Question about Bronze Plating

I've got a small cardboad and paper item that I would like to preserve. I'd heard that just about anything could be bronzed. Does anyone know if this can be done? And where I might find someone to do it? Other suggestions for preserving it are welcome too.

thanks,

Robert Bank of America defines chintzy IMHO. Email for details. Robert Megee

Reply to
Dies Deambulo
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From my personal archives: (I didn't write this)

"Recommend you do a Google search for baby-shoe bronzing companies. Used to be a lot of them around. They would take almost any material, dip it in salt, connect the items to direct current in a saline solution, hang a bronze bar nearby, and sit back and watch as the bronze magically traversed the saline solution and started plating the baby shoe, or whatever. Some time later, you'd think you were holding a bronze statue of some sort. Same principle is used for chrome plating, zinc and I think even gold."

Grant Erw> I've got a small cardboad and paper item that I would like to

Reply to
Grant Erwin

If you want to try DIYing it without risk of electrocution, try this:

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Good Luck,

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Wisnia

When non-metallic items like baby shoes are "bronzed", they are generally put into tank of acid and copper sulfate and electroplated with copper. I don't think this would work for you because I think the solution would destroy your paper product. Perhaps there is something you could spray the paper with first, in order that it might survive a plating process, but I don't know for sure. Check with a place that does baby shoes (in a proper electroplating way) and see what they think.

Be aware that there are some places that "bronze" baby shoes by dipping them in what is basically varnish or urethane with metallic inclusions (aluminum or copper powder). Avoid this treatment if you want a real metal item that will last.

-Adam

Reply to
Adam

The item is first sealed so the chemicals do not soak into or attack the item being plated. The sealed item is then treated in one way or another to form a conductive film. It is then copper-plated. Materials and instructions are available from

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Reply to
Don Foreman

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