POLL: Should Shapeways Consider Offering Electroplating Services For Plastics?

This thread was what I had in mind (Krylon brand paints, but of course you never know how much of the impression is due to clever lighting). Then there was the guy who copper leafed a model - guess you need lots of experience, patience and dexterity for that.

The result on the picture shows a very similar structure then the original pWSF.
As with this material on the photos it always looks worse then in reality.
We here have often an magnification of at least 1:4.

It was done by a contact which does that for normal Lego pieces. He even does not do it himself because he is sending the pieces for plating. I've received some examples from normal Lego (smooth ABS plastic pieces) and the difference is significant.
Thus the pWSF structure hinders to get a shiny smooth surface.

We will give this run a further try with the detailed material. Here I would expect that this structure pWSF has is not visible and a more smooth result will appear. But let's see.

Woody64

Great discussion guys! Thanks.

I know some of this has been tread and retread before time and time again over and over ad infinitum and we're still waiting on the cows to come home but I think it's worth it. Ya never know what might come of it. I've already learned several new things and discovered several new opportunities. And according to our wonderful Mr. Bart, there may be hope for electroplated plastics yet!

I imagine that some fixative might be involved to insure the plating stays put and maybe a warning not to bend the models? Or something? Like Bart said, there would be different rules. Even if it doesn't work out in the end, I'm very excited to know that it might, mayhap, possibly, maybe, perhaps, perchance be even so much as considered. SQUEE!

Someone needs to design some Lady Gaga baby shoes, have them made in WSF, and plated at one of those baby shoe plating services!

In fact maybe Shapeways could use one of those places as a contractor to do the plating. They already have all the nasty chemicals and plate all kinds of strange things so they should be good to go.

What about vacuum metalization with a PU coating? Food for thought

O__O Wat. And GOOGLE TIMES! *chicken dance music* ................ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_metallizing MAN! See? Learn something new every day. XD I had never even heard of such a thing.

Vacuum metalization isn't very heavy but it would look good. If you want plated plastic to be more like metal (weight wise) it would require a thick plating that can't be achieved with vacuum depostion. Thick plating also covers up finer detail.

What about vacuum deposition on something heavier like ceramics? As long as they survive the process without cracking it also provides a firmer substrate.

I would absolutely buy the crap out of electroplated plastics.

Awesome. :3 I'm glad to hear that and even gladder to be able to say that we may yet see electroplated plastics!

I'd love some electroplated plastic. Especially in detailed plastic. Wouldn't have the weight of the metals, but a detailed material with a metallic finish with a price point closer to the plastics would be awesome.

I would certainly be interested.

Sweet. Looks like more people are interested than I thought would be. That's happy news.

Maybe that would be a really interesting finish for Detailed or FD.
If the result is as shiny and smooth as with normal plastic. Let's see on the results I await them within the new 2 weeks.

And yes that would be definitively interesting as option and would partly solve the request for colored plastic items.

Woody64

I'm really hoping SWs can find a way to make plated FDP look like plated brass. It won't have that same heft to it but it will look nice and it will be a LOT less expensive. That may be hoping for too much but hey, doesn't hurt to ask.

Has anyone had any of the white polished material successfully gold plated? I actually have a project that more or less requires it and I've been waiting on pulling the trigger if it can happen or not.

Let's electroplate the crap out of WSF!

Interlocked parts with a metal look, fantastic! And even if it would wear, the nylon beneath wouldn't stain any skin green like plated brass or stainless steel.

And yes, you can plate products yourself with home kits, but it's a lot of work with chemicals and you can't sell it. So please, Shapeways, think about it.

I've been cheerleading this from the start but the idea never really seemed to be taken seriously which is a shame. I have a feeling there are many people who would love an electroplating option. I know I would and I know a lot of my customers would. I really hope SWs considers the idea.

Going back a few posts in this older thread, it seems that at least the initial results of woody64's experiments with chroming were not entirely satisfactory, with the process unexpectedly enhancing the pitted appearance of the surface - surprisingly even with the detail material that should be far less porous than wsf.

Yeah, it looks pitted but it's still cool and I'd still love to have the option.It has kind of an antiqued look to it.

In theory it sounds great, but I think the reality is that current 3d printed plastic will be nowhere near as smooth as injection molded plastic so the metal plating will be coarse and not very shiny or reflective. Hopefully one day the resolution of 3D printed plastic will be high enough that it's feasible to electroplate. But then prices will be high so it might be just as affordable to get an actual metal print.