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.
£1,511.36Original price was: £1,511.36.£1,476.98Current price is: £1,476.98. + VAT
With this kit you’ll be able to accurately plate varying thicknesses of gold from thin, decorative layers of 0.01 – 0.2 microns all the way up to thick layers of gold Vermeil standard (2.5 microns).
It includes 1 litre of our Gold Plating Solution for tank plating which contains 4 grams of pure gold per litre. It’s formulated specifically for tank plating and gives consistently bright results.
Customisable
This kit is built around our MultiPlater. We have designed and built this power source to be super flexible and easy to adapt to all of our plating processes, including pen and brush plating. Please see the videos that are posted on this page under the ‘Videos’ tab and also visit our YouTube channel.
Why buy from us?
We save you time and money because…
Our plating solutions have been fully developed and tested by our in-house R&D team for optimum efficiency
We have developed unique equipment and processes that get the best out of every product we sell
Our plating calculators take the guess work out of achieving top quality plating results for the minimum time and cost.
For more help with cost and time savings, please click on the blue tabs above.
Our Tank Plating Kit includes 250ml of our Gold Tank Plating Solution. It contains 4g of gold per litre and is specifically designed to work our tank plating kit. Our Electronic Stirrer 1-2 litre agitates the gold plating solution by stirring it gently. This helps the gold tank plating solution to deposit a smooth, shiny layer of gold evenly and quickly over the surface of the item you’re plating. The mechanical agitation also avoids the health hazards associated with breathing in mists which are created by air agitation (for example with fish tank air pumps).
Our Platinum Rod Electrodes for Beaker Plating are expressly designed and manufactured for our beaker plating system. Each electrode comes with its own anode bag and as the picture shows, we have the full range of sizes of electrode rings, anodes, anode bags and plating beakers to suit whatever size of tank plating job you’re undertaking. The plating beakers are made from heat resistant glass to avoid any possible contamination from leaching which could arise from the use of plastic plating beakers.
The Plating Stand, Arm and Boss allows you to position your work in the Plating Beakers at just the right height and means you can quickly move items in and out of the plating solution. It is also electrically connected to the rectifier as there is a negative port at the base of the stand where you plug in your black lead. This cuts down on trailing leads and helps to keep your work area tidy and well organised.
This sterling silver ring took 14 minutes to gold plate to vermeil standard (2.5 microns or 98.425 microinches) with our Gold Tank Plating kit. By using our Gold Tank Plating Calculator, which can be found by clicking HERE, we know how much gold we have plated onto the ring and how much gold is left in gold our solution. However, if we only wanted a thin, decorative layer of 0.1microns (3.93 microinches) we would only have needed to plate the ring for 33 seconds, according to the Gold Tank Plating Calculator. Please click HERE to read our gold tank plating a ring project in our Electroplating Manual.
All tank plating solutions need the occasional filter to keep them in good working order. Follow this link for our Filter Kit for our 250ml tanks
This video shows how to use this kit to gold tank plate to vermeil standard;
A video showing you how to set up your MultiPlater;
There are a number of ways to connect up the process beakers. In this example, we're connecting up to use the minimum number of wires.
Fitting the Stainless Steel Mesh Electrode to the cleaner beaker
The plastic cleaner beaker is usually supplied with the mesh fitted, but in case that it’s not, curl the mesh into the plastic beaker and slide the mesh connector inbetween the beaker and the mesh and make sure that it’s held in place by the mesh to ensure electrical connection.
Fitting the platinum rod electrodes into the Beaker Ring and adding anode bags
Slide the non-platinum end of the electrode into the receiving hole on the beaker ring and tighten the grub screw with the allen key provided. The non platinum part of the electrode can be easily identified as it’s smooth; the platinum area is rough.
Fit the anode bags over the electrodes and place in the structure in the plating beaker.
Making the Plating Stand negative (black wire)
Plug one end of the Standard Lead into the black socket of the MultiPlater and clip the other end plug into the 4mm hole located at the base of the Plating Stand.
The negative is where the plating takes place.
Connecting up the Black Jump Lead to facilitate cleaning/activation stages
Clip one end of the Black Jump Lead to the exposed portion of the black connector on the MultiPlater. Leave the other end free to clip to your workpiece when you come to plating.
Connecting up the mesh on the cleaner beaker
Plug the 4mm connector end of a Red Combination Lead into a red socket on the MultiPlater and the other end, clip to the mesh connection on the cleaner tank.
