|
What about ONE STEP
chemicals?
ONE STEP chemicals are not new.
In addition to not being NEW, they are generally not
advisable.
One of the first ONE STEP chemicals was the idea of
having a CHROME STRIPPER and NICKEL ACTIVATOR combination chemical.
This chemical is reasonably well known within the actual
experienced Gold Plating Industry. We had a sample of the chemical and were not impressed
with it. The easiest way to describe it is to say it can be tricky to use, properly, and
reliably, over time. We actually gave it away to another person who tried it and then gave
it away. I lost track of the chemical after that.
The process of stripping the chrome, activating the
nickel and depositing the gold is an old and well developed process.
The other idea can come from a person who wants to have
one chemical do it all. By that I mean a chemical that can have you putting gold straight
onto a chrome finish. This chemical is perhaps not as well known as some other chemicals
but it is not new to the industry. We touch on this point in at least one other FAQ page.
Call it a "Woods Gold Strike."
Basically either of the two chemicals mentioned above
have an ACID BASE to them. It is the ACID that etches the surface of the chrome. The
reason to etch the chrome is so you can get the next layer to stick to the chrome.
One company who offers a so-called one step
chemical advises that you have a garden hose so you can rinse off the chemicals.
Apparently they know how strong their chemicals are and that they can hurt the
paint on the vehicle.
Since the etching dulls the surface, it is considered a
NEGATIVE. Gold mirrors the finish it goes on top of. If you put bright 24K gold on a dull
piece it will come out with a gold color but it will show up as DULL because the layer it
is going on it dull. This is why you will not find people gold plating onto old worn
script/emblems. If the script/emblem is worn, it is quite common to purchase replacements
and then Gold Plate the OEM Replacement part.
If you etch the chrome and dull the finish, you have to
compensate for that by adding in another ingredient to enhance the surface you dulled by
etching. Nickel will do that but it also offsets some of the gold. Nickel and Gold are
METALS.
24K Gold is called PURE GOLD or, if you
prefer, 100% gold metal.
18K gold is 75% gold and 25% other metal.
75% gold metal and 25% other metal = 100% metal
14K Gold is typically what they make rings out of. The
reason is simple actually, If a ring was made of 24K gold it would not hold the shape of
the ring, the design or the fitting, if any, of the ring.
The desired color on Automotive items is the bright 24K
Gold color.
To go back to the top of the
frequently asked questions page, CLICK HERE.
To go to our GOLD PLATING INFORMATION PAGE,
CLICK HERE.
To go
back to your previous page,
please click on your web browsers BACK button.
| 
