posted 12-18-2004 01:05 PM            

I have some junker pieces of silverplate that are barren of silver. Note: Bought cheap.

I was researching re-plating on the internet and discovered two products, "Nu-Silver" and "The Silver Plating Formula". Along with polishing and removing tarnish, these products claim to lay down a layer of 925 silver that will become permanently bonded to the surface (their fancy term for this = ionic plating.)

quote:

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RE-PLATE WORN SILVER!
Silver Restoration in a bottle!

Rejuvenate your dull, tarnished silverware
to its former glory with the amazing
SILVER PLATING FORMULA
polish & restorer!

BEFORE AFTER

We couldn't believe our eyes when we first saw this incredible new product demonstrated. A solid brass candlestick was completely plated with pure silver in less than five minutes -while we watched! The process is called ionic plating and it transforms metals more effectively than you ever can imagine. All you do is rub it on and polish it. Within seconds a layer of PURE SILVER is plated onto the object before your eyes! It polishes off tarnish, plates worn areas, and because it contains pure silver, it blends invisibly into the plating and hides any repair work. It can be reapplied as often as you like to build up layers of silver and produce a brilliant finish. It will not peel off. It is also very good for retaining the "antique" look of older silver plate -something which electroplating destroys.

SAFE TO USE ON FLATWARE, CUTLERY AND DISHES
IT'S NON-TOXIC!

Imagine the range of silver valuables that you can now restore: It's great for any silver ring or bracelet, urn or bowl, teapot or tray -dozens of items. Works on vintage Sheffield, Rogers, Reed & Barton ...all your silver treasures! Why not buy silverplate going for a song at your local antique market and restore it yourself to its former glory!

YOU CAN PLATE BASE METALS SUCH AS
BRASS, COPPER, BRONZE AND NICKEL
(although you cannot plate stainless steel, aluminum, chrome or pewter)

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quote:

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NU-SILVER

Clean
Polish
Remove Tarnish
Replate Your Silver
All in One Step!
adds a layer of pure silver (99.98%) as you polish

Never before has a silver cleaner removed tarnish, clean, and polish, while adding a layer of pure silver with each use. NuSilver's revolutionary formula deposits a durable, shiny coat of pure silver as it cleans. What's more, NuSilver adds a protective coating to the silver, to help maintain its luster and resist tarnish. This means less time spent in maintaining your silver and virtually eliminates the need to replace worn silver.

Key Benefits

* NuSilver actually adds a layer of pure silver (99.98%) as you polish.
* Re-plates Worn Silver
* Removes tarnish and adds a protective coating to resist tarnish.
* Safe to use on all eating materials.
* Economical! Re-plates at a fraction of the cost of expensive electroplating
* Does not contain acids or abrasives
* No unpleasant odors!
* Dishwasher safe; won't flake, chip or peel!
* One step cleaning, polishing, tarnish resistant, and re-plating!

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posted 12-19-2004 07:05 AM            

They are perfectly safe and are much used by (Unscrupulous?) dealers to 'improve' pieces put for sale - specifically in flea-markets etc.

It is very shallow and polishes off really quickly if any abrasive polish is used on it.

If a piece is so worn as to look unattractive, then it can be argued that it would be a good thing to re-plate it in order to rescue it from the dreaded bin!! (These products are certainly fun to use!)

To a collector re-plating does NOTHING to enhance the cash value of a piece, only its aesthetic!!!

So - yes they are o.k. products and yes they do work at covering up worn spots on silverplated items but NO they don't make the items anything else other than nicer to look at.
Think of Mr Perovetz - developing this formula was his passion and without his perseverance we wouldn't be having this discussion!!

p/s Scott - please edit anything you think might offend the makers - I don't want to cause you any more headaches!!

posted 12-19-2004 08:55 AM            

Note: I didn't quote the entire website in my original posting (I only put in the web links). I don't understand how the web content showed up in my posting - part of the moderator's editing, perhaps?

posted 12-19-2004 09:02 AM            

To add value to a piece that is plate-less, would professional replating accomplish this?

I did some research online about professional replating; however, costs that I found for this were a bit daunting.

posted 12-19-2004 09:32 AM            

Professional re-plating is usually expensive and the polishing afterwards not generally satisfactory (nobody wants to spend the time required to do the job well - if they did you would think that they were trying to rob you!!)

The point is that the pieces that you like so much are really worn out and destined for the bin (the original manufacturer never envisaged their not being 'recycled' when worn out!) - you have rescued them, which is admirable - but to spend hard earned cash on them is probably not such a good idea - try one of the products, but first thoroughly wash and dry your item - you could even use a little brass cleaner to get rid of any 'green' areas of corrosion.