Quenching hot

Jewelry Discussion
1

I have been taught both views on this subject…Some say
quenching hot is a no no…others say yes yes…I figure that it
can’t be that horrible (unless warpage is a big issue) because
quenching in hot pickle is used for doing depletion gilding for
finishes and reticulation…

Susan

2

hi everyone,

i used to run a hot pickle as much as i ran the steamer. but
then again, i used to bomb every job that came through the shop.

now i will quench everything in water and just let it soak there
all day. this will remove the flux and remains of the boric acid
glass. with correct soldering, one doesn’t get any firescale to
warrant using the acid pot. after saying this, i’ll tell you i
don’t use much silver. only when i heat a piece a too long do i
use the acid pot. on occasion i heat it up, on fewer occcasions
i pull out the cyanide and bomb.

for the record. i don’t put hot metal in the pickle pot. i
credit my conversion from being a acid quencher to a recovering
acid quencher to jack da silva.

best regards,
geo fox

3

Geo,

Is there aproblem with quenching veryhot items in the pot …
Like to know cause I do it all the time…

Thanks,

Jim

4

Jim,

Not that I know of. I work strictly in gold and platinum and I
quench in hot pickle all the time. Cold pickle just doesn’t get
all the oxidation off. Cold is very good for silver, but not for
gold.

Barry

5 
   Is there aproblem with quenching veryhot items in the pot
... Like to know cause I do it all the time....

hi jim, i don’t do it anymore. there was a thread recently
concerning this issue recently. spattering of acid solution can
be a problem on your clothes, skin, eyes, coworker and etc.
there was also discussion of the pickle actually entering the
expanded micropores of the metal if the metal is doused hot.
this can make subsequent solderings difficult. i don’t know if
this actually changes the surface of the metal like anodizing
does to aluminum or if the acid trapped (or whatever it has
become) is released from the micropores by the subsequent
heating. i have also read that quenching metal too hot can cause
the metal too warp, and if it doesn’t warp, certainly it will
cause uneven cooling which causes uneven crystallisation
creating tension in the workpiece.

i’m not sure, but i think you are replying to post where i
talked about the method of heating the ‘burnt crud’ to clean
behind diamonds. this also i don’t do anymore. i have messed up
a few rings this way: retipped prongs melting, fine wire
galleries melting, burning diamonds etc. perhaps it was the
result of my being too bold or careless. in any case, i use what
i believe to be a better, safer solution: 1/2 diluted liquid
plummer or drano in a beaker placed in the sonic.

best regards,

geo fox

6 
  Not that I know of.  I work strictly in gold and platinum
and I quench in hot pickle all the time.  Cold pickle just
doesn't get all the oxidation off.  Cold is very good for
silver, but not for gold.

In researching sheared off white gold prongs and their cause,
many manf. concluded that quenching when hot was one of the
causes . I have also been advised by my alloy supplier not to
quench white gold after casting, can become brittle. My practice
for years is not to quench anything, when cool I drop in hot
pickle. I have had no trouble with cracking of prongs or
mountings, white gold or otherwise. I do quench yellow gold
after about 10 min when casting. Another way we have combatted
prong shear is to use platinum heads, we use platinum far more
than white gold these days. Its safer and your margin is better.
Food for thought. Mark P.

7 
 Not that I know of.  I work strictly in gold and platinum and
I quench in hot pickle all the time.  Cold pickle just doesn't
get all the oxidation off.  Cold is very good for silver, but
not for gold.

I work in silver and don’t find any benefit using COLD pickle,
mine is always hot!

8

We work in all precious metals and the method we use is a
programmable heated ultra sonic. We keep a beaker of sparex in a
bath of water with baking soda in it. I have never used this
before, kinda an expensive way to go but it works great!!

Rick

9

We work in all precious metals and the method we use is a
programmable heated ultra sonic. We keep a beaker of sparex in a
bath of water with baking soda in it. I have never used this
before, kinda an expensive way to go but it works great!!

This also works when plating.I place the beaker of plating
solution in the ultrasonic to help insure even plating and to
plate in tight areas.

  Scott Hepner
10

I bet this works really well, I have done limited plating. I
was told to hit the piece against the side to shake loose the
bubbles. So I imagine that the ultrasonic works wonders.

Rick