Letter 25332

Fishing lure mfgr misunderstands his plating shop  

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I have another company do my electroplating for me and I have a few questions for those who know the process, because I don't.

First, they tell me they are having trouble with the (plain fishing) jigheads. They say that the shaft is "rough", because they aren't dipping it into the acid bath because they are worried it will damage the lead and hook.

Second, when I get them to plate the brass bodies and beads, they have some difficulty keeping the finish VERY shiny. They tell me know that they will dip them twice to help improve the finish, will it help to improve the finish. I have them plate gold, nickel, copper, and silver, and they tell me they are using 100% gold. ANY help will be appreciated!

Thanks,

Keith S
Fishing Lures - Ford City, Pennsylvania, USA

Keith:

When plating fishing lures, I cannot imagine the chemical damage that your plater is mentioning on the jigheads. Typically, lead being soft will lend itself to dings and dents from hitting each other during plating.

I suggest your plater contact their vendor for a proper plating cycle. Also, pure gold plating yields a really soft deposit. They may wish to install an alloy gold that is hardened with another metal. Finally, you did not mention if your plater ever plates with hooks on your lures. If so, the parts will clump together, and this is an entirely different set of problems. Happy fishing.

Ed Budman
- Pennsylvania

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