Pickle

**ps_bond** · 18-08-2009, 09:24 PM

Originally Posted by Ominicci

(Yes Peter, the lead came - what else can you do with it then?)

Sorry, missed this earlier - lead is far too useful to chuck out, you can use it for forming work into amongst other things. At the very least it can be used as sea fishing weights.

**mizgeorge** · 18-08-2009, 10:16 PM

Lots of options for pickle. For instantly available at home, vinegar and salt works beautifully. So does Cillit Bang (the original formula)

I generally use alum rather than acid based pickle, mainly because with small fingers in the house, I try to limit my acid use, and I use my pickle pot too often to be able to banish it to the shed!

**The Dragon** · 18-08-2009, 10:33 PM

Well I make homemade wine in the winter so have quite a lot of citric acid and I could probably do with replacing my old slow cooker. Just have to get the recipe right.

Thanks guys

Annie

**caroleallen** · 19-08-2009, 06:08 AM

I use alum too as it doesn't react too badly with enamel. Some enamels are OK but others just go matt in safety pickle. You can get alum in Boots but you have to be persistent as they won't find it very easily on their chemicals list.

**Ominicci** · 19-08-2009, 06:19 AM

Sorry - I'm doing a bit of Thread Jacking here - Peter what do you mean by 'forming work into'? Start a new thread or PM me?

**Solunar Silver Studio** · 19-08-2009, 08:56 AM

Originally Posted by caroleallen

I use alum too as it doesn't react too badly with enamel. Some enamels are OK but others just go matt in safety pickle. You can get alum in Boots but you have to be persistent as they won't find it very easily on their chemicals list.

Years ago I tried to get alum to use as a mordant in dyeing textiles and every chemist looked at me as though I crawled out from under a stone...none of them found anything on their stock lists...In the end I got some from a wool dyer on ebay. I can't find it there now but there is this...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aluminium-Sulp...d=p3286.c0.m14

Apparently there are 2 types of mordant alum - aluminium sulphate and potassium aluminium sulphate. The aluminium sulphate is more likely to be contaminated with iron unless it comes certified as iron free...I guess this is a potential problem with a pickle solution!!??

But then - I don't know what I am talking about......

PETER!!!!!

**ps_bond** · 19-08-2009, 09:17 AM

I have to say I've never tried alum as a pickle - safety pickle, dilute sulphuric (about 10%) and citric acid are the ones I've used. I've also used drain cleaner before now as my source of sulphuric - that tends to be for larger brazed or welded work (or if I'm stripping galvanising off steel).

I've used alum in making large crystals (which was fun), in pickles and in a styptic pencil.

I'm not certain what the result would be of having iron ions in solution with the alum; it would probably be the equivalent of having already dunked an iron object into your pickle pot. I've used pickle after doing this - and I've deliberately plated items using this too - but I've never ended up with a high concentration of iron in the mix.

As for forming work into lead - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Z...silver&f=false covers it well. Let me know if that link works - it's fairly unpleasant and may have session info in it!

**amazingbabe** · 19-08-2009, 02:42 PM

Can anybody tell me how long do i have to leave something pickle for and does it have to be heated????

**mizgeorge** · 19-08-2009, 03:00 PM

It depends on the piece, and how bad the firescale is. I use alum, heated in a slow cooker on the lowest (keep warm) setting. Most things take between 5 and 20 minutes to get to white. You can use cold pickle, but it does take longer.