Lined texture/pattern in silver sheet

[DaisyDaisy]

I use a lot of sterling silver sheet from Cooksons and am always very happy with it....until yesterday when I cut a disc and washer from a piece of sheet I bought recently. When I took off the protective film the metal was dull and had a lined texture/pattern through it. I've sanded and polished, polished again and polished again but still the lines are there (they're not scratches, it's like a lined pattern through the metal). Has anyone ever come across this issue before? I've attached some photos. The smaller disc is one which I cut from a different piece of sheet and all I've done with that is wipe it with a pro polish pad and it's near perfect mirror shine, as all of the sheet I've had in the past has been. The washer hasn't been touched, it's exactly how it looked when I took the film off. You can see the distorted reflection on the larger disc, it's caused by the lined texture/pattern.

Cooksons' response was that I needed a new mop and compound and to apply more pressure. I'm not new to working with silver and I think I know when I need a new mop. I also know when something doesn't seem quite right.

82688269

[mizgeorge]

I've had a similar problem in the past (though with rectangular wire rather than sheet) and asked for it to be replaced. Like you, I expect sheet to be pretty much perfect when I take the film off.

[DaisyDaisy]

Thanks for your response, George. Cooksons have said I can return it to be lab tested if I think it's faulty metal. Faulty or not, it's not of a good enough quality for me to be using for customer orders. If I sand it much more it'd be as thin as a tissue...and I suspect the lines would still be visibe! I'm going to return it and ask for a replacement.

[Dennis]

As George says, hold your ground and ask for a replacement. Wherever you shop, some assistants will take it on themselves to brush off complaints, but this is not Cookson's usual response.
Dennis

[DaisyDaisy]

Thanks, Dennis, I will do :) Have to say I was a little surprised by the response about needing a new mop and compound. They'll hopefully get it sorted for me when I return the metal.

I've just recently started using Argentium and the piece of sheet I had was very similar....having not worked with Argentium before I thought maybe it was how the sheet was supposed to be....can anyone confirm this for me or should Argentium be pretty much the same as sterling sheet and not have lines running through the metal?

[enigma]

I had a sheet of Argentium that was like that although did polish out ok.

[DaisyDaisy]

I had a sheet of Argentium that was like that although did polish out ok.

Ah, I wondered if it was how the Argentium sheet was supposed to be, I'd never used it before so had nothing to compare it to....it did polish up far better than this sheet of lined sterling silver I have. Those lines are just not going to budge no matter what amount of sanding or polishing I do.

[DaisyDaisy]

Thanks for all the comments, much appreciated. I've packaged the sheet/disc/washer up and will be returning it.

[enigma]

I can't say either Daisy, I've only used it twice and don't recall whether the first sheet was like that.

[DaisyDaisy]

So, I bought a new piece of sheet which arrived today and it looked "normal"....I cut a washer and disc and weighed them....they weighed 0.4-0.5g heavier than the "dodgy" looking ones I cut the other day.

[metalsmith]

Oops - duplicate post

[metalsmith]

So, I bought a new piece of sheet ... I cut a washer and disc and weighed them....they weighed 0.4-0.5g heavier than the "dodgy" looking ones

Maybe they'd rolled out a lump metal clay by mistake? #-o