http://www.finishingtalk.com/community/topic448$2.html The most recent posts in Silver/Rhodium tips?. Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:20:37 +0000 PunBB http://www.finishingtalk.com/community/post1006.html#p1006 Great Advice! Aluminium is seeming to give me the biggest fits, as everyone knows plating on Al is an artform more than a science. heres my Process... Clean: Etch & Nitric Acid Desutter Double Zincate: I always double dip Electroless Nickel Flash: for a uniform base Cyanide Copper Strike: for activation/reactivation Bright Acid Copper plate: for that glossy shine Cyanide Silver Strike Cyanide Silver plate Rhodium Sulfate plate I got my running around down pat, 3 laps around the shop for 1 load of no more than 5 "small" pieces. MAYHEM As of now, Im bucket plating the rhodium because of the unbelievable cost of rhodium sulfate! info@finishingtalk.com (eboireau) Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:20:37 +0000 http://www.finishingtalk.com/community/post1006.html#p1006 http://www.finishingtalk.com/community/post1003.html#p1003 Yo Eric!!! Greetings from Charleston...thanks for the posting. I could either recite a book on plating on the list of substrates you mentioned you are plating....or you could maybe purchase one....but I think the most important part of your question is plating Rhodium over Silver. I can honestly say that I am blessed to have spent a major part of my metal finishing career, learning and experimenting with different techniques of how to plate this, and how not to plate that, etc..... The one key step in plating Rhodium is to go into the Rhodium bath "live". What do I mean when I say, "live"? You need to be able to initiate the DC current to the cathode rod (parts) prior to the parts entering into the plating bath. This will decrease the potential for passivation of the undercoating, in this case, silver, but in most cases, nickel, which is a very passive coating. And another helpful hint is to expedite the transfer process from the silver bath to the Rhodium bath, to not allow the pre-coat to become passive. Which, may not necessarily happen with silver, unless left out to dry and tarnish prior to the rhodium process. And always spend some time to calculate your surface area and be certain to apply the most efficient level of DC current (asf) to achieve an optimum plating thickness, and of course, a quality finish. I hope this has been helpful....pls let me know if you have any more questions. info@finishingtalk.com (skelton) Mon, 24 Sep 2007 19:43:46 +0000 http://www.finishingtalk.com/community/post1003.html#p1003 http://www.finishingtalk.com/community/post995.html#p995 Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone had any tips for plating Silver w/ Rhodium flash. substrates are Al, Brass and copper/brass wledments. I think I have my process down, but any suggestions or Tips would be great!! Eric Boireau H. LaRosee & Sons, Inc. info@finishingtalk.com (eboireau) Sun, 23 Sep 2007 12:19:50 +0000 http://www.finishingtalk.com/community/post995.html#p995