PDA

View Full Version : Hardboiled Egg? :)



Trudy
03-09-2009, 06:41 PM
I've been hearing a lot about a technique of using a hard boiled egg in a box with silver jewellery to create a finish similar to liver of sulphur....does anyone have any experience of this? Does it look any good?

Im thinking of giving it a go on a wirework pendant over the weekend...

MuranoSilver
03-09-2009, 07:01 PM
It does the same job only a lot lot slower.....

mizgeorge
03-09-2009, 07:04 PM
It works beautifully - and is a nice option if you don't want to have too many chemicals around.

I think a ziploc bag works better than a box, and it's easier to see what's going on. Just make sure the smashed up egg doesn't touch the silver.

Trudy
03-09-2009, 07:39 PM
Great, thanks guys...I will definitely try it out.


When you say a lot lot slower do you mean hours or days?

MuranoSilver
03-09-2009, 07:56 PM
Depends on the egg - mine has been days....
If you use the egg hot it speeds it up :)

mizgeorge
03-09-2009, 08:11 PM
Nic's right, warm egg (freshly boiled). Smash up a bit.

about 20 minutes for light oxidisation, several hours for heavy.

Then give it a polish back with some 0000 wire wool and it will look lufferly!

Fi Wilson
03-09-2009, 08:12 PM
Hi,

I think the speed of the oxidisation depends on how hot the egg is. There is a free tutorial on how to do this at jewelrylessons dot com (sorry, not done enough posts to enable hyperlinking yet!) and they recommend using a shallow airtight box and putting your piece into the box with the freshly cut hard boiled egg as quickly as possible and leaving it to cool. They recommend giving it a quick zap in the microwave if you don't have the desired effect once the egg has cooled. Not tried it myself but giving it an extra zap could speed things up.

Fi

bustagasket
03-09-2009, 08:13 PM
i have absolutely no idea what you lot are talking about!

EmmaRose
03-09-2009, 08:20 PM
Su, rotten eggs pong right...that is the sulphur, same stuff as in liver of sulphur used for oxidising (blackening) metal....
just and fyi metal clay suppliers often have small vials of liver of sulphur for £1....
another tip, to bring out the colours dip very quickly in goddards silver dip first. coffee and cola have different (but similar) effects....
Em

MuranoSilver
03-09-2009, 08:21 PM
Su
It's when you make the silver deliberately, blue, black or purple by artificially aging it to add colour depth. Liver of Sulphur or Platinol are Chemical ways, eggs is safer (well as long as you don't microvave the metal,lol) and no nasty chemicals....

Emerald
04-09-2009, 07:26 AM
I use Selsun to oxidise - its shampoo for serious dandruff i think, just paint it on and then either leave it somewhere warm to dry or just heat it gently i have had this bottle over 10 years and its still going strong.

Sunnybank
04-09-2009, 11:02 AM
Hi,

There is a free tutorial on how to do this at jewelrylessons dot com
Fi

Hadn't been to this site before, have put eggs on the shopping list. I can't wait to try it out this weekend on an etched piece.

Jane

Trudy
04-09-2009, 04:56 PM
Sorry one last question on the egg situation...is it ok for use with all kinds of beads? specifically polymer clay, is there any reason it would do anything strange to it at all?

mizgeorge
04-09-2009, 04:57 PM
Can't think of anything offhand Trudy. I've happily oxidised pieces including polyclay beads with LoS, so I'm sure it would be fine.

Trudy
04-09-2009, 05:09 PM
Can't think of anything offhand Trudy. I've happily oxidised pieces including polyclay beads with LoS, so I'm sure it would be fine.

Great :ta:

EmmaRose
04-09-2009, 05:18 PM
LOS (and substitutes)will only react chemically with metals. Plastic and glass are pretty inert (hence using acid in them etc)
Em

Charlotte
04-09-2009, 06:29 PM
Ew! I think I'll stick to my toxic oxidising solution;) ...exactly how bad is it anyway, smells pretty bad but I never know just how careful to be with the stuff:"> At least its an idea if you run out:Y:

MuranoSilver
04-09-2009, 08:50 PM
Here's a list of lots of the Chemicals we use and their relative toxicity
http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/arthazards/metal2.html
Liver of Sulfur (potassium sulfide) will, in the presence of acid, generate hydrogen sulfide. This gas IS highly toxic, so you need to use caution. (e.g. Wash your pickle off thoroughly)

Petal
07-12-2009, 04:01 PM
Nic's right, warm egg (freshly boiled). Smash up a bit.

about 20 minutes for light oxidisation, several hours for heavy.

