Old Silver Plate

[DerbyBorn]

I have a couple of silver plated brass goblets that need re-plating. We don't really want them - do any people replate such items for their own pleasure - or to sell?

Bin or Ebay?

[harry]

[Bill]

Those kits look terribly expensive.

I remember my Dad, who retired into being a chemistry teacher, doing nickel and silver plating in the garden shed. I suppose I should have taken more interest.

All I remember were small electric motors with glass rods as the stirrers, tanks of chemicals and power supplies. I think the psu's might have been old battery chargers. It all looked Heath Robinson and cheap.

I seem to remember him replating several door knobs, but that was probably just nickel plating.

[tabbypurr]

Youtube shows how to do most things.

Silver plate generally has low saleability/value these days.

NT

[Robert]

Unless they have a market value of more than a couple of quid they will not be resaleable and the charity shop would rather not have them ! Freegle them or recycle.

[newshound]

IIRC silver plating is fairly easy, nickel plating significantly more difficult.

One of the issues with silver plate is that it tarnishes fairly quickly in air, hence the need for regular polishing (and why you find it worn off old items). I imagine you could use the same lacquer that is used to protect solid brass items.

[Martin Brown]

You have it back to front. Nickel plating was relatively easy to do. Precious metals commercially are done from a cyanide bath although other less toxic complexes are available these days for hobbyists.

If you try to plate from a simple silver nitrate bath you get black amorphous silver powder deposited as the base metal surface dissolves.

To get a good bright silver finish it is probably better to take them to a specialist electroplater. Half the battle is getting the job absolutely grease free before starting and using the right current density.

There are some sophisticated surface chemistry modifiers available that put a very thin protective layer on silver which delays tarnishing. Also today there is a lot less sulphur in the air than in the old days of coal fires in most homes using sulphurous coal and winters smogs.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Bit of thread drift here. The old Rover has lots of switches all of the same make and basic design. Those that handle a reasonable current are pretty reliable. But some only control relays, so a tiny current, and need cleaning regularly. Contacts on all are plain copper, with no wiping action, and they corrode. Wondered if silver plating the contacts would help? Or any other DIY plating?

[Rob Morley]

Silver is the better conductor but gold is better for resisting corrosion.