[Jewelry making - Article 00397] - Re: [Orchid] Soldering with diamonds in place

[Mark Shneyer]

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>     I've seen a lot of posts on this forum pertaining to safety, some
>     of which I just shake my head...But to ask about sodium cyanide and
>     its safety in the same sentence says that you need a warning. 

    If cleaning burnt dirt and crud is what you want then "caustic soda"
    otherwise known as "lye" works great by boiling the item in a steel
    pot. This process should be done with caution for chemical burns and
    fumes but not nearly as deadly as cyanide. 

    (Never add lye to hot water...mix it cold and heat it from there and
    watch it closely. 

    It will blow up in your face if you add lye to boiling water.) 

    Cyanide on the other hand will brighten the gold by chemically
    stripping it. I don't know if it will clean dirt off or not even if
    you bomb with it...I've only used it on castings myself. 

    It WILL kill you if inhaled and is also very easily absorbed by your
    body through your skin. 

    It effects your nervous system and will mess you up. Disposal is
    another issue...What to do with the spent/wasted material. I've found
    it is not worth using. 

    I haven't used it for 17years...Since my daughter was born because I
    didn't want it in my house. (I used to work in the basement). Back
    then you could by large containers 5 & 10 lb cannisters like it was
    candy. But to get rid of it was the same as getting rid of toxic 
waste
    and costly. I found a manufacturer in NY who was able to use it in
    their factory and took it off my hands. 

Good luck and be careful,
Mark
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