Gold Plating and Nickel plating

[tzmandevil]

I bought a Gold Brush Plating kit and also some Nickel plating solution, extra cotton, and extra stainless steel wands. I have some stainless steel that I decided to practice on and tried to plate it with the nickel then go on to gold as an experimental. I have no problem plating many items with the gold kit. I understand that plating with nickel then gold is the preferred method. I cleaned the item with a dremel tool and washed it in alcohol. I get no plating or it turns black when I try to plate it with the gold. My question is are the power supplies in the Nickel and Gold Brush plating kit the same. I also tried to plate a penny with the nickel and then gold with absolutely no success. Any help is appreciated.

[mcaswell]

You've chosen two very difficult objects to test on.

Stainless steel requires a strike coat of stainless steel activator first. We also sell a stainless steel activator for gold solution, that enables you to plate gold directly onto stainless.

Pennies are very difficult to plate. They are mostly zinc, which requires a copper plate first, followed by nickel and gold.

[jimcarry]

The best test pieces for brush plating or selective plating are car emblems there easy to work with if you go to you local salvage yard and even ask them if you can have some broken emblems im sure they will let you take them for free .
When you get them use your stripper in reverse at 14 to 16 volts you will notice a yellow color this is the chrome being removed . Rinse the piece and use your nickel activator forward at 8 to 10 volts use plenty of solution do not let the prat dry. Rinse and proceed to plating .
After each rinse and before the piece drys check with water break test