So I achieved the finish I was looking for on my sterling pattern
sheet pieces. I oxidized them all over. I went over the top of the
surface with a hard fine polishing wheel (cratex I think) in the
flexible shaft. That revealed the raised pattern nicely against the
dark background. I then polished the raised parts with a hard felt
buff. So it came out very pretty. But as for maintenance? I am not
sure how to advise a customer on the care of the pieces since they
will not likely have the tools that I have to polish with. The only
thing that comes to mind is those fingernail buffs that are sold in
drugstores to polish your nails. Do others run into this sort of
problem with your more experimental pieces? The question of, “That’s
cool looking but how do you maintain it?” Thanks for all advice and
discussion-Carrie Nunes
I am not sure how to advise a customer on the care of the pieces...
Hi Carrie, I’d caution the customer against using any tarnish remover
(like Tarn-X) because it will remove the patina from the recesses. I
would recommend/give them/sell them one of those jewelry polishing
cloths available through our many suppliers. This will allow them to
maintain the brightness of the raised surface without digging into the
recesses. Using elbow grease, or thumb grease in this case, will also
make sure they don’t get overly aggressive.
All the best,
Dave
Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio and
Carolina Artisans’ Gallery
Charlotte, NC (USA)
dave@sebaste.com
http://www.CarolinaArtisans.com