In a pickle!

[impressions]

Hi,
I am new here, an just starting out making silver fingerprint jewellery. I went on a course about 4 years ago, but have focused on ceramics until now! I need some refreshing on a few things and am managing to get lots of stuff on the net - but what is 'pickling'?! It seems to be something to do with solder? Why is it needed - what needs doing - I have obviously ordered some and now am looking at it....should I pickle everything or just some bits - I have never heard of this before and am facinated! All info very gratefully received!

[Dennis]

Yes, the answer can be found in any elementary book on making jewellry, as they usually have this somewhere at he beginning. Briefly pickle is needed whenever metal is seriously heated, to remove the resuling discolouration. It also helps to remove flux after soldering. The pickle used in a professional workshop is usually diluted sulphuric acid, but safety pickle salts in water will work without burning holes in your clothes.

To refresh your memory, you might like to look at this: http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/hot...html#post39487

Best wishes, Dennis

[PureGold]

Don't pickle your fine silver though, it doesn't need it and PMC won't thank you for it

[medusa]

out of curiosity, why wouldn't you pickle PMC? I mean apart from it being unnecessary, and if you are soldering fine silver, wouldn't you need to pickle it then? I've pickeld after soldering fine silver bezels onto sterling obviously, but if I were soldering two pieces of fine silver together, wouldn't I need to pickle to remove excess flux?

[mizgeorge]

Pickling fine silver is fine. However, fired metal clay, whilst fine silver in composition, is in reality much more porous. The pickle gets into the microscopic holes, and over time will degrade the metal. If you need to pickle after joining a metal clay component to sterling, for example, always neutralise in a solution of bicarbonate of soda.

[Dennis]

Yes and the solder would look dark, especially if it has escaped from your intended solderig joint.

As a matter of interest, some people are highly sensitive to residual safety pickle and become itchy. It can linger in porous and hollow metal objects and can escape from minute gaps in solder joints for months. It can also interfere with further soldering.

The answer is always to boil afterwards in a weak solution of soda crystals and wash well again. Dennis.

(cross posted with George, but its whichever soda you have to hand)

[medusa]

ahhh that makes sense, about the porosity. I only ever use the PMC for the rolls which I don't need to solder, but it's good to know for future reference.

[impressions]

Thank you and useful to know about the neutralising too as I will be soldering sterling onto fine. Am sure I will be back in the near future to bug you with the bleedin obvious!! x