Connecting up (ganging up) the gold plating beaker to the mesh on the cleaner beaker
Clip the crocodile clip on one end of the Red Jump Lead to the mesh of the cleaner tank then clip the other end of the Red Jump Lead to the Beaker Ring on the gold plating beaker.
Filling the cleaner beaker and operating conditions
Fill the cleaner tank up with Cleaner until just below the level of the mesh.
Cleaner is used at room temperature and a between 2 and 4 volts.
If you prefer to control the process using amps, the plating factor for cleaner is between 0.02 – 0.03 A/cm2
Agitation is not necessary.
Filling the gold plating beaker
Fill up with Gold Tank Plating Solution ensuring the solution 1.5cm – 2cm below the rim of the plating beaker and that the top of the anode bags are above the level of the solution.
Gold plating is usually done at a plating factor of 0.01 A/cm2 but higher plating factors can be used especially at highter temperature and agitation rates.
The solution can be operated from room temperature up to 42 centigrade.
To help calculate the MultiPlater amp setting and time that you will need to plate for, you can use our online calculator by clicking here.
While continual filtration isn’t usually necessary, occasional batch filtration or filtration through a filter pump could be advantageous.
Gold Tank Calculator
For technical specifications on any component of the electroplating kit, please visit its product page and click on the ‘Tech Specs’ tab.
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 download the safety data sheet for Cleaner by clicking HERE.
You can download the safety data sheet for Gold Tank Plating Solution by clicking HERE.
You can download the safety data sheet for MPU by clicking HERE.
You can download the safety data sheet for MPU Fine by clicking HERE.
Fault
Possible cause
Corrective action
No plating at all.
Electricity not flowing in the plating circuit indicated by a red light at the bottom of the display on the MultiPlater.
Check all electrical contacts and clean if necessary.
No plating. Item looks damaged on removal from plating process.
Leads connected wrongly.
Check that the black connection from the MultiPlater is connected to the work piece and the red connection to the Beaker Ring.
Plating dull or matt
Plating on to porous surface
.
Polish the article you are trying to plate.
Old solution which has plated in excess 24 grams of gold per litre.
Renew the gold plating solution.
Temperature too high.
Reduce temperature to within operating range (see Tech Specs).
Low conductivity.
Check the plating circuit for electrical faults.
Organic contamination.
Treat with Carbon Powder (see shop).
Burnt deposit especially on corners and edges. Powdery in extreme cases
Amp setting too high.
Decrease the amp setting.
Article too close to the anode.
Move the item in the beaker or rearrange the anodes.
Gold content too high.
Reduce the amps on the MultiPlater by 10% increments until
burning disappears. Don’t make any additions of gold replenisher and gradually
increase the amps until burning has gone at the recommended original plating amp
setting.
Too little agitation.
Increase agitation.
Temperature too low.
Increase temperature to within operating range.
Plating but not to correct thickness.
Incorrect amp or time settings.
The vast majority of failures to plate to thickness are due to
wrong estimation of surface area. Double check your estimation of surface area
paying special attention to the units which should be in square centimetres.
Then input this together with your desired thickness into our online Gold Tank
Plating Calculator.
Temperature setting not correct.
Temperature can effect the plating rate: as temperature
increases, so does the plating rate. Check that you have the correct temperature
setting against our Gold Tank Plating Calculator.
Agitation setting not correct.
Agitation can affect the plating rate. Check that you have
selected the correct agitation rate against our online Gold Tank Plating
Calculator.
Deposit bright but rough.
Particulate contamination especially in small installations without continuous filtration.
Filter solution into a clean beaker/container or consider using
a filter pump intermittently or continually.
Pitting of deposit.
Tiny gas bubbles adhering to the surface of the article during
plating (gas pitting).
Fit anode bags to reduce the gas released into the solution
during plating from the platinum electrodes. Increase agitation.
Particulate matter in solution.
Filter as outlined above.
Grease or oil contamination in solution.
Treat with Carbon Powder as above.
Un-plated areas.
Improper cleaning.
Check cleaning cycle especially for water breaks (see Online Manual)
Surface porous or deeply scratch brushed.
Polish our the pores. It is not advisable to plate onto deeply
scratch-brushed surfaces due the the cavities at the bottom of the scratch
retaining contaminants such as oils and other debris.
