pickle

[MichelleSc]

Do you need a separate pickle pot for doing copper and silver?  I seem to recall hearing that...

[Polly]

Hi Michelle,

Our resident metalworking expert Kurt Madison, aka Metalman, is taking a break from the forum, working on some exhibition installations.  I'm not an expert, but I do have expert resources at hand!

People normally use copper tongs to place sterling silver items into the pickle pot, so copper and silver should be fine in the same pot.

I have read that you should not place soft-soldered items into your pickle pot.  Check out this knife site, for some good basic soldering info.

Ah-hah, now I've found what I'm looking for, in The Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreight.  He says "As pickle is used to clean sterling or karat gold, it absorbs copper ions, creating what's called a super saturated solution." Apparently when you put a steel item into this solution, the steel creates an electrical charge, and then you start copper plating whatever other item is in the pickle bath.  This is why copper, brass or wooden tongs should be used with pickle -- never steel.

[Metalman]

Polly has the right details there.  It really only becomes a problem with the steel and a solution that is turning blue with copper in it.
Keep it clean and fresh and you should be okay.

[Russ Nobbs]

When Dee & I worked at the bench, we kept a chunk of sterling sprue base scrap in the pickle. If it did start to plate out copper, it would plate onto the sprue and not on the work in progress. It always seemed to work.

[Metalman]

I just have to say.....

That Russ's tip above is the essence of what is great about this forum and forum's in general. This sort of discussion ability.
Simple, a great little tip and I would bet you never see it in a book