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  • From: tvoivozhd <tvoivozd AT infionline.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org, RGod2 AT aol.com
  • Cc:
  • Subject: [Homestead] Making jewelry, electroplting it.
  • Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 14:56:33 -0500

tvoivozhd---I wouldn't ever voluntarily wear jewelry---not even military class ring when flying military aircraft---considered it a very good way to lose a finger in bailing out or in my numerous crashesl

Which is not to say it is isn't a good business---I made the tooling for coin bracelets and got the cost of chromium and gold plating down to such a ridiculous level that my partner Karl Holston and I had to make money in a corner of his welding shop. Had some beautiful literature that we got cheap too---must still have a few copies still around and a few bracelets too.




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Electroplating
Student's name: Bob
Grade: 10th
School: Outside of USA
Category: Physical_Science.Chemistry
Expert: Mark G. Forbes

> i need to electroplate a leaf with silver. I needto know how to
> electroplate carbon or graphite on to the leaf before i electroplate the
> silver please help!!!! Need reply within 2 days

I presume that the leaf is relatively stable, so it can withstand modest
amounts of handling. I think I'd experiment with a sooty flame, maybe
like that produced by burning acetylene or "moth balls" in air. I don't
know if you'll be able to coat the leaf with soot without setting it on
fire in the process, but it's worth a try. Use a "test leaf" to get
your technique right, before you do it with the "real" one. You won't
be electroplating the carbon....that's just applied as a coating mechanically
to provide a conductive surface, then the silver is electroplated over it.

Another substance you might try is copy machine toner. It's mostly carbon
black, with a plastic binder. You might find that just dipping your leaf in
the toner (you can use the waste stuff from the copier) will work. Again,
test it out on something first.

Your local electroplating shop may have some other ideas, and if you've got
a university nearby you should see if they have an electron microscopy
department; those folks generally have to coat their samples with a conductive
surface before they can use their microscope, and they have ways of doing
this. If your leaf is still fresh, freezing it solid first may make it easier
to work with.

Good luck!
MGF


http://www.seps.org/oracle/oracle.archive/Physical_Science.Chemistry/2001.02/000982317712.12499.html
(electroplate maple leaves with brass, then gold--may freeze them to make them stiffer)


http://www.dalmar.net/electroforming.htm
(electroforming over leaves, ceramics)


Warning---most plating chemicals are very dangerous---wear protective clothing and be supercareful---vent room AND DON,T BREATHE THE FUMES.


Difference in Plating

Understanding the Difference Between Brush and Tank Plating

Brush plating is a very useful and portable method of plating. Many different types of metals or alloys can be applied over another metal. Our company makes far more solutions available in brush plating chemicals then tank plating due to the large demand of our customers. In a brush plating set-up we can work with lower powered rectifiers and much less chemicals then in a tank plating set-up. Larger pieces can be plated at a lower investment money wise and a smaller work area is needed. Basically it doesn’t matter how large the piece is, since it will plate wherever we touch the wand to the work surface. Tough jobs can be done easily since we do not have to disassemble most jobs. Car parts can be plated right on the auto without dismantling the car. This is how the gold emblems on cars are done. The emblems are never removed from the car to be plated. It doesn’t matter if we touch the paint on the car as the paint does not conduct electricity so the paint will not plate. Guns are much easier to plate this way as there is no worry of the insides getting rusty from submerging them in solutions. If you have two conductive surfaces close to each other and you only want to plate one of them, the plating will only occur on the surface that you contact with the wand. If it is impossible to plate one area without touching the surrounding areas then you can mask off the area with tape or nail polish or the such. In brush plating the solution is all used up and therefore you do not have a disposal problem like in tank plating. It is considered environmentally friendly.

The theory of Brush plating is simple. The rectifier supplies a negative charge to the work piece and a positive charge to a hand held wand which has the anode attached to the end of it. The anode is covered with an absorbent material which holds the plating solution. The anode can either be dipped in the solution or in some large jobs the solution is constantly pumped up to the area being plated. The anode is then applied to the work piece by the operator, or the work piece can be moved under the anode, such as a moving shaft. The movement will apply even plating on the entire area being plated. Plating occurs only where the anode contacts the work piece.

Advantages of Brush plating: Lower initial cost to start. Portability, the equipment can be moved to the worksite. Ease of operation. Permits the plating of parts too large for a tank. Reduces the amount of masking. Reduces waste disposal. And don’t let the word brush fool you, you can’t leave any brush marks since the metal is electrically deposited on the work piece.

In a tank plating set-up we must have a tank of sufficient size to hold the work piece with room for the anodes and at least 3 to 4 inches of space on each side. Jewelry and small car parts are a good example of items that take well to tank plating, and the tanks can be as small as one quart size in some cases. In electroforming which is the plating of non-conductive items, a tank system must be used first to apply the copper over the conductive paint. A tank has the advantage of being able to build-up thicker plating without you being there or doing any labor during this step. With most solutions the anodes must be equal to or greater than the work piece. If we use anodes of the same metal as the solution then basically the solution goes on but the anodes dissolve and must be replaced. When using stainless steel anodes the metal is used out of the solution but the anodes don’t wear out. The solution is then replaced.

Advantages of tank plating: Easier plating of complex shapes. In most cases multiple parts can be plated at one time. In electroforming the copper must be tank plated over the conductive coating. In some of the tank solutions the brighteners, which are chemical additives can save you some of the time and labor of polishing. The pieces plate out bright.

Similarities in the two types of plating: The finished product is the same if the plating is done properly. In our showroom you can not tell the difference between the two. They are both deposited on the work piece and electrically bonded just the method of applying it is different. In tank plating the thickness is determined by how long you leave the item in the tank to plate. In Brush plating the thickness is determined by how many times you go over the surface of the work piece.

Differences in the two types of plating: The plating chemicals used in brush plating are much more concentrated than the solutions for tank plating, therefore they are not interchangeable. In most cases there are approximately 15 times more metal in them. It does make them more expensive per ounce but they also cover much more area than tank solutions. The nice part is that you don’t have to buy such large quantities of solution to do the job. Also because of their concentration the brush solutions can build-up thickness faster than tank solutions.

Electroforming: In electroforming we start with a applied conductive coating and plate with a special copper solution in a tank. The next coatings can either be done in a tank or by brush plating but the first plate of copper must be done in a tank.
Home Important Information Difference in Plating Plating Machines Tank Plating Supplies Brush Plating Supplies Tank Plating Kits Brush Plating Kits Combination Kits Polishing Equipment FAQ Specials Jewelers Return Policy Platers Links of interest


http://www.google.com/url?sa=l&q=http://www.metal-plating-chemicals.com/&ai=Bw6et8qYPQtD3PIyaaMfhiY0Pm9G6CNGupgHDyIQGoI0GEAYYBigIMAE4AEixOZABDpgBg0vIAQE&num=6


http://www.jaderockshop.com/BOOKS/BK2A.htm





  • [Homestead] Making jewelry, electroplting it., tvoivozhd, 02/13/2005

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