How To Touch-Up Silver Plating: A/Bb/C Cornet Restoration #7 | Electro-plating

In this video I use my new touch-up silver electro-plating kit for the first time.
This is the 7th video in the "Restoring a Distin C/Bb/A Cornet" series. Here is the link to the playlist with all of the videos from repairing this instrument:
• Restoring a Distin C/B...
You can purchase an electro-plating kit from Allied Supply if you are a music store and have an account with them or Caswell.
Here is the link to Caswell: www.caswellplating.com
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TIP JAR - paypal.me/brassandwoodwindsho... Here is the link to my website where you can view repair tools and instruments that I have for sale. 👇👇👇
thebrassandwoodwindshop.net/s...

[@johnfricker3229]

I am an amateur: I do localised silver plating. This has been very successful. Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Wear surgical gloves. As a minimum I would clean thoroughly with Isopropyl alcohol after buffing. Then rinse with deionised water (You can use electro-cleaning to do a more thorough job). I would strongly commend investing in a Voltage / Current controlled bench power supply. This will allow the maximum voltage and current to be set, reducing the chance of burning / blackening. I would opt for a lower setting within the required range. This may take a bit longer but allows the wand to be moved in a slower, more controlled manner. I also agree with a previous comment to use a more fluffy wand. I would also extend the plating time. What can look a good silver coating may be a very thin coating, which will wear off quickly. I find knurled surfaces are never as good. One area where tank plating is better. When done well the results can be very satisfying.

[@TTRCmedia]

Usually, when silver solution turns black, it means the silver particles burnt before they could jump to the metal to be plated. This can happen with too high voltage - but if I found the right one at Caswell, this power adapter has only 1.7 volts, that is not too much. I´m plating silver at ~2.8 volts. So, don´t stay on one spot, always move the wand in small circles, until you have been at every spot multiple times. You might even try other cloth on the wand that is more fluffy, that will make it easier to reach tricky edges and grooves. Oh, and you should wear gloves - silver solution can turn your hands black, and it takes really long until it goes away again ;)

[@aragon1253]

After this video I bought the plating kit. First I can’t believe how inexpensive the kit was. Second it did a fantastic job. I touched up a Silver Trumpet that was showing a lot of wear and now it looks almost like new. Watching the process was like magic. The black stuff disappears with a bit of hand buffing or just disappears with a bit of silver polish. I used Wright’s silver cream. Applied the cream and just rinsed it off with water. Thanks Art!

[@flash7355]

Yes It's like magic every time. This is why I prefer plating on my instruments.

[@gabyB25]

Bonjour Merci pour toutes ces explications et astuces distillées pas à pas .

[@chuckbowie5833]

Thanks for sharing!

[@paulgrimm]

Looks great!

[@aragon1253]

Amazing.

[@beru58]

To build a thicker layer hold that swipe for a bit longer over each spot. When you just hold it in the air there will be no electro chemistry going on. You need a closed circuit for that to happen. This will be a wonderful horn when done I'm sure.

[@dwgibson2000]

very cool, didn't know it was so easy

[@nitailevi8001]

I've used the Caswell silver wand plating kit and found I had to rub for a very long time. If I plated until it looked plated, it wore off a little from just polishing it with very gentle silver polish, and even from just rubbing my finger on it for a little while. I had to rub for probably 10-20 minutes for it to not wear off at all from polishing and even then my impression was it's a pretty thin layer. From what I remember, it basically keeps adding more and more plating the more you rub, so you could just do it for a very long time. whether the plating sticks well or not I guess depends on other things (I commented on your other plating video too).

[@davemiller7633]

Excellent video. I'm wondering if the electrode clip may need to be close to the area you are trying to plate? That could be why the second valve slide was quick and easier. Wondering, odd as it sounds, if your hand (fingers?) might disrupt the circuit....thus causing some plating anomalies....but I believe the black color is evidence of silver deposition! The soap acts as a degreaser which is good to prep the pieces.

[@paulgrimm6850]

Thank you. I always wondered how silver plating was done

[@AllinGold2]

This worked beautifully for me. I had to plate each area for at least a full minute to get an acceptable thickness, but the results were fantastic. Prepping/polishing the area first is essential.

[@QETVAN]

😮😮😮 ok, I need this! 😂

[@YamahaClearance]

Informative video for everyone. Maybe to make the surface activated, and to take the silver plate more easily, give a quick electro treatment on 4-6v of Sparex 2 or TIVACLEAN solution for 20-30 seconds. Then rinse well, and continue with the silver on a lower voltage to avoid burning. I think the silver will then adhere much better.

[@lesliecharbonneau9135]

I’m trying to catch up on your videos! Grandma Parsnip!

[@chrisabraham8793]

Shame you dont have your workshop in the UK, i have trumpet you can fix.

[@joselara7664]

Great video, thanks! I am a fan of your teachings, one question, is the pencil stainless steel? Thank you!

[@sirlofty]

hi. my grandpas trumpet that he gave me, the valve thing is stuck, it can't even move and it hasn't been used in decades, and its rusty

[@darkwaters1010]

Wow, that's fast! I wonder if this kind of method would work on electroplateable ABS with chromium or aluminum? 🤔

[@kiwicory100]

I recently ordered one of these kits due to your results...can't wait to try it out. On a different point, where can you suggest is the best place to get trumpet parts for off brand trumpets. I have a Simba TR-106 and it needs everything above the piston on one valve? Any help is greatly appreciated. Again, thanks so much for your videos I love them so much.

