Production Videos - Plating

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The silver plate process starts with a polished, de-greased instrument. Once clean, the instrument is placed in an electro-clean tank before being submersed into a silver strike tank. This tank places a very thin coating of silver on the instrument, which serves as a primer for the actual silver plate to follow. Watch as the instrument goes in the color of polished brass and comes out silver after just a few seconds.

The final step is when Martin places the trumpet in the silver plate tank. Notice the four silver anodes hanging in the back of the tank. The instrument receives an electrical current through the hanger. The hanger is wrapped around the support pole which is connected to the power supply. The anodes have a negative charge while the instrument receives a positive charge. The end result, after about ten minutes, is a plating thickness perfect for performers all around the world to enjoy.

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