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Proprietary brightener sought for developing copper bath for glass art jewelry

December 1, 2009

Hello'
I am Luke Gardner, a glassblower from western Pennsylvania with 10 years experience and I am interested in developing my own copper electroforming bath for use on my blown glass art. All of my glass work is done on a torch in a process called lampworking, using soda lime and borosilicate glasses. My primary interest is to use a heavy copper deposit to set a glass cabochon onto a pre-made copper cuff bracelet, and eventually to use organic objects as mandrels for unique jewelry objects. I would also like to build up open matrix patterns on the outside of ornaments, vases, sculptures, etc.
First, is it even feasible to achieve professional results without the use of a proprietary bath. I am trying to achieve a highly reflective surface with the possibility of selectively formed nodules around the cab setting and other highlight areas for surface embellishment.
Currently, I have read instruction from Professor Lee B. Peck contained in "Jewelery: Contemporary Design and Technique" as well as "Electroforming" by Leslie Curtis which is a part of a jewelry hand book series. In "Electroforming" much emphasis is placed on the importance of proprietary brighteners and leveling agents. The brightening agent is described as having two parts: an initial agent that is not consumed and a maintenance agent to be added at measured intervals. As far as proprietary brighteners, I have been able to find maintenance brighteners, but I cannot find a source for the initial brightener additive that will not be consumed. Does any one know of a domestic supplier of this initial brightener.
Also does any one know if the brighteners also contain leveling agents? I know that all of these things are proprietary, but any help from some one who has any practical experience would be much appreciated.
Thank you all very much for your time and best regards.

Luke Gardner
Artist - Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

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Try internet archive website,there you can find many download free old plating and electroforming handbooks.Uspto.gov site is good source of infos ,too(expired patents). You can visit any better decorative arts museum,and there you can see many very good 19-th century objects made without any proprietary products .
Hope it helps and good luck!

Goran Budija
- Zagreb,Croatia
December 4, 2009