is going lol.
7 of the 8 ball ends have cracked.
Aside from that, the one that I actually finished plating looks great, stopped the others in hope to catch them before they cracked.