plug'n'plate or dip

[mikecfoot]

1. In refurbishing a silver plate musical instruments like a flute, is the plug and plate finish durable enough for the keys? and would several coatings be needed? or is 'dip' electroplating the recomended way?
2. If a touchup is done on a worn spot on the main body of the flute, is it recomended to re-buff the area to blend it in?
Thanks for what you do
Mike

[mcaswell]

1. You can control the thickness of the plating equally well with both kits. With dip plating, simply leave the part in the solution longer. With Plug N Plate, simply brush the part more often. The more you brush, the thicker the plate, the more durable it is.

2. It's likely you'll want to give a quick buff, but not always necessary. In some cases, you might be lucky enough to touch up a part and it blends right in instantly. In that case, why bother buffing?