it was recommended to me that a 50/50 mixture of Sparex and
hydrogen peroxide (over-the-counter brand) be used as a pickle
for nickle silver.
There are various forms of “over the counter” hydrogen peroxide.
One can be found in the “Antiseptic” section of the drug store,
the other will be found where ever the hair dye products are.
The hair product Hydrogen Peroxide is between 10% and 40% . I
think the antiseptic kind is about 4% . I am still wondering
which to use . . .
The 4% works just fine. When it’s on sale for 10 pints for $1, I
just stock up. The original publisher of the peroxide pickle, I
believe, was Bill Seeley, now with Reactive Metals Studio. His
recipe used vinegar and peroxide. Vinegar was an “activator”
(perhaps a catalyst?). I add a teaspoon of dry Sparex per cup of
his mix. This works great for removing copper oxides, especially
if you’re doing depletion gilding of sterling, say for
reticulation.
So, Bill Seeley, I hope this gets back to you. Thanks for the
great recipe!
The hair product Hydrogen Peroxide is between 10% and 40% . I
think the antiseptic kind is about 4% . I am still wondering
which to use . . .
Use 3% Hydrogen Peroxide for this pickle. Do not keep any of
the 30-40% around as it is very reactive and can combine
explosively with other compounds. It is used as a component of
certain types of rocket fuel.
Jim
@jbin
James Binnion Metal Arts
4701 San Leandro St #18
Oakland, CA 94601
510-436-3552