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

You cannot buy new parts for that trumpet. You may be able to find a similar trumpet and use parts off of it. That is the best I can do to help with a trumpet like that. I hope this helps.

[@willemkossen]

would a micrometer show the added material, or is the layer just to thin to be measurable? the result is very nice indeed...

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

This plating is probably too thin to show up on a micrometer. I am going to do some nickel plating on valves, and that should show up on a micrometer.

[@nauvoopageant349]

I am workingon a euphonium. It is a Tone King made by The New York Band Instrument Co. I am trying to determine it's age or approximate manufacturing date. There are 4 numbers on the valve cylinders. Would they be manufacturing series numbers? From what I have found the insignia "Tone King /The New York Band Instrument Co. New York" was used between 1898 and 1920. More info would be appreciated. Thanks for the valuable instruction you have presented on You Tube.

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

I do not know much about that. I think they may have been made by the Wurlitzer company, but I am not sure. Look at those serial numbers and see if they match with the dates for The New York Band Instrument Company.

[@timfischer]

Does this affect the playing of the trumpet at all? I have a Bach Strad that I've had since about 1983 and still use regularly. I have acidic skin and pretty much everywhere you hold the trumpet has the silver gone. Would be cool to touch it up, even though it would probably just wear off again.

[@ChonkTek]

I am curious of the same. My thought is the silver plated instrument will be more resonant and less dead than lacquered.

[@everestfoster6504]

Would a replating kit like this work on a flute? Oboe keys? I have some very sentimental instruments that have lost patches of their silver plating over time that I would like to refinish. My first instrument, an artley flute, actually belonged to my mom back in the 80s before it got passed on to me in 2013. Its in great shape but really needs to get touched up in places. I also have an oboe and a clarinet that need their keys touched up with silver plating.

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

Yes, this should work well for that.

[@davidstorey2477]

Thank you for your channel. Platting looks great. Could you give the model number or price of this little unit.

[@jeffersonnettooficial]

Please tell us what to buy to do it at home.

[@davemiller7633]

Possible suggestion....hold the clip instead of holding the piece you're plating if possible? I wonder if your body is disrupting the current?

[@chriscfernandez1294]

Hi Art....if I send you my trumpet for touch up re-plating and a mouthpiece and fix a couple dents in first tuning slides. How much do you think? Please let me know if you can. Thank you. Chris

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. We just had a baby and I am finally getting around to answering questions. It is hard to say without seeing it, but I would guess about $75 to $150. If you are interested, give me a call. Thank you, Art

[@user-ed4jb3in8p]

👍👍👍👍👍🎺🙏

[@pomodorosso]

Questions, wich kind of Silver solution and how much tension in Volts and Watts? Thanks in advance!🙂

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

I bought the silver solution from Caswell. I used 1.7 volts and 300 milliamps. I do not know how many watts that is.

[@pomodorosso]

@@TheBrassandWoodwindShop , thank you so much !

[@alphabeets]

@@TheBrassandWoodwindShop in this case the watts would calculate as 1.7 x .300 = .51 watts.

[@Tuca-Luthier.]

Boa tarde, isso seria para instrumentos com banho de prata apenas, ou pode ser aqueles com banho de níquel? Good afternoon, would this be for silver plated instruments only, or could it be nickel plated ones?

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

Yes, they also sell nickel solution and some others.

[@Tuca-Luthier.]

@@TheBrassandWoodwindShop Many thanks for the reply. I will research and inform myself more to buy here in Brazil, and congratulations for your work

[@BeesWaxMinder]

Is There still a use for this device as there is now a simple fluid that will plate silver

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

I do not know if there is an easier way to do this, but I am always looking for better and easier ways to do things.

[@trumpetmark]

I've been thinking about swapping the receiver out on my trumpet for a harrelson VGR system. Doing so would meaning moving one of the braces and leaving exposed brass where the brace would have been previously. This would be a perfect way of re-plating over the exposed areas and making the change invisible without having to re-plate the whole horn!

[@abdelfttahblkemi2669]

What is the material used to paint for the trumpet?

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

Lacquer is used for the brass or gold colored instruments. Silver plating is used for the silver colored instruments.

[@selmer1971]

What is the name of the plating setup?

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

It is the Caswell Plug N Plate system. The link is in the video description.

[@abdelfttahblkemi2669]

What are the materials used for silver plating?

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

You can use the silver plating solution and an adaptor for the electricity.

[@jstep4146]

I use silver cyanide and a model train transformer (tyco). WEAR NITRILE GLOVES. This stuff is poisonous as heck. Lower the voltage and keep it wet to stop the blackening (oxide layer). The solution lasts a LONG time so I just dump the used back in the bottle. I have been using the same bottle for 10 years at least. Lock any pets out of the room when using plating solutions until it is all put away and washed clean. You can also strip plating by reversing the voltage. Really bad slides can be stripped, restored, then replated. Don't silver plate pistons! I use nickel plating for those and it is a more complex thing involving lapping and such.

[@MarkGeelen78]

The gloves near the buffing wheel make me very nervous...

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

Gloves are usually bad around power equipment, but they are actually safer around buffing wheels.

[@MarkGeelen78]

Yeah I have heard this before but saw a video of a horrible accident of someone wearing gloves near a big buffing wheel. I guess it is dangerous both ways..