[Jewelry making - Article 00282] - [Orchid] Technical question about firescale

[bowerhouse]

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    I have viewed the many postings about fire scale but would like to
    know if fire scale gets 'deeper' or more ingrained with each
    subsequent soldering. I make architectural based brooches (sterling)
    that sometimes have up to 20 separate solder joints (most of them
    hard). I have been polishing but tend to lose crispness, have tried
    electroplating but sometimes get a quick ugly tarnish on the pieces
    not long after plating (do the pieces need to be neutralised or
    similar after being commercially plated)? but I am also using some
    gold in the pieces and the plater says he has no way of covering the
    gold to avoid silver plating, and most recently I have been trying to
    wire brush the brooches after dipping in a 50/50 nitric-water
    solution - but several dips later find I still have fire scale - any
    suggestions, encouragement or more in depth information? 

    PS - I have also tried a boracic acid and methylated spirits mix but
    it 'pocked' the surface with quite deep little holes??? and more or
    less ruined many hours of work. 

    thank you for your assistance 

Marilyn

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