Polishing

[silverbunny]

After I solder a jump ring to the end of a chain (both sterling silver, using a hard solder paste), they lose all their shine and look very dull. I dip the piece in pickling salts but it doesnt seem to help.
I used a polishing cloth to polish the chain bit which was near the ring + the ring, they got shinier but not as good as I'd like.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Any help would be most appreciated

[Dano]

i'd recommend getting some polish in bricks and using a buffing wheel on the end of a dremel, start with tripoli or grey dialux and get it to a general shine, then clean the piece and give it a going over with rouge. (i'd link to the catalogue entries but i don't have enough posts yet )

tripoly/grey dialux are cutting compounds, they work by removing silver so you don't want to use these too much if there's surface detail there, but rouge is a burnishing compound which works by smoothing th metal over on a microscopic scale, this is why it is really really important to get the piece clean before you use it.

also please forgive me for asking this because it is a bit of a "are you sure you have it plugged in?" question and i'm sorry, but have you diluted the salts into a solution before you're dipping? also it's good to leave the stuff in it overnight and i found a cheap slow cooker with a ceramic pot not a steel one makes a good heated pickle bath, just don't think about using it for food after

[silverbunny]

Thank you for such a detailed reply. hehe yup have diluted the salts into the water, I might keep it in for longer like you've suggested.

The things youve suggested sound great! The only problem is I have never used any of them before..

Lets see if I got it right.. excuse the amatuer questions

I found the buffing wheel in the catalog, I guess I need to buy a kit with a dremel ( 999 AVL3 or 999 AVL2 or 999 AVL1) to make it rotate yup?

How would I keep the chain stationary while it is buffing it ?

Funnily enough, I actually have a dialux block (I bought it by mistake, I think I have the red one). How would I apply it?

Once I am done with it , 'clean the piece' - with pickle water? tap water? a damp cloth? a dry cloth?

Rough - where and how would I apply it..

I hope thats not too much of a hassle, you've been a great help!!

[Dano]

ok first, not a big buffing wheel, just a little one, i think those kits come with them =)

ok you've fished your chain out of the pickle tank and rinsed it off, and you've got a white unpolished bit (if it's still black, it needs more picklin! you can't harm a piece by leaving it in there forever as far as i know*)

get your dremel and put one of the felt wheels or felt cones - whichever you think best for the shape of the piece - in the chuck on its little mandrel thingy. if it doesn't come on them, they just sort of screw on to the end (you'll see what i mean, it's hard to describe)

start your dremel up on a lowish speed and just touch the felt end to the block of polish, you don't need a lot, the common mistake is to blather the wheel in polish and then you get it on your face, clothes, ceiling etc. then just rub the spinning end over your piece, always keep it moving on the surface and don't hold it in one place too long.

when you think it's done enough on that polish, put a new wheel in, go down to your next grade of polish (never mix polishes on the same wheel) and repeat

if you're on the rouge step, take your piece, wash it off in soap and water and give it a good rinse, then do the above but with the rouge, and then give it a final rub over with a soft dry cloth and you're done.

don't think you have to use this polish on wheels in a dremel though, just rub a bit on a cloth then buff away, it just takes longer but it can be handier for fiddly corners, also there's polishing strings for the inside of loops and stuff.

there's no 100% set in stone right way, like you MUST use this and then that or else your piece will burst into flames and eat your dog or anything but there's things you have to remember.

*never ever put iron or steel in pickle unless you want all the silver you have in there to go pink and make you swear.

[silverbunny]

Got it!! thank you ever so much for taking the time.

You mentioned going down to the next grade of polish after the first polish, is there a hierarchy? which would you recommend using ?

[MuranoSilver]

After Pickling I just stick mine in a barrel polisher the whole thing
comes out really shiny
Nic x

[silverbunny]

Turns out we have a dremel so I will try that for now, but this barrel polisher sounds so easy..what's that? x

[AlexandraBuckle]

This is great info Dano. I'm not that experienced when it comes to the pickling and polishing. I don't do any hot work at all, but I do want to start soldering at some point.
The slow cooker for pickling salts is a great idea!

[Dano]

Got it!! thank you ever so much for taking the time.

You mentioned going down to the next grade of polish after the first polish, is there a hierarchy? which would you recommend using ?

tripoli is your first polish after sanding, then after that i tend to use grey dialux for pass 2, then the rouge, and that's usually enough. grey dialux and rouge might be overdoing it a bit but like i said, you figure out what's right for you.

barrel polishers are great, you put your piece in a rubber barrel full of steel ball bearings and other shapes mixed with water and barreling soap, put it on the machine which turns it slow-ish, and leave it for a bit, and the motion of the steel bearings and the soap constantly falling on it polishes and burnishes really nicely with no elbow grease required, the only downside is that it's about 150 - 200 quid for the setup, and you can't really build it yourself for any cheaper either (i tried)

[MuranoSilver]

Dano
Thanks for the Barrel polisher explanation
silverbunny put it on your "save for one of these" list, they're fabulous time saving marvels!
Nic x