[Jewelry making - Article 00006] - [Orchid] Adding new ferric nitrate to old solution?

[Mona Clee]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========


Alma,

    Yesterday I just bought a couple of pounds of ferric nitrate at
    Bryant Labs in Berkeley for $22.95 each pound.  I live in the area so
    I didn't have to pay the hazmat shipping fee of $25 which someone out
    of the area would have to pay.  I don't know of another supplier
    although I'm sure they're out there.  Bryant Labs' contact info is
    (510) 526-3141, 1101 Fifth St., Berkeley, California. 

    Using an earlier jar of ferric nitrate I'd bought there, I found
    that my silver etched quite quickly -- several batches etched quickly
    for up to a total of 5 hours.  After that, just as when you etch
    brass/copper with ferric chloride, the etching slowed dramatically. 
    I left the very last batch of earrings I did in the solution for a
    couple of days, total.  The ferric nitrate still etched, but ever so
    slowly.  (I have a setup with an aquarium pump duct-taped to the
    container to agitate the solution, so I was doing that right).  It
    just seems like the stuff slows down after 5 hours use. 

    I'm wondering whether to add new ferric chloride to the spent
    solution (acid to water, like you oughter) or just take the old
    solution to the hazardous waste disposal site and start afresh.  Does
    anybody recommend one way or the other?  The guy at Bryant Labs (who
    clearly had a degree in chemistry) was very helpful and started
    talking to me about adding potassium to the spent, silver nitrate
    laden solution, and precipitating everything out (presumably this
    renews the original ferric nitrate), but sorry to say he lost me
    halfway through. 

Mona


____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________