 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ClarenceT
Date: 2003-03-04 22:31
any of you ever try plating stuff yourselves? some of my keys have scratches. and I'd like to silver plate my bonade to make it look pretty.
here's one kit:
http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/plugnplate.htm
know of any better ones?
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Author: ClarenceT
Date: 2003-03-04 22:33
why do the kits use electricity? i don't get it.
i teach political science. maybe i should have taken physics or something.
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Author: Corey
Date: 2003-03-04 22:54
All I know about plating things is that it has to be fused to the metal with electricity called "Electroplating", I saw something on this on the yamaha Japan site about how they plate they keys on their oboes, flutes and clarinets. --Corey
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2003-03-05 04:38
Well- In 6th grade one of my classmates made an electroplating machine out of a fish bowl, a few copper wires, and some electric currents( I'm and have always been a "gifted" kid, and we had a really advanced science class). She took a penny and placed it on this platform she had built, and also tied a bar of silver onto the platform. Then, a kind of liquid swept around the bowl and then the plating took place.
I dont suggest you silver plate yourself however, I think you should just buy the keys already silver plated if you didnt get them silver plated when you got your clarinet.....
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Author: ron b
Date: 2003-03-05 04:47
Hi, Clarence
I've taken jewelrymaking classes at a local community college and plating is not part of the course. They don't have the equipment to do it right. However, I would never discourage anyone from trying to do something they're really interested in doing. We all like the feelings of accomplishment we get when a project goes well.
Metal plating is not something the average do-it-yourselfer will be wildly successful with in a home workshop. Most repair shops send those jobs out to specialty houses. Controlled temperatures, chemistry, environment, plating sequences and proper safety procedures and equipment all factor into a job well done or a haphazard mess. The kits might be okay for small touch up jobs that aren't critical. Replating a set of clarinet keys or your grandpa's fluegelhorn is another matter entirely.
I've done little items, on a scale of your ligature, or even smaller, with a fairly simple setup. The result has been moderate to poor. It was enough to convince me that I'm better off leaving it to the pros. They do it far better and way cheaper than I could even begin to.
You may well be far more successful than I and I certainly wish you well if you desire to proceed.
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Author: Terry Horlick
Date: 2003-03-05 06:17
Electroplating requires electricity. The metals are dissolved into a chemical solution. The metal atoms are electrically charged and are called ions. The electric current is passed from the power supply to the solution via a wire connected to an electrode and another wire connected to the part to be plated. The electrode and part are submerged into the chemicals which complete the circuit. If you run the current one way you will etch metal off of your part. Reverse the current (connect the other way around) and you will deposit metal onto your part. When you deposit metal it is called plating.
Since you want to plate your ligature because of scratches you need to know that the scratches will plate. So you need to buff out all the scratches first. Once it is very smooth you will notice you have buffed out all the old plating. Now you will need to do the plating. Some metals need to have another plating underneath it. For instance, to do chrome you must first plate with copper then with nickle then with chrome. You need to buff each layer before going on with the rest.
To do the plating you will need to buy the kit, or at least the chemicals. The kit will come with the power supply or battery and the chemicals. You will need to get containers for the chemicals and parts to sit in while plating and you will need wires. Once you are done you will need to dispose of the chemicals.
You will need to get a small lather or buffing motor, rag wheels and a series of buffing compounds so you can polish the parts and the layers of plating. If you skip the buffing you will end up with shiny siver scratches.
If you are plating clarinet keys then you have to remove the corks and pads before plating and then cement new ones when you are finished.
To do a nice silver on that Bonade ligature will probably cost you around $150 by the time you are set with everything you will need. No fear, the next 100 ligatures will only cost you the electricity for the buffer and plater as you will have everything else.
The way I see it you should either just drop $12 for a new ligature, or just use the one with the scratches... no one else sees or cares about the scratches.
By the way, a can of silver spray paint is only about $4 and will look terrible!
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-03-05 10:10
Just by the way you asked the question I can give you a small piece of advice, leave plating to an expert. I have been fixing band instruments for years and outsource all plating and a hell of a lot of the prep.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-03-05 10:50
To sum up (and clarify) some of the above...
The Caswell brush kits are cheap and do an good COSMETIC job of touching up. All materials required are in the kit.
Technicians sometimes used these kits for very small locations where the metal is not likely to be fingered, e.g. where re-soldering has been done.
The result very thin and will stand up very poorly to wear from handling. Professional plating is many times thicker.
You really need to take a key off the instrument first, because the liquid involved is corrosive, and you must not risk getting it on timber, cork, pads, or pivots. After the plating the surface will probably be black and need washing (well) then polishing, using a silver cloth or polish.
Plating will NEVER get rid of blemishes on the surface. If you plate a scratch the result is a plated scratch. If you want to get rid of a scratch you must remove metal from the key until the surface is lowered to that at the BOTTOM of the scratch, then go through a polishing and replating process, which is all beyond the resources of most people if a good result is desired.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-03-05 12:41
Pretty much says it all. However, you don't have to copper pre-plate in order to Chrome plate, but it helps do a better job.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-03-05 13:38
Years ago I took courses in electroplating and electrochemistry, at that time it was more concerned with plating [very well cleaned] steel [like for auto bumpers] with flashed copper, bright nickel and chromium. There were some concerns re: the safety of those plating solutions, BUT they were not nearly as hazardous as for silver from a sodiun CYANIDE bath. No acids were allowed anywhere near our lab, as any accident might produce lethal HCN. Quite impressive, BE VERY CAREFUL, I strongly suggest NO do-it-yourself plating, even with more modern techniques and chemistry!! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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