help with gold plating

[mischief199130]

Aye all, new to the forum but hoping to find an answer to a few questions Ive come up blank on.

1. I'm looking to get my RDA gold plated to match my mod, its a stainless RDA sleeve and cap. Basically through a bit of research Ive learned of multiple types of plating, what is the route I should go to 24k gold plate my RDA cap? I know certain types are apparently stronger, more conductive, and have an underplating of nickel. I would like to know the process I should go for and if all of them are "safe" in terms of material, heat resistance, and health concerns.

2. The deck I'm using Im obsessed with but I'd like a plated positive pin, this is also stainless. Question here is would it be worth it really to have it plated and also what route should I go here if I was to have this done? Thickness and material wise ( nickel underplaying ), will the nickel underplating effect anything health wise? And would any of the types of plating hold up to the heat?

I guess both questions are nearly the same but if two different types of plating should be applied I'd like to know that ahead of time. But basically as you can see I have absolutely zero idea about plating so anyone with some info on this would be appreciated. Happy vaping fellahs and fellettes!

 

[Myk]

Talk to the place you plan on having plate. If a jeweler all I've been around are so thin and mods see so much use I wouldn't recommend it. Maybe automotive uses a thicker plating, but I'm sure places that do it are rare.

Underplating shouldn't pose any harm. The only place it would be exposed is where the plating is exposed to wear and that's not where any liquid goes.

 

[stevegmu]

If it is a cheap RDA and it is plated correctly, the plating will outlast the atty...

 

[mischief199130]

100 dollar Atty so its not what I'd consider cheap but that's what I'm going for. Im really just concerned with the nickel underating. Freaks me out a bit. What would be considered "correctly" though lol.

 

[stevegmu]

100 dollar Atty so its not what I'd consider cheap but that's what I'm going for. Im really just concerned with the nickel underating. Freaks me out a bit. What would be considered "correctly" though lol.

Plating at a shop which knows how to do it correctly. The plating should never come of, so an underlay of nickel won't be an issue. It isn't as simple as dipping it in a plating solution. At work the gold plating line can plate contacts on a PCB which will last forever, in virtually any conditions, but the process is fairly expensive and usually only used on PBCs which go in to satellites or weapons systems...

 

[mischief199130]

I'm in a pretty backwoods area, I wouldn't have the first clue as to where to find a shop even capable of a plating of this nature. Any ideas of services that could do a plating along the lines you speak of?

 

[stevegmu]

I'm in a pretty backwoods area, I wouldn't have the first clue as to where to find a shop even capable of a plating of this nature. Any ideas of services that could do a plating along the lines you speak of?

No. No idea, but I know it won't be cheap if done correctly.What you probably want is immersion electroless plating...

 

[Mattp169]

gold can only stick to certain metals which is why sometimes nickel is plated on first. This is common on saxophones. Gold does not stay on brass so the stroke it in nickel then gold

 

[stevegmu]

It depends on the electrolyte solution, as to whether the gold will 'stick' to the base metal. If done correctly any metal can be electro plated...

 

[Mattp169]

well iv enever seen a brass instrument that was gold plated not have another metal under the gold

 

[stevegmu]

well iv enever seen a brass instrument that was gold plated not have another metal under the gold

It is expensive, as the electrolyte solution is made to the specification of the base metal...

 

[Myk]

PCBs don't get wear. A plug is pushed on maybe 5 times in the lifetime if that?
Even rolled gold "plating" will wear down to base metal on a watch and that's a sheet of gold you can solder and polish. Microns of gold will wear off something being put in pockets and touched with skin oils.
You can wear off the plating done in most jewelry shops by rubbing it on your pants. As far as I know even the gold plated Provari had a problem with wear and that's why they stopped selling it, I'm sure they went with a thicker process.
It's not about knowing how to do it right, it's the process. The process I have isn't going to produce a thick plate. A junk jewelry manufacturer, automotive plater, gunsmith would have a thicker process.

If you're in the backwoods I'd give up the idea unless you find someone to ship it to. Otherwise it would probably be worth it to buy a pen plater and do it yourself because you'll need to redo it often.

 

[stevegmu]

PCBs don't get wear. A plug is pushed on maybe 5 times in the lifetime if that?
Even rolled gold "plating" will wear down to base metal on a watch and that's a sheet of gold you can solder and polish. Microns of gold will wear off something being put in pockets and touched with skin oils.
You can wear off the plating done in most jewelry shops by rubbing it on your pants. As far as I know even the gold plated Provari had a problem with wear and that's why they stopped selling it, I'm sure they went with a thicker process.
It's not about knowing how to do it right, it's the process. The process I have isn't going to produce a thick plate. A junk jewelry manufacturer, automotive plater, gunsmith would have a thicker process.

If you're in the backwoods I'd give up the idea unless you find someone to ship it to. Otherwise it would probably be worth it to buy a pen plater and do it yourself because you'll need to redo it often.

It isn't so much about wear, but resistance to environmental factors, such as temperature changes and contaminants when it comes to PCBs. I polished a gold plated sample at work at 300rmp on a diamond polisher with 1micron polish and have yet to wear through the plating...
The process produces a chemically bonded plate which resists wear, but it isn't pure gold which is used, however. Plating for appearance is different than industrial plating. Using the correct process for the application goes together with knowing how to do it right...

 

[m.w.baughman]

Why not just buy a twisted messes or a 528 customs?

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