Once I had to solder aluminum with copper plating with copper sulfate, I decided to try to do this operation with an old candle.
To work, you need a direct current source - a power supply or battery, a small container for the preparation of the solution (copper sulfate, electrolyte from the battery, a little distilled water) and the candle itself. We mix all the ingredients, connect the minus of the power source to the candle, to the plus-copper plate. Immerse everything in the solution, avoiding the closure of the candle and plate. We connect the wires to the power source and wait. The first layer of copper is generally fragile and easy to wear. Four, five dives are enough and a solid, even layer of copper is formed on the candle (copper, by the way, is a dry lubricant and the thread in the candle hole turns out to be somewhat protected from damage by the threaded part of the candle). Here is the candle after processing:
