Formal education ending one month into the eighth grade, the balance of my knowledge comes from, as Perot said, from being a "Roads Scholar". For what it's worth, Current flows from negative to positive, so the item to be plated (anode) would have the positive connection and the base metal, (cathode) or plating source, would have the negative. You would have to use DC, of course. Solutions, distances from cathode to anode, voltages, currents (no, don't throw some raisins in the solution), and the other myriad variables are beyond me. It sounds like something that be fun suiting up for.