replying to Minki, J wrote:
Its an old post so I am only posting in case others tread this path - after
all I came in from Google.

Firstly the OP did not state what metal he wants to plate onto brass.

You can get way with acid copper plating process on brass - it is true that
the acid will attack the zinc in the brass but reasonable plating can be done
in this case assuming that your copper acid bath contains the appropriate
additives ( levellers and so on ).

In general plating is not a great idea for the amateur its usually cheaper and
less disapointing if you go to a professional.

The level of cleaning to produce a good long lasting finish is beyond the
amateur in most cases - a plating that looks good today may peel blister or
display stains at a much later time otherwise - if you intend to sell how are
you going to know you will not get returns in a year's time. Commercial
outfits use things like vaour solvent cleaning ( heat up really nasty solvents
so that they turn to gas in a sealed chamber and effectively "steam clean"
only the "steam" is not water but some really nasty solvent that would do you
significant damage if you inhaled ).

Plated surfaces require protection fron tarnishing in most cases and spray on
lacquer from your DIY supplier is not going to give reliable protection for
commercial application ( again if you are selling products ) particularly if
it is to be worn, getting the right kind of protection for use and the choice
of metal really is a specialist field in itself.

FInally many plating processses ( for different metals ) involve really nasty
chemicals - copper sulphate is not too bad although toxic to marine life but
from there on it tends to get nasty - nickel salts are not great for the
environment and if you are plating in any kind of commercial situation ( you
are selling your products) you could quickly get fined if you do not deal with
disposal, guard against container failuire ( see bunding ) you could be fined
by the authorities - water treatment plants monitor spikes in heavy metals and
will quickly follow up any releases that they detect, commercial platers tend
to dread this as they then have to undertake a chemical audit.

Many amateurs get very shirty or irritated when told all of this - they feel
its the nanny state or others are dumping on their freedom to experiment but
just ask yourself what is the chance of someone buying a plating kit actually
disposing of the chemicals responsibly - what is the chance they even
understand the chemistry well enough to know how to safely handle the
chemicals.

Really when you factor in the quality of the plating - its longevity, quality
and the expense you will spend getting it right it really is better to go to a
professional and focus on other areas of your work that you can do yourself.





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for full context, visit http://www.polytechforum.com/metalwo...ing-34693-.htm