The authoritative public forum
  for Metal Finishing since 1989
  

  -----

Plating Brass on Wood

I have a piece of wood carved to replace a part missing from a chandelier. It is very intricate and I was going to have it cast in brass but the cost is excessive. The part is about 12" in diameter and 3" thick carved out of Poplar. I would like to plate this in brass. Can I do this and what would the steps be? PS, I do not mind trying anything and will buy what is necessary.

Thanks for the help.

Douglas E. Albertson
Restorer - Richmond, Virginia
2003

---

Plating is more difficult than casting. Brass is an alloy, so is more difficult than some other plating. Wood is non-conductive, so is more difficult than some other plating. A prototype plating shop could do this for you but it might cost more than the casting since it's more difficult. You can't do it yourself as it involves cyanide chemicals and other problems. Sorry.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003

Have you thought of aluminum casting with a finish coat to mimic brass? That would be cheaper.

Douglas Corbett
- Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
2003

---

First, seal the piece with a good epoxy resin, either by dipping or spraying. This will seal the wood and give you a smooth, non-porous surface. After letting it completely dry (in some cases two to three days), spray it with a zinc, metallized spray paint (search the net for it). Then plate with copper, then nickel, then brass.

You "could" skip the nickel plate and go directly from copper to brass, but using the nickel with give you a brighter brass finish.

There are cyanide-free plating mediums and though they may not be as quick or hard as the cyanide ones, they do work and I've seen great results from them.

"A professional is someone who believes that if something is worth doing, it should be done perfectly or not at all. An amateur is someone, who believes that if something is worth doing, it may be worth doing imperfectly; if it's the only way to get it done"

Todd Bloss
- Los Angeles, California, USA
2004