Masking for Guilding

Hi All,

I am hoping someone will have a method for masking off areas of white
gold when using a guilding solution. I currently use nail polish to
mask yellow gold when Rhodium plating, which works fine. When I use
the nail polish with the guilding the nail polish lifts along the
edges. The guilding solution is a " Gold Flash" style, not hard gold
plating. It is used at a higher temperature than the Rhodium which may
be the reason the polish lifts. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Dean Watson

Adelaide Australia.

I use a sharpie pen. It works as a block out and dissolves in
alcohol. Also works for acid etching, I am told.Frank Goss

Hi Dean,

You might try rubber cement as a resist when plating. In the US, it’s
available in most office supply or stationery stores (it’s used by
some folks for glueing papers together). Don’t know if it’s compatible
with the chemicals you’re using, but here it isn’t to expensive &
might be worth a try.

Good luck!

Dave

Hi Frank,

Is a sharpie pen a permanent marking pen? I have had trouble finding
a pen that doesn’t lift off whilst Guilding. Office supply stores in
Australia don’t know what I’m talking about when I ask for a Sharpie
pen. Could you please give me more

Thanks again

Dean Watson

Adelaide
South Australia

Hi Dean,

 Is a sharpie pen a permanent marking pen? I have had trouble
finding a pen that doesn't lift off whilst Guilding. Office supply
stores in Australia don't know what I'm talking about when I ask
for a Sharpie pen. Could you please give me more << 

Here’s some info from a package of Sharpie pens.

Permanent on most hard to mark surfaces, such as: glass, metal,
photos, foils, coated paper & most plastics.

The # 1 permanent marker worldwide!

Sharpies come in many ink colors.

They’re made by Sanford Co. who’ve been in the pen & ink & office
supply business in the US for many (over 50) years. Their address is:
Sanford, 2711 Washington Blvd., Bellwood Illinois 60104.

Dave

   Is a sharpie pen a permanent marking pen? Office supply stores
in Australia don't know what I'm talking about when I ask for a
Sharpie pen. Could you please give me more 

The “Sharpie” is advertised as a permanent marker pen. It is made in
the USA by the Sanford company in Bellwoood, Illinois 60104. They can
be purchased in the USA at Office Max, Office Depot, Staples etc.
Several of these are online also. K-mart and Walmart also have them.
They can be ordered through the mail or online from the Reliable
Office Supply Company (www.reliable.com)(1-800-735-4000 - 24 hours a
day)

We use the Extra Fine Point blue markers (Nr. 35003) for marking the
shapes on gem rough for the sawing, for the preforming process. The
markings will wash off with alcohol. They are also useful for markings
on the white block on the ziplock plastic bags. (don’t use alcohol in
this case as the white block will come off also). If you write
directly on the clear plastic of the bags, the markings don’t seem to
be so permanent.

Best regards, Robert Lowe Lowe Associates - Brasil Gemstones, Rough,
Specimens e-mail: @Robert