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DIY Aluminum Case Rails

Case rails are a form of mounting hardware. The rails are connected to the sides of servers or hard drives to help secure them in place and allow them to be pulled out like drawers for easy access. Most slides are made of steel or silver. Some users prefer to customize their case rails by changing the exterior appearance to aluminum. This can be accomplished via electroplating. Electroplating is the transfer of one metal̵7;s surface onto another using a specially formulated solution and an electrical power source.

Things You'll Need

Aluminum plating solution
Gloves
Safety goggles
Aluminum
Beaker
Power adapter with alligator clips

Instructions

- 1
  Acquire aluminum plating solution from a local hobby store or an online seller of electroplating kits.
- 2
  Put on gloves and safety goggles to prevent incidental exposure between the plating solution and the eyes or skin.
- 3
  Supply the beaker with enough plating solution to fully submerge the case rail. The beaker must also be wide enough to fit the case rail and aluminum without either object coming in contact with the other. If the objects touch, dark spots might appear on the surface of the case rail.
- 4
  Connect the case rail to the alligator clip that has a negative charge, then attach the aluminum to the positive charged alligator clip. Lower the case rail and aluminum into the beaker. Ensure that the alligator clips are not touching prior to plugging in the power supply. If they touch, the clips can short out the power supply or outlet it is plugged into.
- 5
  Insert the power supply into the nearest electrical socket. Let the plating process continue until the entire surface of the case rail is aluminum. You may occasionally remove the case rail from the beaker to monitor this transformation.

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