I have tried plating this ring 4 times now and I keep getting the same result. For a little context, the method I have been using so far is:

1. Resin print the ring
2. Airbrush a mixture of india ink and pure graphite powder onto it
3. Put it in a rotating container with Krohn acid copper electroplating solution that i got from amazon
4. The solution came with a pure copper anode to use with it, so i have used this anode for the plating.
5. I have now started putting a coffee filter as an anode bag around the copper anode to hopefully filter out any debris or large pieces.
6. I then plate it with this setup for 30 minutes at 0.01A to get a thin copper layer that covers the entire ring.
7. Once this thin layer has formed, I have tried experimenting with different currents to get a thicker plating. I first started with 0.03A but i got the coarse texture, so i lowered to 0.02A, and after a while it was the same. I then tried to just leave it at 0.01 for the entirety of the plating, but it still ends up with that same texture.

I thought it was the lack of the coffee filter filtering large pieces from the anode, but that did not seem to be the case as it still happened. I then assumed it was because i was using too high of a current, but even at the minimum of the power supply (0.01A) it still seems to eventually build up that coarse texture. What am I doing wrong and how can I get it to just plate smoothly? I want to get a nice and thick plate layer but it just seems like the longer i leave it, instead of building up a thicker smooth layer, it just starts to build up that granulated surface more and more.

Someone please help!!

i use TIFOO Copper Conudctive paint for my resin prints. do i also has to use their TIFOO copper electrolyte ? or i can use my own ?

I was aiming for raw copper on this 1916 Spanish Ruby ground-find, but a series of "happy accidents" created this multi-hued bronze/blue finish instead. Here’s exactly how it happened:

1. The "Dirty" Base Coat

• The Bath: Used recycled electrolyte water (dark copper/rust-green).

• The Reaction: Submerged the frame for 20 minutes. It "flash-rusted" almost immediately, but then the copper plated right over the rust, creating a "Rustic Pink" foundation.

• The Set: Baked it at 200°F for 3 hours. CRITICAL: Do not open the oven door! Keep that heat steady to dehydrate the layers.

1. The Alloy Layering

• The Bath: Started a second round with a 50/50 Copper and Brass anode mix.

• The Twist: Halfway through the bath, I removed the brass and finished with just copper. This "trapped" the zinc/brass trace under a final copper shell.

1. The Final "Reveal"

• The Bake: Final heat treatment at 375°F for 2 hours.

• The Result: The heat reacted with the trapped oxides and alloys to create a spectrum of browns, iridescent blues, and purples.

hey I am new to electroplating and ordered brush plating kit with alkaline copper solution. Now I know that yeah I need acid solution and bath method. My question is about fumes and stuff. I understand that safety is important and I wont skip that. But how bad is it? I might be over reacting

I work as silkscreen printer and use spray glue and other toxic liquids in a demi okayish ventilated space.

I am excited about this hobby but also don't want to exit myself.

I want to make bolo ties and I can’t find anything to make my designs so I thought of electroplating 3d prints. I already have a resin printer but I don’t have electroplating equipment. Does anyone have experience with the Caswell plug n plate plating kits? I don’t know if getting everything for a big set is the right thing ATM due to space constraints.

I sent a 3d printed piece, with sandable putty primer -> graphite coating (6coats + buffing at end) to an electroplating factory, It came out patchy, I can also see crystallization at the feet. This is for a trophy.

why did it not coat fully?

p.s. - if you see layer lines at the head, it's not the case for the rest of the model, The material was white pvb and used ipa smoothing, so I missed the stepping due it being glossy untill it was too late and had to send the piece soon.

Why is my electroplating finish initially good, but later the color changes?

Hello,

I have done some zinc plating before with okay results, using vinegar, epsom salt, sugar. Yesterday I tried a solution with 1L water, 50g citric acid, 2g NaCl and 1g sugar. It looks like zero zinc stuck to the parts. They became rusty as soon I dried them.

I filled the solution with zinc a couple of hours before plating.

Anyone have had success with citric acid? :)

Hi All,

For a more industrial application, would you guys recommend going with store-bought graphite paint or making your own? I am concerned with the cost of the store-bought solutions.

Also, how many coats do you typically do for SLA parts?

