tarnished silver

[starmac]

I have a bit of an unusual question. I have an old rifle with some silver coins inlaid in the stock, these have tarnished over the years. What would be the best way to remove the tarnish without risking harming the stock?

[osteodoc08]

Flitz on a soft microfiber towel. Use sparingly

[M-Tecs]

Simichrome www.simichromepolish.com followed by Renaissance Wax http://www.restorationproduct.com/renwaxinfo.html is the best I have found.

[MtGun44]

Lemishine citric acid, make a solution, dab on the coin with Q-tip, keeping it off of the
stock. No big deal if a bit gets on stock, just don't slather it everywhere. Citric acid will
reverse the corrosion ("tarnishing") process, and not remove any metal - actually turning silver
oxides and sulphides back into metallic silver. Better than rubbing it off with abrasives.

Set the stock up so the coin is level, dab on the solution, leave about 5-10 minutes, until
tarnish is reversed. Wipe off with a paper towel, then wipe with another paper towel
wet with clean water. Keep it off of blued metal.

Try about a half teaspoon in 1/2 cup warm water. Citric acid is harmless to people, you
can drink it (lemonade has a good bit) and pretty harmless on most things. Lemishine
is a dishwasher additive found in grocery stores near the dishwasher detergents. 2.5"
diameter by ~8" tall greenish plastic container.

Bill

[jcwit]

What Bill said.

[starmac]

Lemishine sounds like it may be the easiest to find, and do the job. Is this the same stuff used for cleaning brass with citrus acid??

[Bored1]

Lemishine sounds like it may be the easiest to find, and do the job. Is this the same stuff used for cleaning brass with citrus acid??

Yep. Use some on the silver coins in the stock then use whats left over on that nasty brass you have laying around. Works pure wonders!!!

[CastingFool]

baking soda and a little water would work. Lemon juice may work, too.

[M-Tecs]

Once the tarnish is removed what is everyone using to keep it from tarnishing again? As I stated earlier I have had good luck with Renaissance Wax but I am always looking for something cheaper or better.

[waksupi]

I would leave them tarnished, so they don't reflect light so much.

[starmac]

LOL I am not too worried about them tarnishing again. I have had this thing right at 40 years, I'm thinking I won't need to worry about them again in this life time. lol

[osteodoc08]

Starmac, we need before and after pictures

[starmac]

Pictures???? No Saavy. lol You want to see a picture of a quarter and a dime. lol

[MtGun44]

Yes, good for cleaning really nasty brown brass. Otherwise, pretty pointless for brass.
If the brass looks like normal brass, just tumble, really clean it up with some car wax
like Nu Finish.

Not really a cleaner, per se, like a detergent - but chemically reverses the oxidation
chemical reaction, putting the oxidized material back as pure metal.

Bill

[Bob in Revelstoke]

Interesting, you say the coins are silver. As silver coinage has been withdrawn from circulation you may find they are, or could be valuable to a collector. If you polish them you could remove collector value. You don't say how they are set into the stock. If they have had a hole drilled in them and held in with a screw, then they are of no value to a collector. Worth thinking about.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

My thought's on polishing Silver,
particularly engravings, patterned silverware and coins used as decoration.

I would suggest NOT using Citric or other chemical solution like Tarn-X
It will strip "all the tarnish", leaving a bright shiny blank surface.

If you use Maas polish (very similar to flitz) and a soft cloth, you will clean the raised portions and leave some tarnish in the recesses...giving more relief to the details. I think there is some wax in Flitz to help tarnish from coming back soon...but it you lighty buff the inlayed coins after the rifle has been out and about and brought in for cleaning...they'll always be the highlight of the gun. This is the "standard" for cleaning/polishing Patterned silverware

Yeah, I'd highly recommend NEVER cleaning or polishing a collectible coin. But I sure wouldn't hesitate polishing a coin inlayed in a gunstock.

[starmac]

If a coin collector puts a value on his life, he won't be messing with the coins in my rifle. lol There is no holes drilled in them, but nothing about this thing is a collectable, it is a shooter and probably has a couple hundred thousand miles in my truck. The very best thing about it is, it is mine. lol there is a quarter and a dime on one side, and the same size french coins on the other side. The rifle was made in 32 and the coins were inlaid years before I came in possession of it. It was probably a pretty shiny rig in it's day.

[Bad Water Bill]

In 1956 I graduated from boot camp and was sent to VA 86 where my first job was POLISHING the hanger queen.

That day I was introduced to a product called "NEVR-DULL".

I have never been without a can ever since.

Polishes my Sterling Reid and Barton utensils brass aluminum and almost everything else I wanted to make shine.

A 5 OZ can of impregnated cotton will last you for many years of safe polishing.

[osteodoc08]

In 1956 I graduated from boot camp and was sent to VA 86 where my first job was POLISHING the hanger queen.

That day I was introduced to a product called "NEVR-DULL".

I have never been without a can ever since.

Polishes my Sterling Reid and Barton utensils brass aluminum and almost everything else I wanted to make shine.

A 5 OZ can of impregnated cotton will last you for many years of safe polishing.

Mentioning that brings back memories. As a kid I would shine up all my dads brass for his Army dress uniform with that stuff. Thanks for the warm memory this cool and dreary morning.

[waksupi]

You know, if you had been sitting there rubbing those coins with your thumb while this thread has been going on, those coins would be bright and shiny by now~! ;-)

[starmac]

I have shined up the INSIDE of the barrel while this thread has been going on. lol

[Bad Water Bill]

If push comes to shove you can always use cigarette ashes to shine the coins.

As far away and desolate as Alaska is that might be your ONLY resort.:kidding:

[WallyM3]

Silver polish, mebbe?

[starmac]

They do not need to be what I would call polished, just take the tarnish off. I should have some never dull, but seems like that would be actually put some wear on the coins, probably not enough to tell.

[Gelandangan]

I wonder why no one suggest to boil it in a pot of weak baking soda solution while lightly wrapped in aluminum foil?
There will be galvanising action that removes silver oxide (tarnish) and leave it gleaming clean with least amount of effort.

It would only take a few seconds to actually remove the tarnish.

There are lots of mentions of this in the web.

[Bad Water Bill]

I wonder why no one suggest to boil it in a pot of weak baking soda solution while lightly wrapped in aluminum foil?
There will be galvanising action that removes silver oxide (tarnish) and leave it gleaming clean with least amount of effort.

It would only take a few seconds to actually remove the tarnish.

There are lots of mentions of this in the web.

As stated in the very first post the coins ARE inletted into the stock.

[starmac]

I think I would paint the coins black before I boiled my gun. lol

[MtGun44]

How about dabbing with Lemishine? A lot better than boiling! :bigsmyl2:

Bill

[MaryB]

Tarnex