If you were to plate something wooden, what happens when it expands and contracts? Wood is subject to a lot of movement.
I guess the question would be how well sealed from moisture exchange would the plated piece be?
My guess is that the plating would be a pretty effective barrier to moisture content changes, especially if the wood had been well sealed prior to plating. But it would have to be relatively thick plating and could have no gaps in it. I think the plating would stretch as the wood expanded and would disconnect when the wood shrunk; probably not a good idea for something to be displayed outside. But inside under relatively constant temperature, it should work OK.
Having said all that, you should consider the first one to be an experiment.