Do I use graphite paint over a sterling silver plated pendant?
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Welcome to Maker Monologues’ new series Electroforming Q&As!
I get roughly 2-3 emails a day asking about copper electroforming so I am going to start publishing them here on the blog to create an in-depth search function on the blog so you can find the answers you need.
Of course, there are commonly asked questions and you can always find those answers on my FAQ’s page.
If you have questions please feel free to fill out my contact page.
Also, photos would be extremely helpful, you can send photos via my email (provided on my contact page) so if you can provide some images to share so I can add them to these Q&A’s that would be great!
Question from Angelica:
“I am a beginner of copper electroplating. When applying the conductive graphite paint, do you only apply it to the apoxie clay?
“I have a broken pendant that is sterling silver plated that I wanted to use. I was thinking of combining it with the apoxie clay and a tear drop labradorite I have.
“So my question is do I use the graphite paint over the pendant that is sterling silver plated? Or will the copper hold to it without it? Do I use the graphite paint just on the apoxie clay portion of the pendant?
“Can I even use broken pieces of jewelry in copper electroplating? I appreciate any insight!”
Hey Angelica,
You want to apply your conductive paint, whether that be graphite or copper paint, anywhere you want the copper to “form” over. You do not need to apply a conductive paint over any surface that is already conductive, which means any surface that is already metal.
“There are no non-conductive metals; all metals conduct electricity, though some do this more effectively than others. Thanks to the molecular structure of metals, they are all relatively effective conductors, though silver is the most conductive metal known to man.” - Reference.com
So you don't need to apply conductive paint over the sterling silver-plated pendant. Therefore, yes, just apply the conductive paint over the epoxy.
For your question about using broken pieces in copper electroforming, you can absolutely use a broken piece of jewelry in electroforming. You can really do anything you can imagine with this craft! =)
