# Home Plating



## soligen (Oct 8, 2010)

Has anyone tried this product from Caswell for plating custom made pen parts at home?  If so, I'd like to hear opinions.

http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/plugnplate.htm


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## maxwell_smart007 (Oct 8, 2010)

No, but have you noticed how they give pictures for the step-by-step but not the finished product?  

Likely a reason! 

Andrew


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## mredburn (Oct 8, 2010)

I haven't used their system but I have plated with other things.  The plating wears off quickly, is hard to build a a durable coat.  You have to get the part your going to coat antiseptically clean, and poished before plating. Some things will need copper or nickle plated before you do a gold plate. There is a guy here locally that builds plating systems and plating solutions without cyanide. Dalmar.  You can google him and check out his website.   Good luck


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## Andrew Arndts (Oct 9, 2010)

maxwell_smart007 said:


> No, but have you noticed how they give pictures for the step-by-step but not the finished product?
> 
> Likely a reason!
> 
> Andrew




Yeah, I am going to have to agree with Andrew here.  It seems to be, well a waste of money.


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## soligen (Oct 9, 2010)

Thanks for the input.  I wondered why I found no hits on this in the search functions.  If it worked well, someone would likely already be doing it.


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## btboone (Oct 15, 2010)

Plating scares the heck out of me.  Sometimes there are some extremely deadly chemicals involving cyanide and others.  My dad worked at a machine shop when he was a kid and witnessed someone working with cyanide to harden steel.  A drop splashed out, landed on his lip, and killed him on the spot.

A little death goes a long way.


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## ldb2000 (Oct 15, 2010)

There are several semi professional plating kits on the market that don't require cyanide based chemicals . They are the systems that the jewelry industry uses , and they do produce a lasting plating but these systems cost $1500 to $3000 . The key to these systems are lots of prep to the base metals and highly stablized rectifiers that give good voltage and current regulation . 
The cheap plug and plate systems will give an acceptable plating but they do require extensive prep and multi plated surfaces and then they must be protected by an epoxy or other overcoating all of which are available to the public but just aren't cost effective to be used for pen parts .


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## Mac (Oct 15, 2010)

Looks like a toy kit to me.
12 years ago I was an industrial chrome plater, lead 2nd shift plater.
and before, 9 years in an old CASE knife plant. Lets just say when the day shift went home I was in charge. I was alone but still in charge!!!


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