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Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry

  The authoritative public forum
  for Metal Finishing since 1989

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Need supplier of Silver Secret

I would like to know where I can purchase a product called Silver Secret that helps restored worn sliver plate. Thanks to Sophia D of Virginia Beach VA who recommended this product.

John Pilling
general enquiry - Weybridge, Surrey, England
2004

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Ed. note: We have located a source for this (and many similar resilvering solutions), John. We've put the info into a single FAQ for sourcing resilvering solutions because it became impossible to keep the sourcing info current on this and dozens of other letters scattered across our 50,000-page site. We think you'll find the FAQ convenient and informative.

Electroless Liquid Silver Plating Solution

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

I am just now beginning to learn about and collect silver. Having just purchased a beautiful tea set where the handle has been soldered to the body of the tea pot, I am wondering if I must pay a small fortune to have it replated (there's only the one inch area at the end of the handle).........or can I use one of the solutions discussed here to cover the soldered area? Obviously the soldering is not brass or copper so I'm not sure which silver solution will bond to the soldered metal. Additionally, if I use one of the solutions and it doesn't work, can I take the tea pot to a professional and have it redone?

Carol Wells
aspiring hobbyist collecting silver - Southfield, Michigan
December 28, 2009

December 29, 2009

Hi, Carol. If you know this to be a repair, it probably is just soft tin-lead solder. If it could be the original connection method, it might be silver solder, which is actually high quality brazing with a silver-rich material.

I think an immersion plating process like "Silver Secret" may work on silver solder, but it will not work on soft solder. Even a silver plating shop may have some problems with satisfactorily plating soft solder as it is very difficult to get good adhesion to lead-rich materials.

I don't think a professional would have any issue with the silver you attempt to immersion plate onto the teapot; but as implied, they may well have a significant issue with soft soldered joints..

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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