The Art of Electro-plating and Gilding. 339 



THE AKT OF ELECTRO-PLATING AND GILDING. 



BY EICITAED BETHELL. 



It often occurs in the experience of collectors of coins, medal- 

 lions, and works of art, that when originals are not to be had, 

 models, facsimiles, and casts must be substituted ; and in order 

 to render them perfect, it is in very many instances desirable 

 to finish them by a coating of silver, gold, or some other 

 metal. 



In most cases where gold and silver are thus applied, the 

 impression will probably be first taken in copper by the electro- 

 type, or in fusible metal by casting. But whatever method 

 may be adopted for producing the first impression, the process 

 of plating or gilding will be in each case the same, so that the 

 production of the cast need not be further alluded to, except 

 to note that, when the cast is taken in some non-metallic 

 material, the operation becomes a little more complicated, as 

 we shall presently see. 



I purpose in this paper, giving somewhat minute details of 

 the processes most generally approved, so that those unac- 

 quainted with the art may not meet with any difficulties which 

 shall appear to them insurmountable ; and I would strongly 

 recommend all those who are making first attempts, to operate 

 only on small articles; for, apart from the consideration of the 

 convenieuce arising out of the use of light and portable appa- 

 ratus, we have also to consider the question of cost, the mate- 

 rials used being expensive. When we remember that every 

 pinch of oxide of silver that is used contaius \^% of pure silver, 

 while the oxide of gold contains as much as ^t of the noble 

 metal, it will be sufficiently obvious that when we speak of 

 using these oxides it is pretty nearly equivalent to speaking of 

 so much pure gold and silver. Hence arises the necessity also 

 of certain forms of battery apparatus by which the quantity of 

 these costly materials is diminished, and every possibility of 

 waste prevented. 



As the plating and gilding processes are for the most part 

 applied to metallic articles, and because they are much more 

 readily covered by this means than non-metallic surfaces are, we 

 will deal with them exclusively at first. Metals being good 

 conductors of electricity, the labour of rendering them con- 

 ductuous is unnecessary. It will soon be discovered by the 

 experimenter that few difficulties present themselves in his 

 efforts to obtain a deposit on his medallions or other objects ■ 

 but on the other hand, he will discover by more mature ex- 

 perience, that his deposits are not equally firm and permanent. 

 As a rule, he will find that when his surfaces are perfectly clean, 



