Removing tarnish from pewter

[Ryan_Ho]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone knows how to remove tarnish from
pewter? Also , does anyone know a good way of treating pewter to
prevent such tarnish from occurring (I was thinking of coating it
with a laquer of some sort)?

thank you in advance .
Ryan Haddrell
Clayfeild Jewellery
Australia.

[Ron_Charlotte1]

First of all, is it a true lead-tin pewter, or is it one of the more
modern lead-free alloys. The answer will vary. The truth is, the
leaded alloy is very difficult to stop from tarnishing. A lacquer
coat may work, or may just slow it down.

Ron Charlotte – Gainesville, FL
@Ron_Charlotte1 OR afn03234@afn.org

[Abo_Originals1]

I wouldn’t suggest a lacquer. If not applied properly, you can end
up with a real mess! Clear coats are often applied by conservators to
metals such as silver that are susceptible to tarnishing but they are
trained to do it properly and know what coatings are appropriate for
various materials. Typically, they do not treat objects with anything
that can’t be removed (reversed) without causing damage. I would
suggest you use a microcrystalline wax such as Rennaisance wax. It
can be purchased through most archival supply houses such as Light
Impressions, University Products or Gaylord. I haven’t checked by Rio
may actually carry it. It is also effective on silver to help prevent
tarnishing. It is applied sparingly and then buffed off. Hope that
helps, Chris Hanson Collections Curator and Jewelry Artist Ketchikan,
AK

[Andrew_T_Sulecki]

I have always treated pewter like silver. The pieces I make I dip
in acrylic floor cleaner ( mop and glo, stepsaver) Never tarnishes,
and if you need to repair it, just use amonia to strip it off.

[John_Burgess2]

G’day; My father kept a pub in the East End of London (Stratford)
and when I was very young he still had pewter mugs in pint and half
pint sizes. I can just remember the old potman taking all the
pewter pots out to the shed where he scrubbed and washed them in hot
water with very fine white silver sand, and my father insisted that
those pots must shine like silver! I got into trouble for playing
with the sand. When? I would have been about 4, so that would be
1925! I imagine that if the pewter pots of today became tarnished, a
good rub with a good silver polish like Goddard’s would do the job.

Cheers for now,
John Burgess; @John_Burgess2 of Mapua, Nelson NZ

[Steelybone]

I remember reading somewhere that pewter can be cleaned by rubbing
with cabbage leaves. Must be the acid they contain. And it may
apply only to “old” pewter - the stuff with lead.

Tas
Earthly Wealth