When the plating process is complete, the articles are removed from the vat, thoroughly swilled in water, and dried. They are then ready for finishing by polishing and burnishing, or they may be given a sort of frosted surface. During the finishing processes the appearance of the articles changes considerably, the rather dead-looking surface produced by the plating giving place to the bright lustre of the particular metal. [Illustration: _By Permission of_] [_W. Canning & Co._ FIG. 37.--Method of agitating solution in Plating Vat.] It sometimes happens that an article which has been plated and polished shows little defects here and there in the deposit. In such a case it is not necessary to re-plate the whole article, for the defects can be made good by a process of “doctoring.” A piece of the same metal as that forming the deposit is placed between two pieces of wood, and a wire fastened to one end of it. At the other end several thicknesses of flannel are wrapped round and securely tied. This strip, which forms a miniature anode, is connected to the anode rod of the plating vat, and the article is connected to the cathode rod. The flannel is saturated with the plating solution, and the strip is rubbed gently over the defective places until the deposit formed is as thick as that on the rest of the article. If the work is done carefully the “doctored” portions cannot be distinguished from the rest of the surface. Electroplating may be employed to give ships’ plates a coating of copper to prevent barnacles from sticking to them. The work is done in sections by building up to the side of the vessel a sort of vat of which the plate to be coated forms one side. The plate is thus at the same time the cathode and part of the vat. So far we have spoken only of electroplating objects made of metal. If we tried to copperplate a plaster cast by simply suspending it as we did our spoon, we should get no result at all, because the plaster is a non-conductor. But if we sprinkle plumbago over the cast so as to give it a conducting surface, we can plate it quite well. Practically all materials can be electroplated, but if they are non-conductors they must be given a conducting surface in the way just described or by some similar means. Even flowers and insects may be plated, and by giving them first a coating of copper and then a coating of gold, delicately beautiful results are obtained.