Conference 7.286::home_work

    Try wiping the pieces with lacquer remover before you start polishing.
    The surface was probably protected by a thin film of lacquer to
    slow down the tarnishing process, and it takes a lot of effort
    to polish that off.  But it should dissolve easily if you wipe
    the surface with lacquer thinner, and that should make the polishing
    job easier.
    If that doesn't help, the only solution is what you did.  You
    might try some other polishing compounds; Brasso is excellent
    for giving a high polish, but it is not very abrasive (or, rather,
    the abrasive in it is very fine).  Try something like "Twinkle"
    copper cleaner from the kitchen section of a supermarket; that's
    much more abrasive, and should work more quickly.  However, it
    won't give as high a polish.  After going at it with Twinkle for
    a while to get the crud off, you mmight finish up with Brasso to
    get a good shine.
    
    See other notes in this file for hints about recoating with lacquer
    after the surface is polished, to slow down tarnishing.

    More thoughts...
    If the pieces are merely copper plated, you'll have to be careful
    about polishing off the plating.
    By chance are these things intentionally tarnished/blackened?  I've
    seen some copper-finished pieces in stores that come from the factory
    with an "artistic" tarnish finish; if you've got something like
    those that you're trying to clean up, I have no idea what kind of
    results you'll get.

    
    To polish copper, use a salt and vinegar solution.
    Works great on copper or copper-clad pans.
    
    -tm
    

    Another product that has worked great for restoring brass, chrome,
    aluminum, etc. for car restorations is
    
    		SIMICHROME
    
    no heavy elbow grease needed, try your local quality auto shop.
    
    	-Barry-
    

    Citric acid, found in most "tart" juices, will brighten up the copper.
    Lemon juice is usually the one I hear most recommended; and that
    I have tried.
    
    - Mark

I use auto body polishing compound a lot for taking tarnish and general scuz
off of bright metal. It's worked on everything so far. You can find it almost
anywhere you find car wax, usually made by duPont in two grades.  -Tom R.

    I have some silver jewelry boxes that belonged to my grandfather that
    I'd like some advice on.  These are heavy sterling boxes with hinged
    lids on them.  Beautiful, but of course they tarnish.  I don't mind
    polishing them at all (actually I kind of like seeing the shine again
    from under the tarnish!).
    
    What I'm wondering is, does anyone know of some kind of `sealant' for
    silver?  Something to stop the tarnishing process --  like clear nail
    polish will do?  I know that sounds silly but I've used clear nail
    polish on a pair of silver earrings that irritated my skin.  It looks
    great (non-noticeable), feels fine, and the earrings haven't tarnished
    since the coating.
    
    --  Tracy

    Although different metals are discussed, similar anti-tarnish
    techniques have been discussed.  You might want to review 1627, 1940,
    and 2076 found using keyword CLEANING.
    
    And as pointed out in the previous reply, try ANTIQUE_COLLECTIBLE and
    use the keyword CLEANING there as well.  Again, protecting metals which
    tarnish has been discussed by I don't believe silver explicitly.  Try
    the keyword SILVER for topics regarding silver.

    
    don't know about silver, but brass is often sprayed with an
    aerosol-type lacquer.  Most any good hardware store should have
    some.  or try a craft shop....
    
    would think you could do the same thing with silver, but it
    may react somehow.  You could ask a jeweler/silversmith for
    their opinion.
    
    deb
    

    Thanks for the replies so far,  before I entered the note I did a
    dir/title=silver.  What I got was a note about silverfish and 2 on
    re-silvering mirrors.  Since that wasn't what I wanted I thought I'd
    give this a shot!
    
    I did see the notes about lacquering brass but am hesitant to try this
    on the silver without knowing what would happen.  If I get a change
    I'll talk to a jeweller.
    
    If anyone hears anything about this, please post it here.
    
    --  Tracy
    
    (PS _ Mr/Ms moderator could you add a keyword silver for this note?)

    There's a special threated cloth you can wrap silver in to keep
    it from tarnishing...although that's mostly for silverware and
    other things you mostly have in storage.  I assume you have these
    boxes out on display.
    If the treated cloth would be of any help, I assume a good jeweler
    could tell you where to get some.

