# Plating in your shop



## Texatdurango (Dec 4, 2011)

I recently became interested in plating my own parts on a small scale and would be interested in hearing from anyone who has already dealt with the "Plug N Plate" kits sold by Caswell Plating.

Here is the gold plating kit as an example of what I am referring to: http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/plugnplate.htm

I spoke with one of their tech support types but got the impression he was more interested in making a sale rather than being totally upfront with the facts.  He either waltzed around a few questions or didn't know the answers.

These small kits are designed to brush on the plating solution but he said one could immerse the wand in the bottle of solution then dip the part (clip, band, ring, etc) directly into the bottle of solution.
 
After reading all their literature, it appears that one could start with a brass part then nickel plate it then either gold or silver plate.
 
So……..has anyone tried these yet that would care to comment?


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## Frank Nemke sr (Dec 4, 2011)

I have seen these units demo'ed at a trade show. I think they put on a real thin coat of 24 ct.


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## Monty (Dec 4, 2011)

A few years ago, I a similar chrome plating system from them. Never could get it to work for me. Finally gave up.


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## Parson (Dec 4, 2011)

Any idea how many microns of thickness one can achieve with the plugnplate system?


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## ragz (Dec 4, 2011)

I don't know George but I think BradG's method is better than this. Once they started playing the Bond theme in wmv format it was all over for me.


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## IPD_Mr (Dec 4, 2011)

George - We watched the video a couple of times because we were looking for an option in restoring clips and levers from the vintage pens.  To be totally honest, we thought that you would be able to buff through the plating with simichrome in a matter of minutes.  That thin of a plating would do us no good.


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## Harley2001 (Dec 5, 2011)

George iam trying do learn this right now its not that easy i had a guy show me how he does it at the pen show and looks easy but iam still haveing trouble with it and i got the bigger kit to do brush plating .


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## BradG (Dec 5, 2011)

George
Anything i can help with?


I cannot comment on Caswells... but be careful. most of which only mention their "Gold plating solution" which is infact Potassium cyanide. same as what was taken in WW2 in crystalline form to create hydrogen cyanide in their stomachs to hide their secrets.

Most of the chmicals you will encounter while plating are nasty, and if possible.. do this outdoors, or with the garage door up if weather permits.

Not sure if you are well versed in what can be plated onto what? copper alloys such as brass etc are the most easiest though you will encounter bleed through after a while... this can be avoided by nickel plating first.

If starting with aluminium it has to be zincated first, then nickel plated, then either copper/brass/chrome/gold etc onto that

Chrome is a final coat. nothing can be plated onto Chrome. it would have o be stripped first.

The brush kits work and are ideal for small parts and most suitable with gold plating due to the cost of setting up a tank.

brush plating gives a thinner coating than tank plating so it will wear off more quickly. naturally you can tank plate gold too.. though expect the setup costs of a 5L tank to be substantially more. That's my next venture. when chrome or nickel plating, tank plate every time.... the results are better, much easier, less time consuming, and not particularly expensive to setup

take a look at my gallery on here ... the pen which is entirely gold has been brush plated, though it was nickel plated first in a tank.


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## bitshird (Dec 5, 2011)

George, try Rio Grande Jewelers, here is a link to a small pen plater which I used to own, Not a bad unit, http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Midas-One-Pen-Pen-Plating-System/335136?pos=8, I would rather have a 10 or 25 amp rectifier  which we used  for other small jobs,but for spot touch ups like where we had to retip stone settings or replate where we had sized and soldered a ring, this little guy worked great, Also Rio offers acid based solutions that are safer than the Cyanide base solutions,. I do think the Cyanide solutions were a little better, but they were hard to dispose of.


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## trapper (Dec 14, 2011)

Well i have tried one of the kits although mine is not from caswell . I've only used it for rechroming small car parts like interior handles etc. I found the kit to be good value in itself but the finnish is thin but can be built up secret is in preparation etc and i found it to be more expensive than getting it done by a chrome shop but as ever practice makes perfect well ok better. In no way would i say dont do it though


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