Posted by Doug Elliott on December 17, 2003 at 17:47:58:
In Reply to: silver replating (first try) posted by Kenneth Sloan on December 17, 2003 at 15:53:34:
I'm not expert on the plating pocess itself, but I've done an awful lot of prep work and seen some of the problems that exist in plating. Two comments:
Nickel is often used by platers under silver or gold, but it's a really bad idea for a couple of reasons. Acid gets through it and eats away the brass underneath, causing pits. And any future repair to that area will need extensive work because when you buff, nickel is harder than silver or brass and it doesn't wear away evenly.
You say "you could clearly see that a small patch of silver plate had simply flaked off... - this spot had sharp edges." The silver didn't adhere, most likely because the brass wasn't clean enough. The edges probably still have bad plating that hasn't come off yet. You need to feather-edge it down to a smooth surrounding surface with 500 or 600 sandpaper, wet, and then 1200 or 1500 and/or buff it. You can get the sandpaper at and auto-body supply place. Then degrease it - dishwashing liquid will do it, or use a chemical like brake cleaner. The silver should adhere and look good if the prep is right.