Comments on: Buffered? Unbuffered? In the Buff? http://www.shinyphotos.com/2010/01/14/buffered-unbuffered-in-the-buff/ Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:56:03 -0800 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Dean Valenski http://www.shinyphotos.com/2010/01/14/buffered-unbuffered-in-the-buff/comment-page-1/#comment-11849 Dean Valenski Mon, 08 Nov 2010 03:50:28 +0000 http://www.shinyphotos.com/?p=177#comment-11849 While I am not a chemist, I learned of a trick years back on cleaning tarnished silver without abrasives or even much work. It uses the galvanic principal of two dissimilar metals plus an electolyte.... You take an small aluminum saucepot, half fill it with water, add a teaspoon or two of table salt, stir to disolve, and finally add the tarnished silver item. The process is accelerated if the water is warmed up gently. The tarnish vanishes after a few minutes and the piece comes out shiny clean. Lacking aluminum cooking pots, I have placed a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of a glass pyrex bowl and added a hot salt-water solution with equally favorable results - at least in terms of jewelry cleaning. I have to wonder if given sufficient time, a small amount of moisture, and errant fingerprints to provide the salt, if something "unfavorable" could occur with a precious Dag sealed with bare aluminum tape? Something to think about... While I am not a chemist, I learned of a trick years back on cleaning tarnished silver without abrasives or even much work. It uses the galvanic principal of two dissimilar metals plus an electolyte….
You take an small aluminum saucepot, half fill it with water, add a teaspoon or two of table salt, stir to disolve, and finally add the tarnished silver item. The process is accelerated if the water is warmed up gently. The tarnish vanishes after a few minutes and the piece comes out shiny clean.
Lacking aluminum cooking pots, I have placed a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of a glass pyrex bowl and added a hot salt-water solution with equally favorable results – at least in terms of jewelry cleaning.
I have to wonder if given sufficient time, a small amount of moisture, and errant fingerprints to provide the salt, if something “unfavorable” could occur with a precious Dag sealed with bare aluminum tape?
Something to think about…

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.shinyphotos.com/2010/01/14/buffered-unbuffered-in-the-buff/comment-page-1/#comment-11810 Jonathan Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:53:26 +0000 http://www.shinyphotos.com/?p=177#comment-11810 I run a single strip attached to the edge and fold it underneath the package. I hadn't considered the effects of the two metals being in contact. Do you have any research that suggests these two would be problematic? I'd venture to guess that it would be far more likely that a contaminant inside the plate would corrode it far before the tape would corrode. I run a single strip attached to the edge and fold it underneath the package.

I hadn’t considered the effects of the two metals being in contact. Do you have any research that suggests these two would be problematic?

I’d venture to guess that it would be far more likely that a contaminant inside the plate would corrode it far before the tape would corrode.

]]> By: Andy Stockton http://www.shinyphotos.com/2010/01/14/buffered-unbuffered-in-the-buff/comment-page-1/#comment-11805 Andy Stockton Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:55:30 +0000 http://www.shinyphotos.com/?p=177#comment-11805 Thanks for the informative post! I am still struggling with the best sealing method, especially since I am currently working with daguerreotype "miniatures". It taxes my (lack of) hand-eye coordination. :) Do you just run a single strip of tape around the edge of your package and then fold it over on the front and back? Or is your method more elaborate? I have also wondered about aluminum in contact with silver. The galvanic differential between the two is high enough to potentially cause corrosion. p.s. When is your San Jose art project happening? I will go look at it for you. Thanks for the informative post! I am still struggling with the best sealing method, especially since I am currently working with daguerreotype “miniatures”. It taxes my (lack of) hand-eye coordination. :) Do you just run a single strip of tape around the edge of your package and then fold it over on the front and back? Or is your method more elaborate? I have also wondered about aluminum in contact with silver. The galvanic differential between the two is high enough to potentially cause corrosion.

p.s. When is your San Jose art project happening? I will go look at it for you.

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