Piston_Broke
For future reference you must really clean your metal surfaces prior to any plating. By that I mean a pickle like citric acid (canning section of food market) which is cheaper and just as effective as sulfuric acid. Wire brush parts to make sure all oxide has been removed and pickle again. Then you have to scrub the parts in a warm detergent solution with a brush until the rinse water sheets off the parts. If any water beads on the surfaces, it isn't clean enough for plating. Once absolutely clean, rinse in distilled water and gently blow dry. Do not touch any parts to be plated with your bare fingers after the pickle. Use rubber or nitrile gloves.
You have a lot of nice work done so far. Don't be tempted to try any of those rings that show even the slightest light on their circumference like your photo. You will be disappointed. Use the link in Jerry's plans to make your rings. This method requires some additional work, but the results are worth it. Lap the top and bottom ring surfaces on a flat surface to a nice sheen, and to adjust your ring side clearance in the piston grooves to .0005". Gap to be .002" - .003". Also, use a brake bleeder vacuum pump (Harbor Freight) to check your valve seats for leakage. You should be able to pump them down to 25" of Hg and then see only a very slow leak down. No leak down is even better. You need good fitting valve guides and oil them with #30 wt oil for sealing the guides during testing. Good fitting piston rings and valves solve a multitude of perceived new engine starting issues.
Jeff
