Cleaning a ring with electrolosis........

Mike from MI · Jul 20, 2011

I thought some members would like to see the use of electrolosis in action to clean a silver ring.
I found a small sterling ring yesterday morning in a lake. It is an antique kids birthstone ring.
I have found several of these same rings with different colored stones over the years.
When silver is lost in the water it turns black. If it has been there a long time it develops a black crust like this one.
Below you will see the before, during, and after affects of using the electrolosis. I plan to put together a video or do a live talk at our detecting club meeting next month on the subject.

RFrady · Jul 20, 2011

Very nicely done. Nice ring also.

mighty_mace · Jul 20, 2011

Looks great, a video would be stellar. Would love to learn the process.......

MICHIGANJAY · Jul 20, 2011

Thanks for the great post!!! I just made an "electrolosis machine" a week or two ago and I am still impressed by what a little energy can do to help restore relics. I think encrusted lake finds like that deserve electrolosis to help clean em' up. MJ

bdavis7640 · Jul 20, 2011

I find a lot of crusty silver rings in the lake I hunt, I have been using tarnex then silver polish but its a slow process and it doesen't get in the smaller detailed areas. I am very interested in how you are doing this. The results are impressive

rob.s · Jul 20, 2011

olekyground · Jul 20, 2011

Awesome! I would love to see that video!

curbdiggercarl57 · Jul 20, 2011

Great job on the cleaning, if I'd done it, it would have looked like a crayon in a microwave.
Kudos.
Carl

eckstar · Jul 20, 2011

I LOVE using electrolysis to clean up my finds. Only trouble is, some of the stuff I clean is so big, I have to do it in a 55 gallon fish tank in my bathroom, lol. For those who want to know how it's done, here's a link: http://www.rickswoodshopcreations.com/Miscellaneous/Rust_Removal.htm

Dwight S · Jul 21, 2011

bdavis7640 said:
I find a lot of crusty silver rings in the lake I hunt, I have been using tarnex then silver polish but its a slow process and it doesen't get in the smaller detailed areas. I am very interested in how you are doing this. The results are impressive

Check in the How To forum. Quick & easy.... Take a Gladware container, an old AC/DC transformer/charger for a phone or other rechargable device; one you can see the two wire outer sleeve. Cut the end off, strip back to 1/2" of bare wire and clamp on aligator clips on each of the two wires. Put water, lemon juice and salt in the container. Clamp the ring with one end of the charger drop it in water, clamp a sacrificial metal (old steel spoon, bottle opener) and drop it in water. DO NOT LET THEM TOUCH. Plug in charger. If the ring starts bubbling, you have it correct. If the sacrificial metal bubbles, switch the wires around. Let it work for three to five minutes and check. Be sure to unplug the charger before you touch anything...

Silver Searcher · Jul 21, 2011

I use one for Silver to :icon_thumleft:

but I abandoned the Alligator Clip because it scratches Silver :icon_thumleft:

SS

Tigger · Jul 21, 2011

Are there any gemstones you can't do this with, (I'm guessing not pearl or opal?) It sure made a great difference!!

Mike from MI · Jul 21, 2011

Tigger said:
Are there any gemstones you can't do this with, (I'm guessing not pearl or opal?) It sure made a great difference!!

Not sure? I do know that the cheap kids rings that have the stones glued it will often fallout if they are there at all. Most of the time they have already fallen out from the acid in the lake.

cyberborikua · Jul 22, 2011

Mike from MI said:
I thought some members would like to see the use of electrolosis in action to clean a silver ring.
I found a small sterling ring yesterday morning in a lake. It is an antique kids birthstone ring.
I have found several of these same rings with different colored stones over the years.
When silver is lost in the water it turns black. If it has been there a long time it develops a black crust like this one.
Below you will see the before, during, and after affects of using the electrolosis. I plan to put together a video or do a live talk at our detecting club meeting next month on the subject.

Nice job. May I interject an additional, yet optional step? After I clean silver with electrolysis, I rub the piece with a baking soda paste and it will sparkle as if it was brand new!

Mike from MI · Jul 22, 2011

cyberborikua said:
Mike from MI said:

I thought some members would like to see the use of electrolosis in action to clean a silver ring.
I found a small sterling ring yesterday morning in a lake. It is an antique kids birthstone ring.
I have found several of these same rings with different colored stones over the years.
When silver is lost in the water it turns black. If it has been there a long time it develops a black crust like this one.
Below you will see the before, during, and after affects of using the electrolosis. I plan to put together a video or do a live talk at our detecting club meeting next month on the subject.

Click to expand...

Certainly does! I use it too!

Nice job. May I interject an additional, yet optional step? After I clean silver with electrolysis, I rub the piece with a baking soda paste and it will sparkle as if it was brand new!