Beginning in plating

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Help! I've just bought a small fishing spinner company that has been dormant for the past twenty years. I would like to plate my own spinner blades but don't have the foggiest notion where to begin. Where can I find good information for small beginning operations? Thanks for your time and trouble

Pat Skaggs
Lincoln AR.

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Tricky problem since you're not going to know specifically what you want to do, let alone how to do it.

If I were you, I'd probably--: 1). Get subscriptions to the magazines serving this industry, such as Plating and Surface Finishing and Metal Finishing. Browsing through the pictures, ads, columns, and articles, you'll quickly gain a general feel for what the issues are.; 2). Join a professional society focusing on plating, such as the AESF, and attend some meetings.; 3). Look through the yellow pages, or our directory here, and consider a jobshop plater who can handle your parts on at least an interim basis. Plating is a process very often done by jobshops rather than in house.; 4). If the need is big enough to justify the cost, possibly retain a consultant or consulting engineer experienced in the plating industry to get you started.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey