Electroform, methods of making electroforms, and products made from electroforms

Abstract: In one embodiment, the method for making an electroform comprises: attaching a sub-master to a first side of a stiffener plate to form a mounted sub-master, wherein the stiffener plate is longer and/or wider than the sub-master such that, when the sub-master is attached to the stiffener plate, the stiffener plate forms a boarder around the sub-master, disposing conductive rim on the stiffener plate in physical contact with the boarder and with the edges of the sub-master, masking edges and a second side of the stiffener plate, passivating the surface to form a passivation layer, plating the surface and non-masked areas of the conductive rim with a metal to form a metal layer, and removing the metal layer to form the electroform.