Removng Stubborn Stop-Out

[FacetNation]

Hello all,

I bought some black polish, advertised on Walsh website for use in stopping out when etching with acids... and now cannot remove it from my sheet of silver :s

I have tried acetone, white spirit, even burning with a gas torch, but it will not budge at all!

Emailed walsh a few days ago for advice in the matter... and no reply in a week!

Any ideas before I go bashing walsh's door down & demanding them replace my now ruined if i cant remove the stop out sheet of silver??! :)

[Tabby66]

Hi,
Not so long back I saw some "stop-out remover" in Palmers (B'ham) I think. Now I wish I had bought some since I too struggle with removing stop out! It's a very delicate use of a scalpel, acetone and those circular rubber polishing brushes. definately NOT ideal!!

Will be interested in what others do??

Tabby

[Myosotis]

If its the newer liquid acrylic based stopout you could try Nitromors - works well for dissolving resin. Available from DIY stores.

[FacetNation]

Hmm, I have some nitromors at home, I will give that a go!

Wont be bothering with this stuff again as a stop out, its a pain in the bum!

[FacetNation]

Hmm, I have some nitromors at home, I will give that a go!

Wont be bothering with this stuff again as a stop out, its a pain in the bum!

[Dennis]

Walshes can be difficult sometimes, but they owe you a reply. They can't wriggle out of it so easily if you phone them and stand your ground. Don't try London, try Birmingham: 0121 236 9346.
Dennis.

[FacetNation]

thanks dennis, i will be calling them tomorrow, as you say they shouldnt ignore their customers!

[FacetNation]

The damn stuff was eventually removed after being in a bowl of white spirit for about a week, then a scrub with an abrasive rubber block!
I definitely wouldnt recommend buying that stuff to mask out metal, unless you also buy some acetone at the same time. Nail varnish remover isnt strong enough in the acetone department, and also the white spirit only seemed to loosen rather than completely remove it.

I have been told by a good friend that acetone will completely lift the horrid stuff right off though!

I shall be sticking to my watertight tape from now on! :D A little more time consuming to apply, but worth it!

[ps_bond]

Acetone is wonderful stuff - try to keep your exposure to the vapours down, and watch the flammability of the stuff... Fibreglass suppliers stock it; I tend to use http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/ (a good source for isopropanol too).

[Inanegal]

I use Methylated Spirit for removing the black polish that Walsh's sell. I put the silver in a glass container, pour in meths to cover and put on a tight-fitting lid. I generally leave it overnight and wipe off any polish that hasn't been dissolved the next morning.

[allyclaret]

I know it's not the same but while it has been mentioned... is acetone the best thing to remove unwanted platinol too? I don't want to polish due to use of gold leaf.

[Dennis]

Dear Ally-c,
Platinol causes changes in the surface of silver which are very deeply ingrained. The dark colour is resistant to silver dip and will only partially disappear when heated with a torch and re-pickled. So, unless a member comes up with a better suggestion, please accept that the effect is irreversible. Kind regards, Dennis.

[allyclaret]

Ahhhhhh.... thanks D :)