rust coming thru plating

[goldmankc]

I recently gold plated an antique screw driver. I wire wheeled it, buffed and polished, then nickel{heavy} then gold, problem is in about a month, rust spots came back thru the plating. What did I do wrong? not sure of amps, equipment adjusts automatically, brush plater. Help.

[ashcroft01]

goldmankc,

Chances are the brush plating technique did not allow for a thick enough coat to prevent further corrosion.

To help combat issues like this, especially when brush plating, it may be wise to start your bare metal with a coat of Copper first. This will aid in the prevention of moisture seeping through the Nickel and back into the steel. It also helps the Nickel adhere and creates a thicker overall plate.

Brush plating leaves an incredibly thin deposit compared to immersion plating.

The amperage requirements are self adjusting on the brush plating system.

Best of luck,

[goldmankc]

thanks, I'll try that.