Brass plating that looks like gold plating

Can you recommend any particular brush plating formulas of brass plating solution? I have read in the Metal Finishing Guidebook that a formula of copper cyanide, zinc cyanide, and sodium cyanide plus a few other chemicals will work well, replacing sodium with potassium cyanide to yield a more gold color. Will this formula possibly work with brush plating or will I just have to experiment with it? Also, does brass plating yield a bright shiny finish similar to that of gold plating? Thanks.

I have seen a bright, light colored brass plating that could easily be mistaken for gold. However, brass will quickly tarnish unless it is lacquered; it will not remain bright and shiny by itself. So you will be confronted with the additional problem of finding a lacquer that is robust enough for your application, while remaining very clear. As you will see from earlier discussions here about lacquering mag wheels, such a coating will probably have a very limited life.

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