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Q&As since 1989


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Can fish be chrome/nickel plated

Sounds strange I know, but can taxidermy subjects (fish in this case) be plated?
If anyone knows a facility in North Texas that could do this, I would appreciate the information.

Christi Glendinning
artist - Dallas, Texas
2005

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Virtually anything can be electroplated some way or another, especially if good adhesion and resistance to exposure are not required. The fish could be lacquered, metallized, and electroplated, but chrome-look paint would probably be easier.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2005

I wonder whether you could freeze-dry it, then carbonize it (at least the surface) kind of like making charcoal. The carbon surface would be conductive, so it ought to be feasible to electroplate it.

Clark Andersen
- Galveston, Texas USA
2005

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2005

Yes Mr.Mooney is right. Any thing can be electroplated provided the substrate is made conductive.

1. Dry the substrate and make it dust free.
2. spray Silver paste and allow to dry.(mix Powdered Silver with good quality Thinner.If the surface of the substrate is granuled,silver content in the mix.is more.If un even missing surface,then silver in the mix. is less!
3. Plate Copper preferably acid Copper.Care should be taken initially- apply less current and Air agitation in the copper tank.Inspect the work for proper coverage.Then increase the current and air agitation to the optimum.
4. Proceed to plate Nickel,gold, Rhodium etc.

Good luck

T.K. Mohan
plating process supplier - Mumbai, India