Barrel polisher problem

**pricklepuss** · 08-06-2010, 01:34 PM

I usually find the answer to any queries I have are already covered on the forum somewhere, but the day has now come for my first post!

I have a barrel polisher, the single one from cooksons, a kilo of mixed steel shot and some barrelbrite.

Now the first few times I used the barreller I had no barrelbrite so used plain soap flakes and the few items I put through came out as bright and beautiful as you would expect.
Wanting to do stuff properly I then ordered some barrelbrite, I gave the shot/barrel a good rinse to get rid of the soap and refilled the barrel with a teaspoon of barrelbrite+water to cover the shot. I ran it once, then emptied and rinsed everything then refilled again ready for the silver.
It comes out nice and shiney, but all the silver has a light golden brown tarnish to it. The discolouration is easily removed with silvo, but I'm a confused as to why the silver is going brown!!!
I've rinsed and re run the barrel several times with fresh barrelbrite solution, but the silver still goes in dull and clean and comes out shiney with a hint of brown!
Any suggestions/insight would be gratefully received, what can I use to thoroughly clean the barrel/shot?
Thanks,
Nick

**caroleallen** · 08-06-2010, 04:07 PM

Is it stainless steel shot? If not, could it be rust from the shot ?

**pricklepuss** · 08-06-2010, 05:19 PM

thanks for the reply, yeah it is stainless shot. I thought it may be rust or sume such when it first happened so I checked through it and rinsed it a bit at a time in a sieve and its all nice and shiney with no signs of rust!

**caroleallen** · 08-06-2010, 05:55 PM

Mmm, I don't know then. I use Barrelbrite in my barrel and never have any problems. Have you tried going back to the original soap?

**daisychain** · 08-06-2010, 09:08 PM

That is very strange. Rust on the shot would have been my first thought too. Just to rule everything out, have you tried polishing a different set of jewellery?

**pricklepuss** · 09-06-2010, 08:46 AM

thanks again for your replies, i think i may have sorted it.
i cleaned out the barrel and rinsed the shot a bit at a time in a sieve, then ran it with fresh solution then cleaned it all again last night and i think its cleared up the problem.
i'm still a bit confused as nothing but clean silver has ever gone in, and i found no trace of rust contamination, but something must have got in there as cleaning everything about half a dozen times seems to have cured it!

**pricklepuss** · 09-06-2010, 08:47 AM

I tried to post a pic in the last reply, but i need 5 posts first....

**pricklepuss** · 09-06-2010, 08:49 AM

hopefully in the next one you will be able to see the pic

**pricklepuss** · 09-06-2010, 08:50 AM

i've added a pic below so you can see the effect, the little beech hut is one of the first pieces to be affected by staining, the bar to the right is after i'd cleaned the barrel 3-4 times and the 2 rings are fresh from the barreller after last nights cleaning.