Electroforming

I’ve been experimenting with a new piece of equipment that I have just purchased from Roz at the Eclectic Studio. Its a Sherri Haab Dual Etch and Electro former. With this unit I can etch my own designs into copper or fine silver and with the electro former I can encase beads with copper.
This is my first experiment. I dug out some old polymer beads, these are Premo pearl clay with a smidgen of silver foils,  alcohol inked and have a coating of Kato liquid clay over them.

Next, following some of the swirls on the beads I painted on some graphite paint.
         
I threaded the beads on thin copper wire and suspended them over the plastic container and made sure they didn’t touch the sides. Then they went into the electroforming solution.
         
I connected up the terminals to the control unit and turned on the current.

After 3 hours the copper had been deposited where I had painted the graphite. I have yet to take the beads off the wires. I might patina the copper.
On the whole I am pleased with the result for a first try. I‘ll have another play tomorrow.