buttermilk - can it clean silver?

[Hose_dk]

The test is carried out as I write. So I dont know the answer. I bought a fantastic bowl today. Very butiful and fine hand made. Is it silver? I dont know, but I hope. As fantastic as it is. Its also so dirty. The green colour normally tell - copper. But in this case it could be green from the imtem held inside by the owner before me. We start by showint the bowl. Thailand?


Inside very green - and lots of "patina"
This is our starting point. Lets add some buttermilk.

And wait a few hours.


Another half hour in the buttermils and a brush to get Down in the pattern.


And details


Butiful details, but it could very well be that I have to continue all night, there is still much to go.

[Hose_dk]

I left in outside in the garden and it has rained. So buttermilk has had Water added. Not for the better.


This morning I gave it a tour with a toothbrush. Inside it has some effect - but inside is also a lot of surface. Even surface.


Also on the outside i has been cleaned. But Again mostly on the top. Where the brush and my fingers has most effect.

Dont know - I think that its the mechanical that Works. We see this afternoon.
But a lot of dirt was also removed this morning. It made the buttermilk darker.
The one WHO told me of this method explained that I would get a colour that had a ..... (dont know Word) but not as shiny as polish. Could he have been taling of the Black & White efffect?

[Hose_dk]

Project buttermilk terminated and projekt burger started


11 oclock Remulade - mayonnaise - tomat pure - mustard - ketchup going from 11 oclock going right.
No effect what so ever of more than 1 hour of test.

Project polish next try. Any good idea before I start that one?

[Hose_dk]

I decided to polish. An ordinary silver polish followed by an hour and a half in buttermilk. Then cleaning with a dishwasher soap, and a tooth brush. Followed by tooth pasta and a wash in warm Water.
Could be that I should stop?

[Hose_dk]

So for us to be able to compaire.


The same bowl - but a few hours of hard Work, in between.

[silvermakersmarks]

It just goes to show that there are no shortcuts. I think I'll stick to silver polish on my silver and food in my mouth.

[JLDoggett]

Very interesting, debunks a lot of myths.

[Hose_dk]

We are still in the mombo jombo business. Test the use of hot Water, salt (natriumklorid) and aluminium folio. The natriumklorid should have been natriumkarbonat but I did not have any of that.


Water has been added and we see the bobbles comming. We wait and see result :-)

[Hose_dk]

Hmmmm a lot of dirt removed. However not all. Mechanical still Works best for me. I know that its me - the method should Work. But for me ??

Before the cleaning today & After today cleaning.

Conclusion for me - I can see that it Works a lot less of the red dirt.

[JLDoggett]

I have used this process in demonstrations but I used potassium bitartrate (cream of tartar). It takes a while with heavily oxidized pieces, can remove more oxidation than I typically prefer, and leaves a piece still needing polishing to bring up the luster.

[twiasp]

Hose_dk. Have you ever tried Sodium Carbonate or Bicarbonate with the hot water and aluminum foil method?(I have never tried salt) Been told that it only removes the silver oxide (tarnish). I have used it on silver items found while metal detecting and it seemed to shine them up decently.