Gold plating or gilding as it is called, is not hard to do and as we have all seen gold we know how attractive that it looks. As gold is an expensive metal it adds value to any item that is gold plated.

The chemical that is used to gold plate is HAZARDOUS if it is not used with care. Do not inhale the fumes that come off the chemical, especially while it is hot during plating. Stand back from it in a well ventilated area, or do your plating in an outside area, or in a doorway open to the outside. If you can do that it is quite safe, there is no smell and no visible fumes.

Wash your hands after use and keep kids away. Mark the container and put it right out of the way. To mix the Janegold add the 100ml. container of chemical to 900 ml of distilled water or rainwater. Add 50ml. bottle to 450 ml of water if you buy 50ml. The ratio for a Gold bath of any size is 9 parts water to one part Gold solution.

For items that have a good surface already you will not have to nickel. You will only need to nickel bare steel, copper or brass with a dull surface or any other dull surfaces. The better and shinier the surface the better it will gold plate. Clean the parts up refer to the plating book on cleaning. Gold will take to most metals you will be able to plate stainless steel, silver, polished copper, Badges, or jewellery. Remember, poor surface = poor finished job.

To plate the items heat the gold chemical to 50 Deg.C in a plastic container standing in hot water in a crock pot or any other heating appliance. With your power pack plugged in and on, connect the positive lead to a piece of stainless steel hanging in the liquid. Use a piece of wire, but do not have the wire in the chemical, unless it is stainless wire. Fix a piece of copper wire to the item that you wish to plate, connect it to the clip on the NEGATIVE wire with the clip in hand dangle the item in the gold liquid for 30 seconds, move it gently back and forth. Lift it out and rinse, and then dry the item. It will be gold plated if you have done everything right. Make sure the item is spotlessly clean, and do not touch it with your fingers after cleaning and before plating. Plating will be completed in about 30 seconds. It is up to yourself how long you leave it in the gold bath, you can leave it longer if you wish. To plate items that you are going to Nickel plate prior, first you nickel plate the piece as per the instructions in the plating book. (See nickel plating info)

You will need two small heated tanks to nickel plate and then gold plate. When nickelling is complete in about 15 mins. In the first tank Take the piece out and rinse well. Unhook the pos. wire from the nickel anode and hook it onto the stainless anode in the gold tank. Drop the power down to a lower setting below. Gold plating needs very little power. Now with the power on clip onto the wire on the piece and dangle it in the gold chemical same as in the previous paragraph. Take it out and rinse when plated. Dry the item with a clean piece of towel. Non-ferrous items like medallions, chrome, copper or brass jewellery with a shiny surface will gild without nickel plating.