Make the one ring by galvanizing gold on a 3D print

Electroplating is a great way to add strength or shine to a 3D print. However, we don't see too many people trying it with gold. [HEN3DRIK] isn't afraid to experiment, though, and pulled off an incredible high-quality plating!

The design for the project was the so-called Ring of Power from Lord of the Rings. The print was created on a resin printer at a high quality level, thoroughly washed to remove any remaining resin then cured. The print was then post-processed with sandpaper to make it as smooth as possible. A conductive paint was then applied, ready to receive the layers of plating. [HEN3DRIK] started by plating copper first to create a solid base layer, then nickel to prevent mixing between copper and gold. Gold is then plated on top. Copper plating is done with the ring constantly rotating to achieve as even a layer as possible. In contrast, gold plating is done with a brush to avoid wasting the very expensive plating solution.

The end result is a sparkling gold ring that probably feels oddly light in the hand. The technique is time consuming, thanks to the need to layer multiple layers, but the results are to die for. We also saw the good work of [HEN3DRIK]. Video after the break.