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

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

Original poster: "Richard Modistach" <hambone-at-dodo-dot-com.au> 

thats standard procedure for making a new float for an old carburettor,
make the correct shape from cork, add relavant lugs, coat with graphite
and plate with copper to seal the cork. surface needs to be finly rough
to take as much graphite as possible.

regards
richard
aus.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2003 1:26 AM
Subject: Re: plating xmas balls...are you serious?


 > Original poster: "Arpit Thomas" <neko4-at-dodo-dot-com.au>
 >
 > I've heard some people coat the object with finely powdered graphite
 >
 > *********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
 >
 > 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
 >
 >
 >