>>> The copper holds well on the silver paint, but nether the nickel nor the 
>>> chrome
>>> will. The copper plating is to thin to help protect from the heat.
>> Quite the opposite, probably - Cu is an excellent thermal conductor.
> Sure is. And, for exactly that reason, it won't protect the plastic from 
> the heat, as in the plating vat, heat comes from all around. Cu will 
> transmit that heat quite effeciently to the plastic!

I was thinking about the heat, they guy did say that other platers
were trying to do plastic but wern't getting as good of results.
He probably didn't share his "secret".  I'd guess that he uses a
heatsink on the electrodes, that would transfer the heat up off
the copper layer and out of the bath. Silver is also a better heat
conductor than copper, which may be why he was using
paint with silver in it instead of just iron or copper in the paint.

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