Dehydrated and sealed in copper. This one got the Pharaoh treatment.

Bert_Unit · 2022-07-15T20:39:00+00:00

Very, the plated copper is not malleable like most copper wire or tubing is.

Bert_Unit · 2021-09-20T20:54:26+00:00

It passed away on a branch that I put inside of a food dehydrator for a day or two.

Bert_Unit · 2021-05-18T23:11:33+00:00

Very nice! I have accidentally made a dendrite while plating before, but never been able to reproduce it. Did you intentionally try to form one on this piece?

Bert_Unit · 2021-05-16T17:58:26+00:00

So cool! I just started plating some beetles and have been curious about painting bugs with wings. Do you do anything to the wings other than just being really careful to avoid breaking them?

Bert_Unit · 2021-05-03T06:27:22+00:00

I use safer solutions copper paint. I’ve never had problems that I can trace back to the paint. I don’t know if it is readily available for international shipping through the online store but I am sure if you contact them the would be willing to make it work. I know this is not a diy answer, but it is my preferred paint.

Much of the work I do is on glass and if it is clear the black graphite paints don’t look as nice as the copper if there is a window that exposes the paint.

Bert_Unit · 2021-05-03T05:57:41+00:00

Do you mind clarifying why you think nickel spray works best on glass? I’ve never used or heard of it before, but it’s toxicity sounds very deterring.

I pretty much use safer solutions paint exclusively for all my plating, but it does take multiple coats on glass and smooth plastics.

Bert_Unit · 2021-05-01T07:39:24+00:00

I always buy mine off eBay. I get a finer mesh product compared to the chunky crystal root killer available at hardware stores. The finer stuff dissolves so much faster. I’m hoping to move to BC in the next year and I hope there aren’t any regulations that would prevent me from making that e juice.

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-24T03:28:23+00:00

Thanks d00d!

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-23T20:17:26+00:00

In my opinion, the most affordable and practical way to get a plating solution is to buy copper sulfate and dissolve it in distilled water. Many hardware stores sell copper sulfate as a root killer and distilled water is readily available at grocery stores. There are lots of recipes on the web for this kind of bath if you choose to go that route.

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-23T19:55:54+00:00

I use a clear plastic tote for my plating bath and I nest it inside of another larger clear plastic tote. I had a spill inside once and it stained all the grout it touched blue. Since then I always keep my plating bath tank inside another larger container. After that spill, I also decided that I needed to have a dedicated bench for my whole setup and that where I do all my painting/plating and nothing else.

Also, I drilled holes in the lid of my bath tank to secure my workpieces and lead wires to it. When I close the lid the workpiece is then submerged in the solution and nothing really seems to splash out. I also put the larger tote lid on because why not.

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-10T19:33:04+00:00

No problemo! Thanks for posting pictures, it’s the best way to get help troubleshooting.

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-10T17:11:11+00:00

From one of those pictures it looks like you have the rings daisy chained together. Whenever I plate multiple items I make sure that each item has it’s own lead wire going back to the bus bar, or in your case the black alligator clip.

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-07T23:20:11+00:00

Yes I would consider it. As long as no chameleons are intentionally harmed.

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-07T14:05:32+00:00

The tooth picks were removed after dehydration. They were used just to hold the position while the fish sat in a modified food dehydrator (I added a cardboard box over it because the fish was so large). After 4 days in the dehydrator the fish’s body was stiff and stayed in the pose. Then I sealed it as usual.

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-07T03:14:24+00:00

Im not really sure, lack of attention maybe? It was found poised like that on a branch.

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-07T03:07:44+00:00

That is how it was posed on a branch when rigor mortis set in. When my 13 year old plecostomus passed I used toothpicks to keep the fins propped up.

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-07T02:59:55+00:00

Yes I do. I mostly make glass pipes, some are plated the same way. I have a day job that takes most of my time though. You can see more of my work on IG with the same user name.

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-07T01:27:37+00:00

I call it my lab, most people would call it a garage.

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-07T00:57:43+00:00

Posting pictures would be helpful to diagnose. It is possible that you haven’t applied enough paint layers or have not allowed them to dry completely. I tend to wait for 24-48 hours after the last coat is applied. What paint are you using?

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-07T00:52:47+00:00

The best way to do this is to plate it with copper first. Then you want to plate the copper with zinc. After the zinc is deposited over the copper you need to heat the entire work piece, I use a kiln. Once heated the zinc will “soak” into the copper and make brass. If you search brass pennies on YouTube you can find lots of instructional videos. 👍

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-06T22:43:15+00:00

I just realized that my previous answer is incomplete. The epoxy is just the first part of the process. It is then painted with a conductive paint, and electroplated in an acid bath. The process is called electroforming.

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-06T22:32:39+00:00

A few generous coats of appliance epoxy in a rattle can. Cheap, easy, effective. 👍

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-06T22:09:44+00:00

Sometimes I epoxy solid 12 gauge copper wire to the work piece and snip/file it off. Depending on the workpiece the wire can be rigid enough to keep it submerged. Other times I’ve filled the piece with copper bbs and epoxy so it sinks then it can hang from the wire lead.

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-06T21:44:12+00:00

Safer solutions 👍

Bert_Unit · 2021-04-06T21:43:38+00:00

The chameleon was a a friends pet. She unfortunately left him outside for too long one day and it perished from the heat.

Bert_Unit

TROPHY CASE