Recommendations?

[Dugan]

i\'ve got a piece i\'d like to plate, and having discovered that it\'s possible, i\' like to make i a DIY job. It\'s a steel (stainless? i don\'t know much about this stuff) chassis from a 60\'s era vaccuum tube amplifier i am restoring. it measures about 9.5 by 13 inches on the top but has lots of punched out holes where parts are mounted, plus the front and back which are about 1.75 by 13, also with some punched out space. i think to be safe and allow for plenty materials, i\'d estimate 100 square inches of surface to actually be plated, but it should be less. i\'m not sure what metal i\'d like to plate with... probablynickel or maybe copper for n intersting look but i don\'t want to have to do lots of coats, ergo no chrome.
anyhow i\'m curious to know whether a plug n plate kit is practical for me or what my diy options are, and how much, if you can give me a rough figure, such a job might cost me if i had it done by a shop.
thanks for your help!

[Dugan]

also, another question came to mind... could one perform the electroless nickel plating process using a container other than the one provided in order to accomodate the odd size of the item to be plated?
if so, what kind of container would be needed?

[mcaswell]