1) AI gives a good starting point, although you probably want to dig a
little deeper in the "Finishing.com" site, especially the "How to get
started in plating" introduction at ...
http://www.finishing.com/faqs/getstart.html
... if you're new to plating, I would take the caveats in their FAQ to
heart, "For those who want to do it as a hobby or casual business,
please think again; due to the inherent hazards in working with toxic
materials, and the ecological and legal problems of dealing with the
inevitable waste products, plating is a terrible hobby."
Bearing those warnings in mind, for specific information "How To" on
plating a leaf, see New Brunswick Plating's instructional page, "How
to Plate a Bug (Fragile Object), at ...
http://www.nbplating.com/fragile.htm
...which includes some photos of plated leaves. Interesting idea,
plating insects. huh?
2) According to several sites, when gold is applied to a copper rich
surface such as brass, bronze, or beryllium copper (please note
spelling), an antidiffusion underplate such as nickel should first be
applied. The gold (from a cyanide solution) is deposited on the nickel
layer. See, for instance,
http://www.electroplating.com/au.html
and
http://www.filtranmicro.com/plating.html
Again, not knowing your background or level of expertise with plating,
I need to point out (for my own peace of mind if nothing else :-))
that a common thread running nearly every article or paper I read is
that plating requires the use of dangerous and often toxic materials,
and is probably not for the casual hobbyist. But, best of luck in
your pursuits.
rico |
