[rp-ml] ABS and SLS model finish and durability

List,

Can anyone offer advice as to whether I can chrome plate ABS parts and how best to prepare them? I have five 2" x 4" x 4" ABS parts that I'd like to prepare for chrome plate, or a type of finish.

Also does anyone have any advice for finishing SLS parts in order to increase their durability and the quality of the finish so that it does not degrade over time?

Finally, can anyone give me advice on attaching some very, very small parts (with tiny attachment points) back on some small SLS models? I'd like to find something that has a little bit of thickness because the attachment points only barely touched in the first place.

***
In some cases there are very minor gaps in two or three of the five models ABS that I would like to fill, so I would be interested in knowing if there is a material that should be used for this. I am also hoping to achieve a smooth finish to the plate and am wondering to what extent the "stepping", or tiny support "stipples" of the model can be overcome. The geometry is very tricky in some places (and not possible to reach) so I am not sure whether there might be a kind of "dip" or "paintbrush" process - prior to plating - that would result in bridging the gaps or smoothing out the finish.

These ABS parts do not have a bottom that will not be seen and I'd be curious to know if anyone has found a (chrome) plating process that does not end up with rather visible attachment points.

Most Sincerely,

Jonathan Chertok

Universal Joint + Associates:
Full Service Design and Construction

Jonathan Chertok. Principal
AIA Design Associate
Austin, Texas 1 512 407 9628

www.universaljointdesign.com
Received on Mon Oct 04 19:04:01 2004