Klarinet Archive - Posting 000549.txt from 1995/03

From: Scott Hirsch <WQ@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Key plating
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 11:03:14 -0500

There has been a fair amout of talk about plating. I think, as an amusement, I
will gold plate the nickel keys on my clarinet. A lowly
Noblet. I've always been partial to rose gold.... I have a commercial plater
but my first gold plating was done with a battery charger. It
worked quite well. The real work is when you pile on the gold. It creates a
rough surface that must be buffed out. Nickel is an ideal
metal to plate over.

I don't advocate that everyone buy gold plating solution and plate their keys
with their battery charger, but it certainly could be done.
The biggest reason to avoid plating in your home is the chemicals used. Sodium
or potassium cyanide is one of the chemicals used in
gold plating solutions. I prefer the cyanide solutions over other products for
their "throwing power", etc.

The actual cost would be fairly inexpensive. It would take a lot of time and
that would be the real cost.

Scott Hirsch