Polishing silver

[Devildog]

Hello All,
I just finished pouring my refined batch of silver. Turned out fairly well but, I'd like to get this duhl coating off. Any suggestion on how to go about this besides a dremmel? Was thinking a rock blanket? For polishing rocks?
I appreciate the education and advice on this.
CHEERS!!

 

[4metals]

Looks like the marks Oxygen makes when it is ejected from the Silver as it solidifies. Silver has a rather odd property of absorbing up to 20 times it’s volume of oxygen out of the air and expelling it on cooling.
Do you protect the molten Silver from absorbing oxygen when melting and pouring?

 

[Devildog]

Looks like the marks Oxygen makes when it is ejected from the Silver as it solidifies. Silver has a rather odd property of absorbing up to 20 times it’s volume of oxygen out of the air and expelling it on cooling.
Do you protect the molten Silver from absorbing oxygen when melting and pouring?

Thank you so much for the education my friend.
The way I melt and pour is of course crucible, melting using MAPP Gas, and a graphite 2oz mold to pour into that's kept warm via propane torch. A little borax sprinkle on top if the molten silver before pouring. That's my melting/pouring process.

 

[kurtak]

Any suggestion on how to go about this besides a dremmel?

I use a jewelers buffing wheel like you see on my work bench --- that not me in the pic its a friend that helps out sometimes

Kurt

 

[4metals]

The way I melt and pour is of course crucible, melting using MAPP Gas, and a graphite 2oz mold to pour into that's kept warm via propane torch. A little borax sprinkle on top if the molten silver before pouring.

At the scale you are doing it polishing is the best bet. The bars in your photo looked bigger to me so I assumed you were using a crucible furnace. Shows you what happens when we assume!

Anyway, if you were melting in a crucible, a reducing flame focused on the bars before and during the melt will burn up the oxygen in the air and prevent the bars from sucking it up. Then a reducing flame focused on the mold you pour into will protect the still molten Silver as it pours and slow the cooling resulting in a smoother finish.

 

[Devildog]

At the scale you are doing it polishing is the best bet. The bars in your photo looked bigger to me so I assumed you were using a crucible furnace. Shows you what happens when we assume!

Anyway, if you were melting in a crucible, a reducing flame focused on the bars before and during the melt will burn up the oxygen in the air and prevent the bars from sucking it up. Then a reducing flame focused on the mold you pour into will protect the still molten Silver as it pours and slow the cooling resulting in a smoother finish.

I am very appreciative of this education my friend!! Thank you so much!!

 

[Devildog]

I use a jewelers buffing wheel like you see on my work bench --- that not me in the pic its a friend that helps out sometimes

Kurt

Kurt!!
Always good to hear from you. I appreciate this information and will apply it!! Thanks so much!
CHEERS!!