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Battery Powered Brush and Pen Plating Kit
You can purchase this kit as it is or if you wish, you can use it as a guide to put together your own bespoke kit. Click on the items in the list to see detailed product information.
This allows you to brush plate larger areas such as rings, small items of silverware or coins as well as being able to selectively plate with the standard pen plating accessories included.
This kit includes a crocodile clip protector which should be slipped over the crocodile clip between uses. This prevents the crocodile clip touching the battery pen electrode and running down the batteries while the pen is in storage. Please click on the ‘Examples’ tag for guidance on this.
Please see the ‘Examples’ tab above for more information about usage, maintenance and storage.
The Battery Powered Brush and Pen Plating Kit is great for quick, selective gold plating jobs on jewellery. It includes 25ml of our Gold Pen Plating Solution which contains 12 grams of gold per litre and has been specifically developed in-house for our pen plating system. The nibs that are included in the kit can be used a number of times before they need to be replaced. We recommend specific nibs are used with specific plating solutions to avoid cross contamination.
One of the unique features of our Battery Powered Brush and Pen Plating Kit is that it can be completely disassembled for thorough cleaning and for swapping pen electrodes. We recommend the pen is stored disassembled for long term stored in dry conditions. The gold and silver pen and brush plating kit includes a mini allen key which loosens the grub nut on the side of the titanium elecrode holder, releasing the platinum pen and brush electrode. Both the electrode holder and the electrode can then be thoroughly cleaned, avoiding cross contamination between pen plating solutions and possible corrosion over time whilst the pen is in storage.
Between uses, cover the crocodile clip with the crocodile clip protector supplied. This prevents the crocodile clip coming into contact with the pen electrode and running down the batteries.
When the batteries need replacing, we strongly recommend replacing them with good quality batteries.
As part of your battery powered plating pen maintenance you may need to occasionally clean the surface of the electrode that comes in direct contact with the batteries. Just gently abrade the back of the electrode with some emery paper – we recommend grade 1200. At the same time do the same to the end of the battery where it comes in contact with the battery pen electrode.
It’s a good idea to test the performance of the batteries in your pen from time to time. You can do this with one of our conductivity testers and this will ensure you know that the batteries are providing the right level of charge to ensure best plating results.
Included in this kit is the Short Platinum Electrode and the Short Swab. These will allow you to brush plate with your battery powered plating pen, which means you will be able to comfortably plate larger areas such as whole rings and bangles. The short electrodes also come in carbon, silver, nickel and copper versions. They can easily be fitted into our battery powered plating pen or our rectifier powered pen, using the allen key.
Please click on the ‘Video’ tab above for a demonstration.
The Battery Powered Plating Pen operates at a range of 3.0 – 5.0 volts. If you want to use the Silver Pen Plating Solution that is included in this kit, you will need to reduce the voltage of your pen by replacing one of the batteries with the Battery Replacer (included in the kit). For instructions on use, please see the product page HERE. Your battery pen is also shipped with the batteries separate to the pen. Once your pen arrives, all you have to do is slip the three batteries (positive end in first) into the battery holder and screw the battery cover back up and you can start plating. And of course, once the batteries eventually need to be replaced, simply insert three new AAA batteries – no need to throw away the pen and buy a completely new one!
If at a later stage you decide you’d like to move on to our EasyPlater you can use our Battery Plating Pen Converter(click HERE) to easily convert your battery powered pen so that it can be used with this power source.
Cleanliness apart, whether the surface you’re plating on is matt or shiny is also something to consider. If the surface is matt then your plated layer will also be matt; no amount of pen plating will turn it shiny. So if you want a shiny plated layer you will need to ensure the surface you start out with is shiny.
NB If you want to achieve a vermeil standard layer of plated gold over large areas then you will need to gold tank plate with our Gold Tank Plating Kit.
Cleanliness apart, whether the surface you’re plating on is matt or shiny is also something to consider. If the surface is matt then your plated layer will also be matt; no amount of pen plating will turn it shiny. So if you want a shiny plated layer you will need to ensure the surface you start out with is shiny.
NB If you want to achieve a vermeil standard layer of plated gold over large areas then you will need to gold tank plate with our Gold Tank Plating Kit.
Here’s a video showing how to achieve a water-break-free surface;
makes an important contribution to the overall success of the plating process
has been thoroughly tested to ensure it performs its job at the highest level in the overall electroplating process
is either made in-house or has been carefully sourced from our trusted suppliers
These factors ensure consistent, top quality plating results for a fair price.
