Removing enamel

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hello again is it possible to entirely remove enamel from a piece of
18ct gold or fine siver using hydroflouric acid witout affecting the
metal. thank you . PHIL

2

Phil, Hydrofloric will remove all of the enamel, indeed any glass,
including a glass storage container will go away. We used to use
this in dentistry (crown and bridge) to remove porcelain from
crowns, etc. This is very, very dangerous stuff. Perhaps it would
be wise to remove enamel mechanically-- w/ abrasives, etc.

Good luck, Andy Cooperman

3 
  is it possible to entirely remove enamel from a piece of  18ct
gold or fine siver using hydroflouric acid witout affecting the
metal. thank you . PHIL

Yes Phil, but it would be unwise (to put it politely) to attempt to
do this unless you have the necessary training, skills, safety
equipment and antidotes in place - and in Australia ( and probably
New Zealand), the relevant “poisons license”. . Hydrofluoric Acid is
an extremely unforgiving material which attacks every system in the
body but particularly the central nervous system, and is undetectable
for some time in skin contact at lowish concentrations, meaning that
by the time you start to feel the effects of a splash you are on your
way to being very sick or maybe even dead all over.

There’s plenty of interesting reading on the WWW from various
health authorities about the stuff, which is used in a variety of
industries on a day-to-day basis. Concentrations as low as 0.2% have
caused neurological damage in young children exposed via aerosol
mist to one of the very popular chrome-cleaning products available at
auto shops - in the US that is - the product of the same name sold in
Australia contains no Hydrofluoric acid.

Allan Heywood

4

Removing enamel Hi Phil, drop your piece of enamel in liquid armor
etch and wait. It will eat away your glass and leave your gold.
Depending on the thickness of the enamel, it may take a day or two.
Lisa

Lisa Hawthorne
studio.art@att.net

1 Like
5

A little heat shock can go along way in helping to remove enamel as
well, depending on the type of enamel present. Heating your piece in
an oven to several hundred degrees(keeping in mind the melting point
of any solder that might be present), then quenching the piece
immediately in water or a pickle will often shatter enamel…then a
trip to the ultrasonic helps vibrate the pieces out.

David Cowling

1 Like
6

Yes Phil, but it would be unwise (to put it politely) to attempt to
do this unless you have the necessary training, skills, safety
equipment and antidotes in place - and in Australia ( and probably
New Zealand), the relevant “poisons license”. . Hydrofluoric Acid is
an extremely unforgiving material which attacks every system in the
body but particularly the central nervous system, and is
undetectable for some time in skin contact at lowish concentrations,
meaning that by the time you start to feel the effects of a splash
you are on your way to being very sick or maybe even dead all over.

There’s plenty of interesting reading on the WWW from various health
authorities about the stuff, which is used in a variety of industries
on a day-to-day basis. Concentrations as low as 0.2% have caused
neurological damage in young children exposed via aerosol mist to one
of the very popular chrome-cleaning products available at auto shops

  • in the US that is - the product of the same name sold in Australia
    contains no Hydrofluoric acid.

Allan Heywood