G’day: I couldn’t resist replying to the post of Rick Hamilton
where he comments on the use of saliva in jewellery, and I have a
little anecdote. But first, I really must recommend the use of
common or person spit as a lubricant to assist cutting when
drilling any metal. Aluminium is an offender in that it
sometimes sticks to a drill, but saliva will help, and even works
when filing aluminium which quickly clogs up a fine file, so does
copper or fine silver. Of course, WD40 also works,especially on
files, well outmoding the old engineer’s use of chalking a file.
But my anecdote goes like this; There was a plating firm in
Sheffield who had an old chap as foreman in the plating shop for
many years, and he made up all the solutions, until he finally
retired. They struck trouble; they couldn’t get a good bright
plate. They called the old bloke back and he made them up a fresh
batch. It didn’t work either. They got him back again, and
watched him like a hawk. It didn’t work. Finally they got him
to do the whole job. Just before he put in the batch to be
plated he spat in the vat “for luck”. And got the usual bright
plate!! However, Believe ittt or nottt; I do know that hide
glue is used as a brightener, and these days a sulphur-containing
chemical is also used extensively. The are somewhat akin to spit,
aren’t they? I always lubricate a drill 1mm or smaller with a
touch of saliva when drilling silver: it reallyworks (as they say
on TV)
John Burgess,
@John_Burgess2