I've been looking at Caswell brush plating setups. I need silver and 
gold plate only -- but I keep wondering if copper, nickel, chrome 
might come in handy.

For example - what if you were working on a metal piece and there was 
a low spot on the rail - in order to get the perfect curve you'd 
either have to open the tip further than you want or lower the table. 
Could you build up the rail in that spot with plating?  Or would 
plating not be permanent enough?

Also - could you fill in scratches or small gouges with a thick 
plating of copper, sand smooth, polish and then finish plate with 
gold or silver?

Finally - gold requires a different voltage than silver so I'd need 
two power supplies (this is for the Plug n'Plate brush plating kit). 
Is there any reason I couldn't use a variable power supply that I 
already have and just buy the solution, wands and bandages from 
Caswell?  It looks like there is nothing to the power supply but a DC 
voltage and alligator clips.

I have used Silver and "copy chrome" which is a shiney Nickle, not a true
Chrome.  Both go on very thin (like .0001" or less) and do not last for me
in high wear areas.  The Nickle seems a little more durable.  

I too am concerned about using a Gold solution with the other voltage kits.
 The Caswell forum just said it should work, but implied the correct
voltage would be better.  So little goes on when things go right I would
not think deviating from the best process would be a good idea.

I like to Guarentee my work.  I do not think brush plating lasts well
enough for me to use them on pieces I do for others.  But I use them on my
personal mouthpieces.


	
		
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> I too am concerned about using a Gold solution with the other 
voltage kits.

I spoke to Caswell directly and they sell two different power 
supplies - one for gold at 4.5 volts and the other is 1.7 volts. I 
was actually asking whether or not I need the Caswell power supplies 
or if I could simply use my own power supply with adjustable voltage 
and only buy the wands and solutions from Caswell (just to save a few 
bucks).

Caswell sells another (more expensive) gold solution that is supposed 
to go on very thick.  Has anyone tried it?

> I like to Guarentee my work.  I do not think brush plating lasts 
well
> enough for me to use them on pieces I do for others.  But I use 
them on my
> personal mouthpieces.

Do you send your other pieces out for plating or do you have a 
plating tank or just not plate them? I heard that JVW didn't like to 
plate because it would change his close tolerances and I believe 
that.  That is why I wondered about using plating to actually build 
up a low spot.  I've found just using ink from a marker (to see where 
I'm working) is thick enough to change the reading so I would expect 
plating to be thick enough alter some of the close tolerances.

I just leave them unplated.  


		
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I use an old Labvolt variable power supply.  It is rated 0-12 volts at 2 
amps.  I just dial it to where it seems to be working well.  If it is 
sizzling and frying, it is too high... hah!

Paul

wyznerd wrote:

> I've been looking at Caswell brush plating setups. I need silver and
> gold plate only -- but I keep wondering if copper, nickel, chrome
> might come in handy.
>
> For example - what if you were working on a metal piece and there was
> a low spot on the rail - in order to get the perfect curve you'd
> either have to open the tip further than you want or lower the table.
> Could you build up the rail in that spot with plating?  Or would
> plating not be permanent enough?
>
> Also - could you fill in scratches or small gouges with a thick
> plating of copper, sand smooth, polish and then finish plate with
> gold or silver?
>
> Finally - gold requires a different voltage than silver so I'd need
> two power supplies (this is for the Plug n'Plate brush plating kit).
> Is there any reason I couldn't use a variable power supply that I
> already have and just buy the solution, wands and bandages from
> Caswell?  It looks like there is nothing to the power supply but a DC
> voltage and alligator clips.
>
>
>
>
>
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I use for gold plating an immersion solution ATOMEX
sold by Engelhard. Now is more difficult to obtain
because of security new rules.
It is a dubble cyanide potassium gold.
It is very easy procedure and very stable results any
metal can be immersed in the ATOMEX solution a 70�C a
the coating thikness will be proportional to the
permanence time. About cent of a micron per minute
(maximum thicness  two microns)
It is largely used in the electronic industries.
The only caution is to mantain the Ph neutral or
slitely alcaline during the process oterwise cyanidric
acid will be produced.
But is very remote that it will happen only if you put
a solt or a weaker acid into the solution.
If the piece is clean no problem at all.
Here you can find Gold Silver Palladium Tinlead Copper
and so on: 

http://www.engelhard-clal.fr/DAT/dream/worldwidepro.html
Manfredo
www.clarinet.it


	

	
		
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You will have to spend many hours to actually build up a flat spot 
by means of brush plating, the deposit is very thin. In tank plating 
20 microns can easily be plated and that does change the facing when 
the piece is not aligned correctly. See Yahoo group electroplating.

Also, the deposit is less on the corners and sharp or thin areas, 
the biggest deposit is on the flat areas and the body, if the rails 
are thin, less plating will be on the rails than on the table. I 
have seen the table becoming more concave from side to side just 
after a 5 minute nickel plate. Again, depending on the amount of 
power used and the solutions' capabilities. 

The Caswell fastgold is good. See www.geocities.com/jgerberza I used 
the fastgold on this piece. 

I don't like the nickel from caswell. 

I am busy checking out new stuff and setting up tank plating. Cobalt 
hardened Gold and Nickel hardened gold. Might post some on this, 
both are used for decorative plating, but extremely hard wearing. 
Then also a pure silver that's very hard. Thanks to Alf Reid to 
finally give me a South African contact for plating supplies. 

Then there's also a pearl look nickel, and a solution that etches 
stainless to have a matte finish. Will post once I have the stuff 
here. 

For the Caswell fastgold ($93.50 for 4oz) I use 4.5V. You don't need 
much current for a mpc, especially when brush plating, this 4.5v 
supply can handle 8amp. 4.5v gives a dark rich color and if kept too 
long changes green, meaning 2 to 3v would be better. It deposits 
very fast, and I would guess that you could do at least 4 to 5 
mouthpieces with the 4oz. Still, I prefer tank plating, where all is 
covered at once. 

Best regards
JG
www.jgerber.com







--- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com, "wyznerd" <blaineh@s...> 
wrote:
> > I too am concerned about using a Gold solution with the other 
> voltage kits.
> 
> I spoke to Caswell directly and they sell two different power 
> supplies - one for gold at 4.5 volts and the other is 1.7 volts. I 
> was actually asking whether or not I need the Caswell power 
supplies 
> or if I could simply use my own power supply with adjustable 
voltage 
> and only buy the wands and solutions from Caswell (just to save a 
few 
> bucks).
> 
> Caswell sells another (more expensive) gold solution that is 
supposed 
> to go on very thick.  Has anyone tried it?
> 
> > I like to Guarentee my work.  I do not think brush plating lasts 
> well
> > enough for me to use them on pieces I do for others.  But I use 
> them on my
> > personal mouthpieces.
> 
> Do you send your other pieces out for plating or do you have a 
> plating tank or just not plate them? I heard that JVW didn't like 
to 
> plate because it would change his close tolerances and I believe 
> that.  That is why I wondered about using plating to actually 
build 
> up a low spot.  I've found just using ink from a marker (to see 
where 
> I'm working) is thick enough to change the reading so I would 
expect 
> plating to be thick enough alter some of the close tolerances.