    There is some kind of treated strip we keep in our china cabinet where
    the silver is displayed that helps keep the stuff from tarnishing.
    It will only work in a closed display.  I don't know what the stuff
    is called, but I can ask my wife if you like.
    					- Vick

    Hi Vick,
    
    Please do ask your wife if she knows what this is called, it may come
    in some other form.  You just never know!!
    
    Thanks,
    
    --  Tracy

Any decent jeweler and many department stores will have these treated strips,
as well as treated cloth bags and other similar products.  I have used the
strips with good success in a silverware case.  I don't know if one can
reasonably coat silver pieces with lacquer to prevent them from tarnishing,
but using the treated materials can noticeably inhibit tarnishing.

		Steve

I once heard that silver tarnishing is basically a product of the
industrial revolution, since it is industrial pollutants (sulpher 
dioxide?) that cause the tarnish.  In pre-industrial days, these
pollutants would only be found near a silver smelter, so in normal
usage, silver stayed as clean and pure as gold.  I always wondered 
why a metal that tarnishes is considered to be a precious metal.  
Well, when its status was established, it didn't tarnish.

	Enjoy,
	Larry

    They are called:  3M Silver Protection Strips
    
    They may be available at Jordan Marsh.
    
    They can be ordered from:
    
    	Silver Care Products
    	4670 Churchill Street
    	St. Paul, MN  55126
    
    					- Vick

	I seem to recall that sulphur is one of the evil chemicals that
	makes silver tarnish.  I don't know if it is sulphur that forms
	the tarnish, or if it is merely a catalyst.  I'm told that wrapping
	the silver tightly in plastic wrap can help protect it, so oxygen
	probably has a role in the tarnishing reaction.

	Sulphur has been around for a long time, so I'm sure that silver
	has tarnished for a long time - long before the Industrial
	Revolution.  I suspect that the people who could afford silver
	were the same ones who could afford servants to clean the silver.
	In past centuries (even earlier in this one), labor was much less
	expensive relative to other costs, so manually intensive processes
	were cheaper.  How many times have I heard, "Imagine the cost to 
	reproduce that kind of detail today?"

	Sulphur is found in eggs (aren't they famous for tarnishing silver?),
	and in volcanic eruptions, and often in natural springs.  These
	all predate the Industrial Revolution.

	-andy kegel@krisis

    Brookstone also have the strips and the cloth. The strips work fine
    inside a cutlery box.
    I used to stay in a place where the landlady was an antique dealer who
    specialized in silverware - the house was stuffed with it. She used to
    get it all out every now and again and wash it with soap and water -
    just like they do with the crown jewels she used to say. Never worked
    for me though perhaps I leave it too long.
    Personally I would opt for a long term polish and stuff some of the
    strips in the cabinet. When the lacquer wears you will have a really
    tatty looking piece of stuff.
    
    Rod

I have some heavy cast aluminum saucepans.  Each time I boil water in one of
them it turns black inside.  I assume it has something to do with our tap water.

Does anyone know what chemical(s) may be in the water which could be causing
this?  (Town water.)  Is this water safe to drink?  Will anything remove the
black stains in the pots?

Thanks very much...

      <<< Note 3911.0 by AISG::LANDINGHAM "Guy M., DLB5-3/E5, 291-9268" >>>
                       -< Aluminum pots turning black? >-

Sulphur is the usual culprit.

Best way I know to rid the black is boil water in the pot with a
teaspoon or 2 of cream of tartar.

Bob

Re: .1  That worked nicely.  Thanks very much.

    I have a piece of copper which has a shiny coating on it.  Part of
    the coating is gone so the copper is turning a different color than
    the rest, which is fine-I actually like the look of it.  My question
    is...what can I use to take off the rest of the shiny coating?
    
    Thank you,
    Linda

    it sort of depends on what the coating is, but I'd try (in order)
    
    Lacquer Thinner
    Acetone
    MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone)
    
    ...tom

    Thank you
    Linda