[Jewelry making - Article 00791] - Re: [Orchid] Super pickle...

[Lisa W]

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

Hi Sam,

    The super pickle I have used is mixed very unscientifically by
    adding a "bit" of hydrogen peroxide to my regular pickle solution.
    (In my case, regular pickle is pH minus for swimming pools, sodium
    bisulphate, I think, without going down to check.) I use it
    warm/hot, specifically FOR the purpose of dissolving copper! If you
    ever make the error of dropping some iron into your pickle solution
    (although it's rare, a pinstem is my usual culprit), you will copper
    plate all the silver pickling in the solution. This super pickle
    does a super job of dissolving this copper plating without bothering
    the silver in any way. In an unintended experiment, I dropped a
    piece made of silver and copper into cold super pickle, planning to
    texture and etch the copper. (Yes, I know of other ways to do this,
    such as ferric chloride). I forgot it when I closed up shop. When I
    returned 1-2 days later, there was no copper left on the piece, the
    silver was completely intact, and the pickle was a lovely shade of
    opaque blue. Although I have not tried this with sparex, they are
    sufficiently similar that it seems to me that some other contaminant
    was at work in your pickle. It should NOT dissolve or damage silver,
    or cause any filings of any kind. It WILL dissolve copper, and the
    copper ions WILL turn your pickle blue. To neutralize, I would
    personally dilute the heck out of it (you could add some to a pail
    of cold water - always add acid to water, not the reverse), and add
    baking soda bit by bit until it stops foaming. It's sink safe at
    that point. As already mentioned here, the peroxide will decompose
    into water pretty quickly, even faster if heated, but the strong
    pickle (acid) remains a problem, and I think it's wise to neutralize
    it. As for the copper ions (heavy metals), it's nasty for the water
    supply, but without setting up a lab, I don't know any way to
    recover the copper/clean up the water. 

    As for the sink - enamel paint, and a good bottle of wine to toast
    the occassion? : ) Good luck!! 

Lisa W
____________________________________________________________________
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
____________________________________________________________________