I’ve found the electro-cleaner to be rather temperature sensitive. A
little bit too hot and I would get a gray smudgy streaky thing going
on. I don’t know if cooling off the cleaner alone would do the trick,
I just replaced it with a new batch. The label does say do not
overheat. I don’t heat as much but zap it longer.
You didn’t mention if you use acid dip. Cheap insurance.
Sometimes distance between work and anode seems to have an impact,
too close together and I’ve gotten the appearance of too high
voltage, that frosty gray look.
I think Phillip is right about silver contamination and religious
cleanliness.
Thanks for all the suggestions:
No, I don’t use an acid dip. The supplier suggested that was not
necessary for plating over white gold. I will start keeping my
solution in an air-tight container after plating. Was my solution
contaminated? Possibly, so I broke down and ordered some new
solution. It arrived today and the two rings I plated did just fine.
I readily admit that I hate to pay the $406.00 plus $14.95 shipping
for the one gram solution. (I have not bought a piece of equipment in
a long time that costs that much…)
Dale Pavatte
Diamonds For You
Decherd, Tennessee
Hi Dale, Don’t foget that the wire you hang the work on must be of
gold or plat. Any copper will contaminate the solution immediately.
Have fun,
Tom Arnold