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Crud on ebay silver

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Author	Topic: Crud on ebay silver
milkyusa unregistered	posted 11-18-2003 03:29 PM Hi- I bought a silver bowl (I know this is a bad way to start the inquiry) and when I got it, it had this sort of dullish clear crud on it that was sort of half worn off, or possibly scrubbed off. I strongly suspect it's that stuff you put on to keep silver from tarnishing, but I'm not sure. After ignoring it for a month or two, I just tried to polish the little bowl up, and the crud won't budge. Is there a good way to get this stuff off without ruining the silver? And can I use the bowl ever, or did the crud make it poisonous? I tried to take pictures, but you can't tell it's there, which I suppose is how I got screwed like this to begin with. Sigh. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! IP: Logged
adelapt Posts: 418 Registered: May 2003	posted 11-18-2003 05:29 PM Try using a bit of lacquer remover, like acetone (nail polish remover) on a cotton bud or cotton ball in one spot, relying more on the solvent action than the rubbing. Do it in a well ventilated place though, so you don't go trippin' off! IP: Logged
Kimo Posts: 1627 Registered: Mar 2003	posted 11-19-2003 09:54 AM In all likelihood it is just some kind of varnish that was sprayed on either when it was made or by some later owner who was tired of polishing it and as has been suggested should come off with some lacquer remover type solvent. On the other hand, one never knows where old things have been or what previous owners have had in them or what germs or toxins might be in the crud so if you ever want to use such an item for food or drink it is worth making sure it has been throughly cleaned down to the metal. IP: Logged
Dale Posts: 2132 Registered: Nov 2002	posted 11-19-2003 12:33 PM The things people put on silver are amazing. In addition to spray on varnishes, there is acrilic floor was, heat shrunk plastic film, various clear platics. In real desparation, there is always oven cleaner. I had a turkey dome which had something like petrified cooking grease on it covered with decades of kitchen crud. No chemical would penetrate. Even my most abrasive compounds would not touch it. Finally took it to a car wash, sprayed it with oven cleaner and rinsed with the high pressure hose. Came out beautifully, which really surprised me. IP: Logged
swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 Registered: May 2003	posted 11-19-2003 01:03 PM Now, that's real desperation - not to be rocommended unless you are ready to throw it out if it doesn't work! IP: Logged
milkyusa unregistered	posted 11-19-2003 02:43 PM Well, I tried the nail polish remover, and it didn't seem to do much, but i'm going to give it a more concerted effort this afternoon. I hadn't thought of all the hideous things that could be on silverware- Yikes! I always just polish it, wash it, and start eating off of it! Now I'm paranoid . . . Thanks for the advice, folks! IP: Logged
Vi Posts: 17 Registered: Jul 99	posted 11-24-2003 12:18 AM If your bowl is not too big, you can try boiling the crud off. It takes a while and is disgusting, but we have boiled silver pieces in kettle or roasting pan and successfully removed crud. Vi IP: Logged
Paul Lemieux Posts: 1792 Registered: Apr 2000	posted 11-24-2003 01:27 AM Sometimes I use a mixture of ammonia and water if I need to refinish a piece of furniture. It takes off old, nasty varnish pretty well. I wonder if it would also take off lacquer on silver? I have never tried ammonia on lacquered silver before. I have used it to remove salt corrosion. It works, but leaves the silver dull. However, polishing these dull areas with Simichrome gives the silver a nice luster that is not too shiny or buffed-seeming. IP: Logged
t-man-nc Posts: 327 Registered: Mar 2000	posted 11-24-2003 01:46 PM I wonder if that would work on teapots... I am a bit worried abot the insulators and or woden handles... Fred... How hard is it to remove and reattach a tea pot handle...? I know that when I purchare a tea pot at an auction the spout is almost always packed with polish and other gunk built up over the years.... I have been relucktant to use much of it because of this stuff.... Any ideas... IP: Logged
Dale Posts: 2132 Registered: Nov 2002	posted 11-24-2003 01:59 PM What works depends very much on what we are dealing with. There are removers for plastic and acrylic finishes, available at large paint centers. It has always been my experience that finding out what is on an item depends very much on trial and error. There is no one solution. My experience is that the ammonia solution has erratic results, particularly if engraving is involved. But it works sometimes. IP: Logged
Brent Posts: 1507 Registered: May 99	posted 03-23-2004 08:36 PM Here is a dramatic turnaround. This pair of candlesticks was covered in badly yellowed and worn lacquer. When lacquer is scratched or worn, the exposed silver will tarnish in the shape of the wear, leaving dark black "scratches" and spots as shown. Because of their apparent condition, I was able to purchase them for almost nothing. With a brief application of acetone and a bit of polishing we have: A pair of like-new candlesticks in the collectible 1847 Rogers pattern ANNIVERSARY, worth many times what I paid. Anyway, the lesson seems to be not to pass up a piece just because it is lacquered and looks terrible. It doesn't take much work, and you may uncover a real treasure! Brent IP: Logged

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