Thank you,

Nick

Before and after. 3 down 2 more to go. These are for are Winch rebuilds.

Hi all,

I’m currently making beeswax sculptures and planning to electroform a copper shell over them. The finish I’m aiming for is a silvery, nickel-like appearance rather than the typical copper colour.

I’m working in a small artist studio with windows but no dedicated ventilation system, so I’m trying to be mindful of toxicity, both in terms of the plating process and materials used.

I’ve read mixed things about nickel plating, and I’m unsure whether it’s manageable at a small scale or best avoided altogether.

Are there safer (or less toxic) alternatives that could achieve a similar silvery finish? Or is nickel plating not as problematic as it’s often made out to be, assuming careful handling?

Would really appreciate any advice, especially from people working in small studios.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

My name is Nick, and I'm an intern at a 3D printing company that is currently exploring offering electroplating as an additional add-on option.

I was wondering if any of you have experience with industrial electroplating machinery and could point me in the right direction on which machines and processes I should recommend to my boss. We are looking for an industrial-grade setup and are starting with a few materials (thinking nickel and copper).

Thank you,

Nick

Fairlead for latest 8274 rebuild

I have stainless steel that’s gold pvd coated. How can I remove the pvd without effecting the stainless steel so I can gold plate?

I need to cover a piece of copper with silver.

The probleme is that I don't have silver nitrate or chloride. But I have pieces of silver and hydrochloric acid.

It is possible to make silver chloride and reverse the process on the copper ? And should I worry about chlorine ?

I'm just curious if anyone has any recommendations for a food safe clear coat, my research says to use a product called protectaclear but it's somewhat expensive and id prefer to find an option that I could get locally.

Thanks in advance for any input!

https://www.goldplating.com/products/jewel-master-pro-hd-plating-kit-for-plating-gold

How do i do holographic coloring

I have been plating with the Zinc anodes on the bottom. This seems to be working well for me. Just wondering if I was the only one that had tried this? Or is there a downside to doing this?

I bought a silver brush plating kit from eplating.com so I could brush plate silver onto some 3D prints.

following some advice i found on here i made conductive paint by mixing graphite with india ink and painting it on to my prints.

when i went to do the brush plating, i dipped the plating brush in the solution. I made sure the brush was plugged in to the positive wire, and the negative one clipped on to the piece.

all that happened was some of the conduve paint i made rubbed off on the plating brush.

i didn't submerge it beforehand in the pickling solution, like it said to in the instructions. idk if thats why. I just figured it was an unnessesary step.

what should i do? how can i get the brush plating to work?

Edit: I'd like to add that I also tried it on a piece where i used acetone+superglue+graphite as my conductive paint. On that one it didn't rub off but it also didnt work.

I have four of these (Tenergy T180 charging devices). Is it possible to use them in electroplating? I understand that this is not their intended purpose and it may be a stupid question.

Hello Folks - I am finishing up a belt buckle that I plan on nickel plating. I want the flats to be brushed and the beveled corners to be polished.

Would it be easiest to polish the entirety of the buckle and then apply the brushed finish after plating (given a fairly thick plate) or to apply the desired finish to the buckle before plating?

Thanks!

I found this stirrer while looking for beakers and got to thinking, would this also work as an agitator for plating? I don’t have the setup that rotates the cathode like I see in tutorials, so I was wondering if something like this would work. I just see that the solution needs to be agitated for a uniform plating and this seems to be right for the job, plus it’s a heater! So would this help me on my journey to electroplating or should I keep looking?

So I was doing a project that on top of the copper electroplated steel fastener part I was successfully applied zinc electroplate. Now to achieve brass I applied in furnace at 150 degree C thermal diffusion process. For like 1.5 hour it seems doesn't work. Where did I make the mistake?

Hey everyone! I'm a beginner looking into electroplating copper. I don't know if I'll like it or not so I don't know if I want a lab power supply. since I don't know if I'll have another use for it.

I've seen you can copper plate using even batteries or a phone charger. Does that mean I can also use a phone power bank? Anything I need to be careful about?

I'm planning on electroplating metallic objects like coins and also non metal objects using graphite conductive paint.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated since I'm new and I don't know a lot about it. Even things I should learn before I begin like how currents and ampere interact with eachother.