Hi!
I make brass flywheels for my spinning tops. I use sandpaper and diamond lapping pastes (up to 0.1 micron) to achieve an excellent mirror finish. The issue, however, is that after a few weeks, especially if I handle the flywheels with my fingers, an ugly clouded patina forms. This is not too difficult to remove but is a little irritating.
This problem is what gave me the idea to gold plate the flywheels. Gold is very unreactive and does not form a patina over time. This makes it ideal for jewellery. So, I did some research and found someone willing to gold plate 2 of my brass flywheels in 18 k gold. After about a week, they were returned.
This is before plating
Fly wheel 1 after plating
Fly wheel 2 after plating
I understand gold is soft and may rub off is mistreated. I will take care of the tops dearly and even if the gold rubs off, it would not be too much of a disaster. The brass underneath is also nice and the gold plating was quite cheap. Please, feel free to tell me what you think!
-James