Trying to plate a difficult-to-plate metal like stainless or
Inconel.
Look under the Process Sequences tab for more information on
preparing different substrates.
Vertical tide marks especially evident on thin, flat articles when using a
stirrer for solution agitation.
Coalescence of gas bubbles forming around the eddies produced
by the stirring action of the stirrer.
Consider using a stirrer with reversing action in order to make
the agitation more turbulent. If only plating for a short period, consider
agitating the article by hand in a way as not to produce permanent eddies.
Deposit peels from basis metal.
Improper cleaning or surface preparation.
Check the cleaning cycle for the metal.
Trying to plate a difficult-to-plate metal like stainless or Inconel.
Look under the Process Sequences tab for more information on
preparing different substrates.
Plated a too thick layer of gold. Gold plated from Gold Tank
Plating Solution is of medium stress. Plating much over 4 microns can result in
stress cracking and in extreme cases, peeling.
Reduce the thickness of gold plated. Consult our online Gold
Tank Plating Calculator for recommended amp and time settings for your work.
Plating gold on copper, brass and bronze
Degrease
Electroclean
Rinse
Acticlean/Activator dip (no power)
Rinse
Plate a barrier layer of nickel with Nickel Tank Plating Solution to at least 3 microns. If it’s not possible to plate nickel due to specifications, consider an alternative metal like palladium
Rinse
Gold plate
Note: Some types of brass may be difficult to plate directly with nickel. In this case, plate with Alkaline Copper Plating Solution 5 minutes at plating factor 0.01 A/cm2 prior to nickel plating.
Plating gold on nickel and its alloys (such as nickel silver and Monel)
Degrease
Electroclean
Rinse
Plate an adhesion layer of gold with NiPrep
No need to rinse, go directly to the gold plating stage
Gold plate
Note: nickel and its alloys may also be prepared for plating by gold striking which included below.
Plating gold on stainless steel and difficult-to-plate metals such as surgical instruments and dental alloys
Degrease
Electroclean
Rinse
Plate an adhesion layer with Gold Strike Tank
Rinse
Gold plate
Plating gold on to steel and iron
Degrease
Electroclean
Rinse
Plate with Alkaline Copper Tank Plating Solution for 5 minutes at plating factor 0.01 A/cm2
Rinse
Build up with Copper Tank Plating Solution (see note at end of article)
Rinse
Plate a barrier layer of nickel with Nickel Tank Plating Solution to at least 3 microns. If it’s not possible to plate nickel due to specifications, consider an alternative metal like palladium
Rinse
Gold plate
Plating gold on zinc (also see individual product pages)
Plate with Alkaline Copper Tank Plating Solution for 5 minutes at plating factor 0.01 A/cm2 (see note below)
Rinse
Build up with Copper Tank Plating Solution (see note at end of article)
Rinse
Plate with Nickel Tank Plating Solution to at least 3 microns
Rinse
Gold plate
Note : For best results, zinc needs to be mechanically finished prior to plating. This we advise polishing, linishing or very fine scratch brushing such as the finish obtained with fine Scotch-Brite™ mops. Attempting to plate on a course scratch brushed surface will result in poor adhesion and unplated areas.
Plating gold on to aluminium
Degrease
Electroclean
Rinse
Zincate in Zincate Dip for 30 seconds to 2 minutes
Rinse
Plate with Alkaline Copper Tank Plating Solution for 5 minutes at plating factor 0.01 A/cm
Rinse
Build up with Copper Tank Plating Solution (see note at end of article)
Nickel plate with Nickel Tank Plating Solution
Rinse
Gold plate
Plating gold on tin and its alloys (pewter, Britannia metal and solder)
Degrease
Electroclean
Rinse
Plate with Alkaline Copper Tank Plating Solution for 5 minutes at plating factor 0.01 A/cm
Rinse
Plate a barrier layer of nickel with Nickel Tank Plating Solution to at least 3 microns. If it’s not possible to plate nickel due to specifications, consider an alternative metal like palladium
Rinse
Gold plate
More information about each process can found on the individual product pages.
Note: If the article is expected to be used out doors (for example, car parts), a protective copper layer of at least 10 microns should be plated with Copper Tank Plating Solution after the alkaline copper stage. After this, the article should be removed from the process and mechanically finished (polishing, linishing or fine scratch brushing) prior to nickel plating.
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