Looking for electroforming help

[mwc]

I just got my electroforming setup all put together a few days ago, and have coated one spoon so far but I've still got a lot to figure out.

It looks like a lot of people incorporate the cathode wire into their piece, ending up with a wire wrapped electroformed section. I've seen a bunch of other pieces without the wire wrap, with no obvious spot where the cathode wire was attached, and I'm wondering how that's done.

Can you wrap the wire around a non painted section of the piece, and have wire coming off that with just the end touching the painted area to be plated?

Also, I understand 0.1A/sq. in. is the general rule for amperage, is there any rule of thumb for voltage in relation to amperage?

Thanks
Matt

[mwc]

Here's what I've come up with so far.

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn42/mc8850/EB1C0811-40D3-4A7C-A382-38AB30E62BF5-1891-0000016A32D2EE14.jpg

I took it out of the bath yesterday, touched up a few spots with the paint, let it dry and put it back in overnight but I didn't get much growth. I had the end of the cathode wire touching the coating but not sure that's a good enough connection. The pic is after the touch up, before the second soak.

[Kaizen]

Sand down the spot, sand down with finer sand paper, sand down with even finer sand paper, sand down with even finer finer sand paper, buff.

[Kaizen]

Also a more aggressive current will cause the copper to form rougher. I set my Amos and the voltage will follow. I never touch my voltage dial.

[mwc]

Sand down the spot, sand down with finer sand paper, sand down with even finer sand paper, sand down with even finer finer sand paper, buff.

Thanks for the tips. Sand and buff the spot where the wire meets the piece?

I put another piece in last night, and tried just having the wire touching but not wrapped around the piece, and it coated the wire pretty heavy but the piece doesn't look like it picked anything up.

[Kaizen]

Your glue might have prevented contact. It can get kinda finicky when doing it that way. That's why most ppl wrap.

[mwc]

Thanks again, I'll wrap one up tonight and give that a shot. Is it best to wrap first then paint over it? After its plated, cut the wire and use the sanding/buffing process you explained?

The advice is much appreciated