Voltage and Current Needed to Plate Copper to Lead?

Yes. Many people do. It's a topic that has been covered here a few days ago, and therefore this thread can be considered a duplicate topic.

Would you be so kind as to direct me to that thread?

Unfortunately, I think PWS is referring to your own (the OP's) prior thread on this matter.

As for voltage, if I remember my basic electrochemistry, as long as the voltage is adequately higher than the voltage difference between copper and lead in the galvanic table plus enough to overcome any resistance in the circuit, the copper will plate onto the lead (please correct me if I'm wrong!). From what I read, it's the current that really drives the electroplating reaction, so you want to control that. I would say use as low voltage as works for a given current, for the plating to take place.

Thank you Peter T. I appreciate your response sir.

I don't think the answer was ever provided.

Higher current density yields faster plating, that's about all I know.

Electroplating of Copper (page two)

Maybe it's time for some trial runs.

Yes it is. I have all I need now. Thanks for your input. I'll report back when I have a test complete.

Always a pleasure helping a fellow shooter.

Keep us posted.

I don't know if they do copper on lead but the people at http://www.caswellplating.com/ have a lot of supplies to sell and seem to know what they are talking about. When I called their tech support a few years ago they had far more answers than I was able to understand.

Yes sir I have visited their website and forums...very informative. They actually have a link on their forum that a customer posted where he actually plated lead bullets using what appeared to be a plastic planter for his bath. Looked like he did well. I am attempting to barrel plate which is a little different, but the principles are virtually identical. I'm looking to plate a higher volume of bullets per batch with a method used by commercial bullet platers, albeit on a much smaller scale.

http://cr4.globalspec.com/search/sitesearch?do=show&order=asc&sort=textmatchrank&srch=plate%20copper%20to%20lead

I've been to that thread, but thanks for the link. Wasn't quite the information I was seeking.

http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090321190019AA6ZxeL
Voltage should be 1 to 6 volts, 5 volts should be fine, the amperage should be set by trial and error, until no blackening or pitting but a clear bright finish as seen above...
"For typical objects that will fit in the 10 gal aquarium we use as a plating tank, a pair of D-cells in series will plate many objects."

Yes - to put it simply, don't worry about voltage, get your current/area right and everything else will follow. When I am copper plating steel, 20 Amps per square foot of the thing being plated seems good. Whatever voltage you need to make that happen is the right voltage. If you move your electrodes further apart, you have to increase your voltage to get that number. If you add more electrolyte, you have to reduce the voltage to get that number. etc. etc.