why aren't electroplaters getting back to me?

Post Reply New Topic

I e-mailed three companies asking if they'd electroplate my aluminum saber parts - two local. No one's gotten back to me and it's been about two weeks.

Is it that small an order to do that they just ignore me?

Okay, I'll ask here: Do you know of anyplace I can send my parts to get electroplated?

Here's what I have,



I'd like it to be a dark metal like nickel or something and the yellow areas there are supposed to be gold.

It's because it is a small order with a lot of difficult areas to plate. It is not worth the setup time to do this. What you want is going to be VERY expensive to do for both them and you.

Ya, i'm thinking the same thing, probably not worth their time.

Couple tips though, no matter how far advanced we are in the technology age, the business world (especially the trades field like that) still operate on voice and face to face communication. You will rarely get anything done by email, they get ignored (especially if you mentioned anything about a light saber in it).
Call up the companies. If they are local ask if you can stop in to show them the piece. You'll probably find they might be willing to do it because everyone's a nerd at heart and would find it a cool project, it's just sending an email talking about nickel plating your light saber is not going to be taken as serious.

Going to a plating shop in person might get a better response. Most of those guys are not very computer literate and don't care much for email.

thanks. I suppose I could take the trip sometime.

Also, if they're willing to do napkin holders and small stuff like that, I don't understand why they wouldn't want to do this.

Volume, it is just the right mix of chemicals and metal, all shapes carry the current different, and several tests are run. One off and perfect? Not a chance.

Try Caswell, they sell kits, have some how to on line, learn the problems you are asking about.

Plating is usually copper over what ever, then polished, then Nickel, then chrome, triple plate.

You will learn about clean, pickled, etched, and the whole process is set up for the part.

By the hundreds 10% fail rate, you might get a plater. Slow as thing are, someone might talk to you if you have done your homework.

Plating gold in recesses is hard, for first everything else gets masked, then the plating has to be polished. Gold foil over glue works better. It is the way books are done.

You can get a lot of finishes on aluminum, then laquer coat for durability.

The first ones are all prototypes.

If you're making it out of aluminum, you don't want to plate it, you want it Anodised instead.



Also, even though it's not shown in the above pic, it can also be transparent, which has a neutral, frosted look to it.

sigh. I suppose. It would save me the $250 I got quoted today.

Keep in mind that your threads may bind after electroplating due to material buildup. It may be necessary to cover theads so that they don't get plated.

If they can do the job you seem to want, and can do it for only $250, I'd say you're getting a bargain. They probably won't offer you any guaranteed outcome at that price, however.

It does annoy me when I seek services and get NO RESPONSE in return. At least have the courtesy to reply with a "no bid" or a request for further information or an in-person meeting.

But some people just suck at email, as I've come to learn.

yeah, I included in my message that threads- internal and external shouldn't be plated.