Author Topic: The Polishing and Plating of Metals  (Read 3427 times)

Offline PTsideshow

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The Polishing and Plating of Metals
« on: May 12, 2008, 06:19:56 AM »
The Polishing and Plating of Metals
by Herbert J Hawkins
A Lindsay reprint
copyright ©1902
copyright©1987
ISBN#0-917914-63-5
   

The last in the group lot purchase, Is another one of those when you put it down after reading a few chapters. You wonder how we survived this long with all of the hazardous and toxic materials,used in the various processes.
The other thing I have been reminded of, sometimes you wonder how many people may have died or been injured in the development of the process. Let alone, how the hell did they think of that!
It covers:

    * Various kinds of electroplaters, about gaining knowledge
    * Some points on hygiene for platers, a chapter on personnel safety(1902) and they say they didn't care back in the day.
    * The polishing room its equipment and management
    * Acid dips and pickles, their composition and use
    * The arrangement and management of the plating room
    * The construction and management of dynamos and wiring
    * Electrical measuring instruments for the plating room
    * Gold plating and gilding
    * Silver plating
    * Nickel plating
    * Copper solutions
    * Brass plating
    * Bronze solutions
    * Rolling barrels for polishing
    * finishing plated goods
    * Oxidizing and coloring plated work
    * The lacquering of plated work

As I have only skimmed over the work so far. It is as most of that era, high science content. But I will say that it appears that the formulas that are used today, are pretty much the less toxic/hazardous ones they used then. I'm such that Ron Young and all the others have built on these type of books. To come up with their patina formulas.
As with most from this time, very detailed line drawings and a couple possible photographs its hard to tell as they were treated as drawings back then. As a lot of people still didn't think the photos belonged.
Again if you would like to do some plating the old school way or just another great history lesson. It a winner, but check out the dealers that sell the modern equivalents to do it. Less of headaches, both real and imagined.
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