Our Battery Powered Brush and Pen Plating Kit includes;
Battery Powered Plating Pen
Features
Benefits
Powered by 3 AAA batteries
Long life batteries that mean the plating pen will keep plating for longer. Delivers 3.0 – 5.0 volts. The batteries, once they are used up, can be easily replaced so the plating pen doesn’t have to be thrown away.
Pen electrode can be removed from pen electrode holder
Can swap electrodes according to pen plating solution being used, so if you’re silver pen plating you can use our silver pen electrode or if you’re rose gold pen plating you can fit our carbon pen electrode. Can exchange pen electrode for our short platinum electrode for small scale brush plating. Just use the allen key included in the kit.
Copper crocodile clip at end of black lead
corrosion resistant and reduces scratching compared to a stainless steel crocodile clip.
Gold Pen Plating Solution
Features
Benefits
Contains 12 grams of gold per litre
ideally concentrated for gold pen plating
Great for selective gold pen plating on a range of different metals.
Specifically designed for pen plating
Quickly deposits a hard wearing layer of 24kt gold
Good for selective gold plating of jewellery and PCBs
Comes in 25ml and 50ml quantities
Our 25ml bottle contains 0.3g of gold
Our 50ml bottle contains 0.6g of gold
Short Electrode
Features
Benefits
Total length: 45mm
Platinised length: 35mm
Diameter: 6mm
Specifically developed use with our battery powered plating pen
Allows you to quickly switch between pen and brush plating when using the battery plating pen.
Short Swab
Features
Benefits
Half the length of a Standard Swab
Hard wearing yet soft and absorbent – very economical
Fits the Short Platinum Electrode for brush plating with our battery powered plating pen.
Allows you to quickly switch between pen and brush plating when using the battery plating pen.
Economic option for precious metal brush plating as absorbs less plating solution.
Gold Brush Plating Solution
Features
Benefits
Gold concentration: 8 grams per litre.
Hard wearing
Plates fast.
Ideal for plating personal items and functional applications such as electronics.
Silver Pen Plating Solution
Features
Benefits
Contains 75grms of silver per litre
Specifically developed for silver pen plating
The battery pen can be adapted with the battery replacer to ensure high quality silver plating – please see description of battery replacer below.
MPU
Features
Benefits
One stage cleaning and activating product
For cleaning and activating in one stage, can replace the ActiClean stage – saves time and money
Can be used during the plating process without having to re-electroclean and activate
Clearing burns or other marks produced during plating – all you have to do is rinse and carry on plating
Silver and Gold Polish Cloth
Features
Benefits
Cleans silver and gold plate
A convenient way of keeping your silver and gold plated items in best condition.
Comes in its own plastic pouch
Keeps the cloth fee from dust and other particles, ready for instant use.
Battery Replacer
Features
Benefits
Our Battery Replacer reduces the voltage of our Battery Plating Pen to an optimal level for silver pen plating. See below for instructions on use.
Reduces the voltage of our Battery Plating Pen to an optimal level for silver pen plating.
Conductor Strips
Features
Benefits
Greatly increases surface contact and therefore conductivity with work
Significantly increases plating speeds
Clips neatly into crocodile clip on battery pen
Enables you to avoid any risk of scratching or marking your work with the crocodile clip. Much easier to grip small items with the Conductor Strip than the crocodile clip.
Nibs – pack of 20
Features
Benefits
Two different shaped nibs, pointed and paddle
very detailed spot plating such as electrical end connectors on PCBs and the paddle for plating larger surfaces such as rings. Can be used a number of times before they need to be replaced. We recommend specific nibs are used with specific plating solutions to avoid cross contamination.
Fine Fibre Nib
Features
Benefits
The Fine Fibre Nib has been specifically developed for rhodium plating claw and pave settings.
The conduction band ensures good conductivity and optimum plating performance.
ultra fine nib
absorbs less plating solution and is therefore more economic to use.
Mini Contact Probe
Feature
Benefits
Ultra fine steel contact
Useful for making electrical contact with very small areas such as selective plating of jewellery and PCBs..
Small Beaker
Features
Applications
Screw on topsClear graduation
Minimises waste during storageAccurately measures the plating solution
Our Battery Powered Plating Pen is powered by long-life batteries which means it has no need for a separate power source. This makes it completely portable and easy to set up and store. When the batteries run out you can easily replace them - no need to throw the plating pen away and buy another one.
It is ideal for plating small areas such as jewellery and electrical items for example PCBs and electrical connectors on plugs.
It can be used for brush plating as well as pen plating, with the addition of one of our short electrodes and short swabs.
