Polishing

[admin]

Hi Michiel,
For the benefit of all of the silver collectors who frequent the forum, could you tell us how you would go about cleaning this piece and leaving the lovely contrasting background oxidation?


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[mg langeveld]

Hi,
A piece like this would be washed in water+non-ionic soap and then cleaned with a slurry of preticipated chalk in water with a little non-ionic soap added (2%), using cotton wool swaps (like swaps on a stick and the round ones normally used for removal of make-up). Chalk residues are washed away with water (and soap if necessary), using very soft brushes. If necessary polish residues are removed using ultrasonic bath (not in this case as the blackening in the lower pars may come loose) or a steam-cleaner. The object is dried with pressurised air (is that english?), I mean air from an aircompressor... possibly after dipping it into ethanol (pure alcohol). Finely it is buffed with a clean cotton cloth.
Commercial polishing products are only used as a last resort as they are normally way to agressif!!

If there is interest in more elaborate information on the care and cleaning of silver I`d be happy to share my knowledge, alltough there is already a lot available on the internet from wellknown conservation institutes.

best regards, Michiel
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[byron mac donald]

Hi,
A piece like this would be washed in water+non-ionic soap and then cleaned with a slurry of preticipated chalk in water with a little non-ionic soap added (2%), using cotton wool swaps (like swaps on a stick and the round ones normally used for removal of make-up). Chalk residues are washed away with water (and soap if necessary), using very soft brushes. If necessary polish residues are removed using ultrasonic bath (not in this case as the blackening in the lower pars may come loose) or a steam-cleaner. The object is dried with pressurised air (is that english?), I mean air from an aircompressor... possibly after dipping it into ethanol (pure alcohol). Finely it is buffed with a clean cotton cloth.
Commercial polishing products are only used as a last resort as they are normally way to agressif!!

If there is interest in more elaborate information on the care and cleaning of silver I`d be happy to share my knowledge, alltough there is already a lot available on the internet from wellknown conservation institutes.

best regards, Michiel

I have some pieces I would like to clean, just to highlight and polish out the surfaces on. I would like to leave the patina in the hollows as back ground. This method would seem to work. My only question is. What is non-ionic soap and preticipated chalk? and where do I find it?
Thank you- Byron

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[Granmaa]

This seems like rather an unecessarily lengthy, elaborate and expensive method. Why not simply use a polish impregnated cloth which would be perfect for leaving a dark background?

This is my only polishing tool: an old cotton T-shirt which no longer needs more polish added.

Miles


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[byron mac donald]

[ Thankyou-
But I still need to know what non-ionic soap is I assume that precipitated chalk is just wet chalk, but I may be wrong. Could you clarify this for me.
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[dragonflywink]

I've used Orvus, a very gentle neutral pH non-ionic soap for years on antique and vintage fabrics, doesn't leave any particles or residue after rinsing.

Cheryl ;o)
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[byron mac donald]

Thank you Cheryl-

I now have a brand name to go on.

Byron
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[byron mac donald]

Thank you for your help, I may try this also.
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[bluidbear3]

I've been using Orvus Paste (from farm and tractor supply stores) on my good woolens and cashmeres for several years now. I was told about it by friends who are weavers that it is so much better on our woolens than those specific detergents for fine woolens which can actually damage the fibers . Good to know it (Orvus) can be used for silver cleaning too.
Thanks,
Michael