Plating Wands

One of the most widely used tools in brush plating is the wand. There are different types and shapes of wands made and sold. In some cases certain brush plating chemicals call for the end of the wand to made of a special material. The end of the wand that does the work or plating is called the anode. The anode part of the wand can be made of either Stainless Steel, Carbon, Carbon Steel or other specific metal.  Wands are also made in many different shapes, though I find the flat, thin type makes it easier to get in corners and between spokes on wheels as well as many other tight places. Most companies make their wand anodes round since it is easier to manufacture. They are fine for general purpose but they cannot get into corners and between spokes and other tight places.

Plating Pens

The anode part of the wand is wrapped in different materials depending on the job. The most common is a sleeve of Dacron or cotton. Scotch brite in different colors which denote the coarseness of the Scotch Bright can also be used for some chemicals as well as tube gauze and Dacron Felt. The job of the sleeve is to hold the chemical that you are plating with.

Plating pens are really another form of wand made smaller to plate in areas that call for a small tip. Plaiting pens have been used for years, but beware of the type that run off of batteries as the current and voltage change as the batteries run down. Look for a pen that plugs into your rectifier .to get it's power source. Pens sets that are made to run off a small rectifier is a waste of money since you already have a rectifier if you are doing any plating. The anode area of the pen is made from a special type of felt and no wrap is needed.