1 Topic by ismaelalvardo

  • ismaelalvardo
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Topic: Electroless Gold/Silver/Copper for 3D prints

Good afternoon folks.   

I would like to know how to electrolessly coat gold, silver and copper 3D prints in ABS. I would like to do this at home without spending a fortune. I am a DIY type of guy and would love to learn any tricks to do so.

2 Reply by carl_m1968

  • carl_m1968
  • carl_m1968
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  • Registered: 2014-10-17
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Re: Electroless Gold/Silver/Copper for 3D prints

As far as I know without doing electroplating the best you can do is paint.

You can also go to protopasta.com and try their steel, bronze, and a few other metal flake impregnated PLA filaments. They can be finished and buffed to the metal finish you desire.

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.

3 Reply by IanJohnson

  • IanJohnson
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Re: Electroless Gold/Silver/Copper for 3D prints

You might have some luck running in a tumbler with brass screws.  The part will get smoothed, and coated in brass dust.  It would need to have some kind of clear finish applied to trap the dust.