First experiment with a gold plating pen

[misspond]

A little while ago I bought an inexpensive gold plating kit and it's been sitting in the kitchen taunting me. Somtimes I wonder why it takes me so long to actually getting around to try things! After reading around in here I'd fashioned a pen from an old pen casing and used a cigarette filter to soak up the plating liquid and it worked really well.

I took the little pinky ring I made and etched at the weekend, used the plating pen to add some gold to parts of it and then gently rubbed back the gold from the raised etched areas. Added a bit of liver of sulphur and then gently rubbed that back too - I'll either play around with the ring some more when it's light or just leave it as is for the LoS to wear away in its own time.

I will definitely be playing with my new toy some more!



Deb

[Dennis]

That's a really attractive result Deb. Would you rather keep it to yourself, which is quite understandable, or can you link us to what you bought? Dennis.

[enigma]

I really like that.

[misspond]

Thnks both - no, I'm happy to share! After all, it was threads on here that got me interested in having a go in the first place. I got the kit from Gateros Plating and as I said, after reading around here took the powered metal wire from one of the wands, pushed it into a plastic pen casing and made sure the wire was in contact with the nib made of a cigarette filter.

Again because I'd read members here describing what they'd done on a couple of older threads I just scrubbed the ring clean and made sure not to touch it (I didn't use the special cleaner or the acid pickle - although to be honest I probably should, simply because I've got them) connected everything to the power supply (which I left on the lowest setting) and plated some areas of the ring.

This is a teeny tiny ring so the effect is a little lost on it really, but it was just an experiment and in terms of creating something that looks a bit "ancient artefact" I think it's worked out quite well. Onwards to bigger pieces methinks!
Deb

[china]

That is a nice result I like those etched rings, I have looked at those kits have never purchased one, in Australia there a mobile businesses's that go
car yards and plate car badges on car using the same system

[misspond]

Thanks China

[Dennis]

Thank you Deb, I might get one. It seems ideal for recesses and hollows immune to wear. Now i have to take up smoking. Dennis.

[misspond]

I don't think you need to go that far Dennis!

So because I can't stop fiddling I used the pen to add a bit of gold to the two other rings I made at the weekend, gently buffed off the high spots from the kyanite and left that as is, removed the liver of sulphur I added to the little one yesterday and then reapplied it to that one and the ammonite ring. Yum. I'm liking this a lot.

[enigma]

Yep, definitely!
It would be interesting to see how well it stays on over time , I would think quite well used in the grooves.

[misspond]

Yep, definitely!
It would be interesting to see how well it stays on over time , I would think quite well used in the grooves.

Yes, I dare say it will wear off pretty easily. But I'm aiming for an "ancient artefact" look and to be honest if it wears off I'll just add some more - obviously if these went to someone else it would be an issue, but I just make things for myself so it feels more like playing around without the stress of thinking about wear.