concerned about acid pickles

[seraph]

I purchased a acid pickle but I dont think it is doing what its meant to. when ordering it the guy said I labled it up as sulphuric pickle to send via courier. problem was he spoke little english was trying to be really helpful and I think there was a mix up. I know when using it before at college it worked quickly. 2 hours later it hadn't shifted the fire scale from the silver. at all. infact the water was turning a horrid bright greeny/blue colour. (I havent had the pieces near copper and keep it well away from copper. I am baffled as I cleaned the slow cooked our and made sure there was nothing contaminating it no binding wire etc. The powder is white and clumpy looks similar to jewellers flux. I am wondering what this powder is! I dont think its pickle but worried its hazzardous. I am going to be looking for a safe way of disposing of the pickle as the company wont take the powder back....hmmph.

I am opting out of using it. and going back to safety pickle.
I have decided i want to check around for course as, I had a tutor teach me but I have found that everything taught has been the opposite to all the books I have since bought!!! That is quite worrying! I feel like the tutor didnt want me to succeed and so taught us wrong. (possible?) if we teach them wrong they will have to keep returning wont they. seems to be one thing after another but, I have managed to make a few silver pieces im happy with. I dont want to give up but want to be taught correctly as, I dont believe in giving up and I like a challenege.

[silvermaid]

Sorry I can't help with the pickle question but it doesn't seen right to me.

As for the jewellery course, she may have been one of those who can only do things one way. She may have been taught that way and has never bothered to find out if there are other easier or quicker ways to do things. My sister is the same, she once showed me how she put a shortcut to a program on her desktop and it was so long winded - including opening the program and writing the exe file in a notebook if I remember - and I was amazed, but it was how she was taught.
As you have already had some basic practical experience I'm sure you will be able to follow the books. You can always ask questions here.
I found this site was useful http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm

Melanie

[Amethystjewellery]

Perhaps you are not heating it up enough? I use an old glass coffee maker and it will keep the pickle at the correct temperature for over an hour. (Mine is crystalline and lumpy too!)

[benchaddict]

Hi Maelanie,
I find that safety pickle works just fine and I have used it for years.
I heat on a small thermostatically controlled hotplate in a pyrex type pan which has a lid, and I heat my other, tall pyrex beaker(for wire lengths) on a mug warmer.

Always keep an open mind about how to do things and read as much as you can, be a nuiciance and ask as many questions as you can and remember that your tutor does things HIS or HER way, not the only way.

Watch other students in the class and pick their brains too, you can learn a lot from just watching other people work.

Hope this helps, Ruth.

[silvermaid]

I agree you can learn a lot from the other students, especially from their mistakes !!!

Melanie

[Clarey11]

I just bought my pickle from cooksons gold. can't eally go wrong with them. But as for fire scale- pickle wont ever remove it- you have to file it off or sand it off.

[chris-boland]

sulphuric acid is a liquid and never a solid at room temp (even when very pure), so its not sulphuric acid. safety pickle forms an acidic solution when added to water (i think the safety is that a solid is safer to transport).

if its turning blue/green with silver then it sounds like ammonia but i guess its not as you'd probably be gagging and not typing!

i know ammonium phosphate turns copper (and the copper in sterling) blue green and it doent smell and is fairly harmless (that doent meen you can drink it though!).

other than that i cant help you. remember that where talking about harmful chemicals here and you shouldnt take anyones suggestions as proven fact, its just not worth it!

Chris

[chris-boland]

for the last two bank holiday weekends, cooksons have done free delivery on orders. there perfect times to order your nastys!
sutton tools also offer free delivery some weekends.

i'll post up a thead next time i spot one.

just keep an eye out for them.

[urbtaf]

those who can do, those who cant teach

[benchaddict]

I have added some punctuation necessary for this to make some sense.

Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.

I do have to say however that I can 'do', and I love when I get a chance to teach the 'do-ing'.

I guess there are some teachers who are not very good at their job.

There are also some jewellers who are out there producing very poor items.

Just thought it was a bit harsh................

Ruth