I need some info on gold-plating.

[us3rnotfound]

I have some car emblems that I would like to restore to the gold look. Do you know how to gold plate metal, or where I can get that done for cheap?

 

[us3rnotfound]

Would a can of gold paintspray have the same effect?

 

[quakefiend420]

Originally posted by: us3rnotfound
Would a can of gold paintspray have the same effect?

not quite the same as gold plating...but if you're willing to take the time to polish and wet sand it properly...it wouldn't be bad

 

[Eli]

All I know is that you need a lot of amps to do plating.

 

[us3rnotfound]

Originally posted by: Eli
All I know is that you need a lot of amps to do plating.

How about a jewelry store? But of course, I would then have to remove the emblems, so that would be a lot of work. What kind of adhesive would I use to put the emblems back on safely as to not ruin the paint?

 

[IronWing]

What are the emblems made of? What is the current surface coating?

 

[us3rnotfound]

Originally posted by: ironwing
What are the emblems made of? What is the current surface coating?

Metal

most gold plate is chipped/worn off, so now they look dull silver/gold

 

[us3rnotfound]

Later I'll take a picture so you can better distinguish the situation

 

[torpid]

I don't know how to make it smooth, but I know you can coat something in a thin layer of gold by using some easy to obtain crafting goods. You basically buy gold foil / leaf and a special brush to apply it. You pick up the foil with the brush and then apply it to the surface, then use the brush to smooth it out as much as possible. It's a pretty thin layer, though. It's an inexpensive process, too.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Look around for people selling their car emblems on ebay or a forum for that specific car, make a post in their FS/FT section. It might be cheaper and easier to just buy new ones.

Of course you could just sell your car and buy a new one with better emblems.

 

[Jzero]

You'll have to remove the emblems to actually gold plate them even if you DIY.
You can also get gold emblems from the internet.

 

[PawNtheSandman]

Actual gold plating is kinda of expensive. But for a car emblem, figure around $50.

There are also 2 types of plating, tank plating and brush plating. Brush plating is cheaper but more likely to fade, chip, crack, peel in the future.