Hi, I'm totally new to this area of expertise. I understand that aluminum must be zincated before nickel plating. But I have a couple of questions about plating aluminum (or any metal surface, for that matter.)

I'm working with a metal foundry person and sometimes his parts pits in them from sandcasting. Sometimes it's nothing, but other times they can be atrociously bad. Will plating "fill" these pits and leave me with a smooth surface?

Another question is - does the surface of the part I will be plating need to be sanded and/or polished to a smooth shiny surface before plating, or can it be plated when it's still dull? And I don't mean a rough casting, I mean after it has been sanded smooth but not polished to a shine.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!