Re: Silverplater - any experience?


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Posted by Chuck(G) on December 09, 2003 at 00:09:56:

In Reply to: Silverplater - any experience? posted by Kenneth Sloan on December 08, 2003 at 23:15:54:

I've been dealing with Caswell plating for years and have used the "silverplater". The cyanide content is miniscule. They offer a slower-acting non-cyanide version called "Silversmith" or some such.

Here's the skinny--it applies a molecule-thick layer of silver to brass surfaces, via electrochemical deposition. Not rocket science (decades ago, we used to refurb silver contact surfaces on electrical contacts using a similar stuff called "Cool-Amp" or some such.)

If you're looking to deposit silver on a surface that's been worn away, forget it--the silver coating's not thick enough to withstand much contact-caused wear. On the other hand, if you're touching up a scratch or a relatively protected area, you're in luck.

This goes for any plating operation--the plated surface takes on the texture of bare metal surface prior to plating. So, if you want a nice mirror-finish on your plated surface, you need to polish the bare brass to a mirror finish. Use a powered sewn cotton buffing wheel and some rouge buffing compound. Clean off any residual wax and schmutz with acetone.

A somewhat more wear-resistant surface can be built up using a silver anode wrapped in a gauze "bandage" soaked in silver cyanide solution and connected to a 2 vdc source used as a 'brush plating" arrangement. But silver cyanide is nasty stuff, so be careful.

Hope this helps.




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