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Copper plating in my kitchen...can it be done?

 

Has anyone ever heard of Galvanoplasty? I'm looking to copper plate wax or plasticine models.

The process was patented by Enrico Scavini in 1921 for the reproduction of felt doll heads and other similar products.

The matrix is a thin layer of copper embedded into cement or plaster. The inside of this copper matrix has a nice smooth finish. The matrix is of Lead, and is achieved in a lost wax process leaving less than an eighth of an inch between the two molds. The molds are heated and a starched piece of felt is pressed between the two. The nice clean copper side leaves the impression of the original model. Not unlike a starched shirt, or old fashioned derby hat, in that it is stiff and has a shine from the starchy, heat dried mixture.

I'd like to figure out how to copper plate in my kitchen... don't want anything with cyanide, so would prefer acid method, but do I have to be a chemist to make sense of the jargon?

Can you recommend any books, with photos that would show the layman how to do it in their kitchen?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Kindest Regards,

C. Peterson
- Ventura, California