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Post by rockjunquie on Feb 20, 2014 16:49:51 GMT -5
You know after you solder and there is a shadow which easily comes off- not firescale- what is that? Is it fine silver from the pickle?
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Post by radio on Feb 20, 2014 19:26:11 GMT -5
Are you speaking of the whitish film on sterling after it comes out of the pickle? If so, then yes, it is the fine silver. as a side note, you shouldn't pickle copper and silver in the same pickle solution. If you get a bit of rosy color on the silver, it is the copper suspended in your pickle attaching to your silver piece.
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Post by MJB on Feb 20, 2014 21:56:35 GMT -5
THANKS! Good to know! I just finished a silver pendant and it had a strange discoloration that made me wonder if the silver had too much of another mineral in it, Now I figure it must be copper since just before making it I had pickled a copper piece in the same pickle solution!!
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Post by rockjunquie on Feb 21, 2014 0:33:16 GMT -5
Thanks, radio I thought it was fine silver but I wasn't sure. On the pickle.... If I only use a pickle for silver, it, also, will have copper in it. Right? So, it doesn't make sense that copper from the copper will affect the silver when there is copper from the silver, too. Am I missing something?
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Post by radio on Feb 21, 2014 3:26:45 GMT -5
Thanks, radio I thought it was fine silver but I wasn't sure. On the pickle.... If I only use a pickle for silver, it, also, will have copper in it. Right? So, it doesn't make sense that copper from the copper will affect the silver when there is copper from the silver, too. Am I missing something? I am not a chemist, but yes, silver does contain copper as an alloy, however it is a very, very small amount. (7.5%) Pickling one, or perhaps several pieces containing 100% copper is substantially different than pieces containing 7.5% copper. Some smiths use copper tongs to retrieve pieces from the pickle, but bamboo tongs made for the photographic dark room is the best bet. If using copper tongs, keep in mind they are only dipped in the pickle for a very brief time and do not sit in the pickle as a piece of copper jewelry would
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rocpup
spending too much on rocks
Pink Limb Iris
Member since March 2011
Posts: 465
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Post by rocpup on Feb 22, 2014 11:03:10 GMT -5
I have used copper tongs in my pickle for years with no ill effects. Copper is suspended in the pickle solution and after it is used for awhile will even get a green tint to it. The problem of plating the suspended copper on to your pieces is when another metal is introduced like iron and that will give you an immediate copper plate that is hell to remove. Don
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Post by 1dave on Feb 22, 2014 11:47:17 GMT -5
I have used copper tongs in my pickle for years with no ill effects. Copper is suspended in the pickle solution and after it is used for awhile will even get a green tint to it. The problem of plating the suspended copper on to your pieces is when another metal is introduced like iron and that will give you an immediate copper plate that is hell to remove. Don BUT just the ticket WHEN that is what you want to do! Be sure to put resist where you don't want the plating.
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chassroc
Cave Dweller
Rocks are abundant when you have rocktumblinghobby pals
Member since January 2005
Posts: 3,586
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Post by chassroc on Feb 22, 2014 12:46:51 GMT -5
You know after you solder and there is a shadow which easily comes off- not firescale- what is that? Is it fine silver from the pickle? Interesting ..even the experts here seem to disagree about this one.. My two cents... ditto on the white being pure silver depleted from the heating but you can pickle silver and copper together. One proof is the copper tongs...if the copper tongs don't matter why should any other copper matter. If you have any steel (possibly other base metals) in the pickle, the copper will plate onto the silver...Pure speculation but I think it might be a battery-like reaction. If you keep steel and steel tools out of the pickle, you should have no problem with plating Charlie
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steelandstone
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2008
Posts: 500
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Post by steelandstone on Feb 22, 2014 14:08:28 GMT -5
Well I guess I jump in on this one also. Like many I too have used the copper tongs and had no problems. I quite often mix copper and sterling and never have any plating problems as long as no ferrous metals are introduced to the pickle.
I also play around with brass and bronze, with these two metals being one has zinc and the other tin you will get some plating. That being said if I know I am making a piece that has copper, silver, brass and bronze mixed I just plan for the plating as part of it and know that I will have to polish the plating off.
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Post by rockjunquie on Feb 22, 2014 15:27:41 GMT -5
Looks like I opened a can of worms here. Lots of great comments, though. Thanks
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Post by 1dave on Feb 22, 2014 21:26:43 GMT -5
Some worm cans are best opened!
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Post by Pat on Feb 22, 2014 22:18:58 GMT -5
Re inadvertent plating : years ago I was using liquid jewelry cleaner where you just dip the item in it and poof! the tarnish is gone. I had been using the same container for both sterling and for copper.
One day I dipped in a lovely copper chain I had finished. When I pulled it out, it had swooshes of silver! I liked it, but made the customer a new one....fast.
So if you want silver swoosh marks on your copper, just dip the piece in silver saturated tarnish remover. I've often wondered how long the plating would last.
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Post by 1dave on Feb 23, 2014 11:38:56 GMT -5
Thanks Pat! More fun to try!
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