1724

Faced with the challenge of producing geometrically difficult, thin-walled components out of Copper metal, how would you tackle the task?

Can you help? My little project is a little out of the ordinary and definitely not the usual run of project that commonly appears in ELEKTOR. My objective is to fabricate customised Microwave cavity components and specialised heat-sinks out of copper metal. I will be using the technique of electro-deposition but have struck a stumbling block along the way. By the way this method of production was commonly employed in the old days of car and aero-engine manufacturing to produce those nice, bright and shiny water-cooling cylinder jackets - very impressive!
   Anyway, it turns out that part of the process requires what in the industry is called "Brightening Solution". This is proving impossible to track-down. I don't really want to purchase finished product, (a) because shipping to New Zealand is not only outrageously expensive but it is a mine-field to try and get it passed the Customs Border (September 11th terrorist attacks and all that....), and (b) I'm a beggar for punishment - I like to do everything myself!
   So, what I want and what I am appealing to the ELEKTOR Labs community to provide is a chemical formulation for this solution. Don't hesitate to supply more than one, alternative formula and please, do include process instructions. Web-links to the formulas are also welcome. Even if you, yourself don't have these perhaps you may friends/family members/work or University colleagues who work in this type of industry who may know. Pass the word around!
                             All assistance is welcome - Thanks.