Then give it a polish back with some 0000 wire wool and it will look lufferly!

I've read with interest using the egg technique, alum and also mares urine, are there any more non toxic ways to oxidise jewellery that any of you have experience of/could recommend?

thanks in advance

Vivia
07-12-2009, 05:01 PM
I used the egg-method recently on some copper jewellery, and it's worked a treat. I made sure I put the jewellery in with the smashed up egg pretty soon after it came out the pan, and didn't use a box or anything, just a normal sandwich bag with a knot in.

Beware though, of leaving it for too long. I somehow managed to forget about my eggy-jewellery-sandwich-bag for some days, and came into the house last week to be greeted by a funny smell...

And my GOODNESS did that smell get worse when I eventually found the offending sandwich bag on top of the printer (but of course, where else would I have put it for safe-keeping #-o).

Solunar Silver Studio
07-12-2009, 05:25 PM
:-D ...I think Jules was after non toxic techniques!!! - that sounds (or should I say smells!) pretty toxic to me!!!+o(

Petal
07-12-2009, 06:08 PM
:-D ...I think Jules was after non toxic techniques!!! - that sounds (or should I say smells!) pretty toxic to me!!!+o(

Your'e right Bee. :xmaslaugh:

I can cope with bad egg smells - I am used to those ! Its the slightly more toxic and flammable ways of oxidising I want to avoid, if poss.

HannahJewelleryDesigns
07-12-2009, 06:18 PM
I've used household bleach to oxidse before, it seems to work pretty quickly (about 20mins for a dark black colour) and you can paint it on or just dunk it.

Then I give it a buff with Rennaisance wax to hold the colour.

HannahJewelleryDesigns
07-12-2009, 06:32 PM
Aw thanks Jason !:ta:

snow_imp
07-12-2009, 07:26 PM
Hannah, that's amazing - I love the contrasting colours and the cool look.

Petal
07-12-2009, 07:37 PM
I've used household bleach to oxidse before, it seems to work pretty quickly (about 20mins for a dark black colour) and you can paint it on or just dunk it.

Then I give it a buff with Rennaisance wax to hold the colour.

That's interesting, so Rennaisance wax holds colour - is it a fixing type of wax then, or does it have other jewellery associated uses too ?

Very unusual design BTW Hannah!

mizgeorge
07-12-2009, 07:48 PM
Loving that ring Hannah!

Jules - Renaissance wax is great for protecting pieces and for helping keep oxidised colour at your preferred stage.

Petal
07-12-2009, 07:56 PM
Loving that ring Hannah!

Jules - Renaissance wax is great for protecting pieces and for helping keep oxidised colour at your preferred stage.

Ah ha - thanks for that George *-:) So I just put some RW on my copper to make sure it doesn't get the green tinge and it will keep it that way?

ben b
07-12-2009, 09:37 PM
under E.U. hallmarking laws, eggs used in the colourisation of jewellery must be free range, and of class A, medium, or large for britania silver.

You may be required to send a till reciept, in with the assay paperwork.

:Y:

Ominicci
07-12-2009, 09:53 PM
Have you been on the sauce Ben??

HannahJewelleryDesigns
08-12-2009, 08:31 AM
I forgot to mention, I couldnt make the bleach work on copper- I left some in overnight and it was more 'manky' than oxidised!:confused:

Reanaissance wax is great for repelling finger prints from satin finish pieces too, you rub some on with a soft cloth and buff it up before it dries ('cos it goes crusty!) and it leaves an invisible protective layer on the metal.You dont need much so it lasts for ages too.
:xmastree:

Petal
03-08-2010, 05:11 PM
I'm about to get 1.5kg of this stuff. Before I do, can someone with more knowledge than me (that's all of you), please confirm if this is OK to use as an alum substitute.

Sodium bisulfate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_bisulfate)

Many thanks.

Jules

Dennis
05-08-2010, 08:40 PM
Dear Jules, I think you will find this is the active ingredient in Sparex, used in swimming pools and also in the various proprietory safety pickle powders. If you are not very busy that amount could last you 7-10 years. Alum also works, but is aluminium sulphate, often sold in Indian grocers. IF you look at past posts by searching 'pickle', or 'slow cookers' you will see what members do wth it. Kind regards, Dennis.