I need some help with some items, and was told to ask here :)

[lzt1980]

So I'm about to go and buy a bunch of things for electroplating small parts,
and I was advized to ask on here for some help (because I'm sutch a newbie )

My main thing i need help with is identifying the plate on these peices, (along with the base metals), I was told by a friend (who knows a little, and i mean little) about metal, that the plating was called "white plate" and I'm assuming this is some kind of nickel or zinc plating.
As for the base metals, i'm guessing the band is copper and the little circle is brass (soldered with an unkown solder)

My problam is I need to plate a bunch of these peices (ten to a hunded at a time- but I'm willing to plate one at a time as I do everything by hand anyways) and i was thinking of getting a Plug N Plate system, and a few extra solutions (so i have 3 or 4 diffrent color options)

So i guess my questions are-

• Can you guess the plate, and base metals?
• Should i remove the plating on there before plating with another kids of metal?
• If they are the metals I think they are, can I plate them with one kind of metal and then plate over that (say plating with copper, then with gold)?
• If not, how should i go about plating them (I'm wanting to do some with Gold, Silver, and Black Chrome)
• If i want to solder metals to them before i plate them, is there a certain kind i should think about getting? (and a cetain kind of solder?)

Any help would be extreemly appriciated!!!
~LZT


some pictures to help-
the peice, with the finish dremeled off-
http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/9909/image1ej9.jpg
another veiw-
http://img468.imageshack.us/img468/7900/image2ko0.jpg
next to the original finish-
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/215/image3zr3.jpg
another view-
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/127/image4am9.jpg

[lcaswell]

Your pictures look like the parts are copper? I don't see any plating on them though....

The parts look really rough...lots of grinding marks on them. What are they?

Regardless of what they're made from, you need to start by polishing them all and removing the grinding marks. I'd recommend a vibratory tumbler, as the parts look small and you have lots of them.

Assuming they're copper (and it's a BIG assumption), you can plate them with the PNP systems without a problem...as long as you polish them first.

[lzt1980]

they are from a HUGE lot of ring shanks i managed to buy
(and am trying to clean up and make them prettyer to sell )
this picture-
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/215/image3zr3.jpg
(the whiteish metal one on the right is the original plating-diffrent one)

the one on the left with the flat pad is one i ground down with a harsh sandpaper (used my dremel so i could see the basemetals)

[lcaswell]

Does a magnet stick to them?

[lzt1980]

somewhat, it doesnt grab hard on them, but it does slighty move twords it.

[sswee]

It appears to be brass on the round part and copper on the spike of it.
SS

[lzt1980]

one last question,
should I (and how) remove the plating that is already on the peices?