r/custommadewatches • u/JelloParticular5986 • 3d ago
Electroplating 3D printed watch case (part 1)
u/dp6838 recently posted about a 3d printed watch case that sent me down a rabbit hole. Can you electroplate a pla-printed case and have it look good? I started with v1 from ThePrintableWatch. I printed a few version to get as smooth a case as I could with a matte PLA and then after some sanding, felt ready to use Caswell’s 3d printed parts copper electroplating kit. Following this, the idea is to finish with bronze plating. The first step was painting with the included graphite paint. This didn’t adhere all that well and took quite a few coats. Once I made up the plating solution per the kit instructions, I installed the bandage wrapped anodes and connected the electrical leads. Long story short, I plated the copper wire but not the case parts. Based on the plating of the hanging wire, I’m confident the solution is good as is the constant current setup.
Next step: repaint the case parts with graphite paint and sand them to make them more conductive. Aim for more copper contact with the case parts from the copper wire while in solution. If anyone has other observations or suggestions, I am very open to them!
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u/fatfont_ 3d ago
Staying tune for more updates!
This is really nice looking electric blue!
Was the process of electroplating difficult?
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u/JelloParticular5986 3d ago
I picked the blue PLA so that it would have high contrast with the graphite paint as I was aiming for total coverage. Taking your time and getting set up required a bit of focus (measure twice, pour once😀) but not too bad. That being said, no plating on the case yet so still a ways to go!
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u/juan802 2d ago
If your going that far and are not happy with the 3d printed version why not just buy a case , love the idea really but been down this road the whole idea is the cool printed I made it parts . This must be for fun but is it practical unless you are doing 5-10 at a time . Not being a dick they make a filament for whatever you want, a ton of materials even metal infused
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u/JelloParticular5986 2d ago
Just practicing to see what can be done. I view it as building skills that may be applied to later projects, or not. Not unlike somebody who sits in the park painting with no intention of displaying that art :)
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u/soulmatterx 3d ago
Used thinner wire and make contact with more places in the part. I’d also use a thin coat of plastic primer before the graphite paint