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Stripping gold plate/replating

pent

By pent
in Polishing & Refinishing

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pent Watch Enthusiast

pent

Posted
Posted

So, I'm ready to try my hand at some gold plating.  I have a few old, non-valuable pocket watch cases that are base metal with gold plating (and judging from what I've done so far, QUITE a thin layer of plate).  I've taken a few passes with a cotton wheel and Dialux grey.  It certainly looks like crap now, but I'm not sure if I'm down to the base metal yet.  I'm considering Dialux yellow or orange for the cutting power to get more plate off, but I don't want to overdue it and remove the design/graving.  

Just wondering if anyone has intentionally (or accidentally) taken the plating off down to to the base metal.  What did you use or how did you do it in a time-efficient manner without dulling the designs.  Pics of where I'm at so far below.  I included an untouched case and the back of the case for color comparison.IMG_1330.thumb.JPG.589f5c2976cdaaffe69e7fca9f66a170.JPGIMG_1331.thumb.JPG.1cee6e5097d63e24b5a7c4a41b1b49cd.JPGIMG_1332.thumb.JPG.9233599d5dd4d711f72e4e38e0a00a64.JPG

  • 2 months later...
mikepilk Distinguished Member

mikepilk

Posted
Posted

I have a wristwatch case I want to reverse electroplate. The gold plating is flaking off. Under it is either rose gold or copper, and below that, I assume, nickel over the brass case.

It's a mess, so I want to remove all the gold, and replate with nickel (I thought I'd like to try gold plating until I saw the price of the solution).

Is there an easy way to remove the gold plate without a gold solution ?

mikepilk Distinguished Member

mikepilk

Posted
Posted

I have some Nickel stripping solution - which says sulphuric acid on the bottle.

I also have "Dry acid salts" for pickling - cleaning before plating. That's sodium hydrogen-sulphate, which is pretty corrosive. 

Neverenoughwatches Distinguished Member

Neverenoughwatches

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, mikepilk said:

I have a wristwatch case I want to reverse electroplate. The gold plating is flaking off. Under it is either rose gold or copper, and below that, I assume, nickel over the brass case.

It's a mess, so I want to remove all the gold, and replate with nickel (I thought I'd like to try gold plating until I saw the price of the solution).

Is there an easy way to remove the gold plate without a gold solution ?

A similar question i asked a few days ago but not in relation to gold.  Ordered today sodium bisulphate salt to make up the pickle and hoping will be strong enough to strip plating and for use as a screw remover.The copper layer you are seeing might be a copper strike. 

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