This plating pen can be used with our Rhodium Pen Plating Solution, as well as most of our Coloured Metal Mixers such as rose and green gold.
Because of its relative ease of use and flexibility, it is an excellent choice for those getting started with small scale electroplating.
2. Preparing the surface of your work for pen plating
The surface of your work must be free of tarnish, oxides, dirt, grease and to be water-break-free to ensure a good plating result. To achieve this, use a little of the MPU on a piece of tissue paper and rub the surface of your work until the metal is shiny and you can see the true colour of the metal clearly. Please click here to see a guide on achieving a water break free surface.
To the right you can view a video of the battery pen being used to gold brush plate on silver clay. The battery pen is multi-functional. With the addition of a short electrode and short swab it can also be used to brush plate. The Battery Powered Brush and Pen Plating Kit includes both pen and brush plating attachments for complete flexibility.
3. Preparing the pen
This is how your pen should look once it is set up. The work is held in one hand and the nib in the other end of the pen (dipped in the gold Pen Plating Solution) is gently stroked over a small area of the surface of your work. This completes the electrical circuit and gold plating takes place.
Note that the ring is not being directly held by the crocodile clip; the electrical circuit is made by the conductor strip (grasped by the crocodile clip) being held in contact with the work. This stops the steel teeth of the crocodile clip scratching the surface of your work.
The next few steps will take you through in detail how to set up your pen.
4. Preparing the plating solution
Measure out the amount of solution you need with your pipette and put it into your beaker. To work out how much plating solution you need, go to our Plating Calculator which you will find on each of our product pages. Just enter in the size of the area you want to plate and how thick you want your plated layer to be and the Calculator will tell you how much plating solution you will need and how long you’ll need to plate. You will then be able to work out in advance how much it will cost to plate your item.
Do not try to dip the pen directly into your bottle of solution as this will mean the next time you want to plate a different item, the solution in your bottle will have a lower concentration of gold and it will take longer for you to achieve a required thickness of gold plate. You will also find it impossible to use the Plating Calculator accurately and you won’t be able to estimate how much it cost to plate the item.
5. Inserting the nib into the anode
Insert a nib into the small hole in the electrode of the pen. Make sure the nib is fully pushed down into this hole and the bottom of the nib is in contact with the anode.
Dip the nib into the pen plating solution. Make sure the nib is fully soaked in the solution, otherwise there won’t be a complete electrical circuit when you come to plate and no plating will take place.
6. Dipping the nib into the pen plating solution
6. Pen plating
Now start pen plating by gently stroking the nib over a small area of your work with regular, circular movements. Keep dipping the nib in the plating solution at frequent intervals to replenish the gold in the nib. Remember to set your timer to the time the Plating Calculator gave you for plating to your required thickness. You need to have plated the whole of the surface of your work in this time.
Once you have finished plating you can bring out the final lustre of your work and partly protect it from tarnish by applying our MetaSeal with some clean tissue.
7. Rhodium pen plating
As mentioned in the introduction, The Battery Powered Pen Plater can also be used with our Rhodium Pen Plating Solution. A slightly different approach to setting up the pen is required, because of the different composition of the Rhodium Pen Plating Solution and the Fibre Nibs that have to be used with it.
Draw out the required amount of solution from the bottle using a pipette and transfer it into the glass beaker that is supplied with our Batterery Powered Rhodium Pen Plating Kit. Using the tweezers supplied, place the fibre nib into the rhodium solution and let it soak for at least an hour so that the rhodium solution completely permeates into the fibre nib. After an hour, using your tweezers, place the fibre nib into the end of a pen. It is essential to use the tweezers as using gloved hands would cause contamination of the pen plating solution.
9. Functional applications
The Battery Powered Plating Pen is ideal for spot plating of electrical contacts on such items as PCBs and Photomultipliers. To connect the Mini Contact Probe to the black lead coming from the pen, just grip the wide end of the Probe with the crocodile clip.
10. Pen Maintenance
Please click HERE for a guide on how to maintain your battery powered plating pen.
Pen Calculator
General guide;
Certain small items, for example Swabs, Nibs and Plating Pens can be sent by normal post within the UK
The courier option for UK deliveries is FedEx
Free UK mainland delivery available on orders over £200
International orders usually 3-5 working days.
For all price quotations for deliveries, please add your items to our shopping cart. You will be able to see the shipping costs by clicking on the ‘Calculate shipping’ button in the cart and before checking out.
You can access our MSDS by scanning the QR code which is on our product bottles.
Here is a video to show you how;
