Re: plating xmas balls...are you serious?

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Arpit Thomas" <neko4-at-dodo-dot-com.au> 

I've heard some people coat the object with finely powdered graphite

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On 11/12/2003 at 6:07 PM Tesla list wrote:

 >Original poster: Mike <megavolts61-at-yahoo-dot-com>
 >
 >Ok,   if you wish to plate a plastic object,  I STRONGLY suggest using the
 >age old siliver 'mirroring' process.  You can find the recipe in just
 >about
 >any old chemistry book....or email me offlist and I'll send it.   The
 >copper 'electroless' process is ok, but much less likely to adhere as well.
 >   Once you've put on the initial silver coating, then you can easily
 >plate
 >the silvered part with another metal....because you can now apply
 >electrical current to affect the plating.  Be advised that you will have
 >to
 >be working with toxic cyanide solutions, so don't even bother if you don't
 >plan to be careful.  The cyanide solutions are safe.....unless you somehow
 >manage to acidify them...then you have your own gas chamber.
 >    Note:  aluminum cannot be plated from an aqueous solution.  It
 >requires
 >some nasty organic solutions....a spun toroid would be much easier.
 >Nickel plating is relatively easy....don't bother with chrome
 >plating....too much work and the benefits would be minimal, if any exist.
 >   There are a few electroless nickel plating solutions, but again,  a
 >quick silver plate is so much more convenient.   Copper plating is so easy
 >and cheap(commercial house wiring is electrolytically refined and pure
 >enough for a cheap anode material).  You can build up a very nice layer of
 >copper, then go for whatever metal you want to see(gold eg.).
 >     I've plated a lot of RF induction furnace parts...used silver....the
 >tarnish isn't an issue except for looks.   Honestly....I would still use
 >the dryer duct type...soooooo much easier.
 >Mike