[Jewelry making - Article 00301] - Re: [Orchid] Soldering with diamonds in place

[David Phelps]

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>     I have heard of sodium cyanide being used to clean up the burnt on
>     junk from soldering, have any of you used cyanide for this
>     purpose? I know this is "old school" technique but was wondering
>     what you think of this for practical and safety reasons. 

    Please, Tara, do not even consider using cyanide. It works great but
    the side effects are deadly. 

    When I was young and stupid, we used to do a process called
    "bombing" in which cyanide was dissolved in water in an old cooking
    pot, rough castings were put in the solution, a small amount of
    hydrogen peroxide was added, and the top was then put on the pot. You
    waited about thirty seconds or so and the cyanide would start to
    fizz, and finally would pop when the reaction with the peroxide
    peaked. The castings would come out clean and slick as a whistle. 

    This is EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS! I firmly do not recommend even
    contemplating this procedure. I found this out when a jeweler in the
    area I lived in (Dallas, TX) died of cyanide poisoning after placing
    a small container of chocolate milk on the counter where he mixed the
    cyanide solution. It had been wiped off and dried, but there was
    still enough cyanide there to make it's way through the paper
    container and into the milk. He died on the floor of his shop before
    the paramedics even got there. Very scary stuff. 

    There is also the environmental concern of disposing of your used
    cyanide solutions. You can't just dump this stuff into the street. It
    will cost you a fortune to get rid of it. This I know from experience
    as well. It is extremely hazardous and can contaminate our drinking
    water, or just about anything else. 

    Please, please, please, don't mess around with cyanide! 

Dave
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