For many reasons the glass tank is preferable for amateur electro-plating work, since the objects may be watched without disturbing their electric connections and without removing them from the liquid. A very good plan for the copper bath, when spherical, cylindrical, or hollow objects are to be plated, is to line the inside of the tank with strips or a sheet of copper, hung on hooks that will catch on the sides; then connect the positive wire directly to these strips. With this arrangement but one rod, the negative, is in use, and the objects to be plated are suspended from it. It follows that the objects will take up the copper deposit from all sides, and a more evenly distributed coating will be the result. It is better to start up the current gradually, rather than to put on at the beginning a large amount of electro-motive force. By watching the character of the deposit you can soon tell if you have the proper strength of current. If everything is working properly the copper deposit will have a beautiful flesh tint; but if the current is too strong it takes on a dark-red tone and resembles the surface of a brick. This is not right, and the object must be removed and washed off, the current reduced, and the object replaced in the bath. When a sufficiently heavy coating of the copper has been applied, remove the object and wash thoroughly in running or warm water to free it from any remaining copper fluid. If this is not done the surface, in drying, will turn a dull brown, and will have to be bitten off with the acid solution for cleansing copper. The finer the copper deposit the better and smoother it will be; the grain will be smaller, and it will not present a rough surface, which is always difficult to plate over with silver or gold, unless a frosted effect is desired. Non-conducting objects are usually plated with copper first, and then replated with the metal desired for the final finish.