Sunday, July 22, 2012

All silver is not the same

In the past I have used some silver plated drink coasters to make shallow bowls for my Daily Words series. And if one looked at the photo below you might say the bowls all look pretty much the same.

©2012 Barry Smith - Daily Words bowls and words
But a closer inspection of the drink coaster on the left of the photo shows that it is rhodium over steel. Beating the coaster resulted in fractures in the 'silver' plate and after a little time the metal under the plating begins to rust or as in the photo turn black. So that little bowl will not be for sale.

©2012 Barry Smith - All that is silver is not the same
©2012 Barry Smith - The iron bleeds through the 'silver'
The outcome for me is that I need to be a little more careful in my inspection of coasters. In they case of the shallow bowl below I have cut a circle of metal out of an tray that is actual silver plated over brass; as are the daily words.
©2012 Barry Smith - Unpolished Daily Words bowl and words
The bowl  is yet to be polished; and then it will be off to a new home.

3 comments:

  1. Hope, Love, Dream ......... definitely. And always x

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  2. I think you could still 'save' the bowl with the cracked plating - re-polish with a steel wire brush and then seal the surface.

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  3. S & S/R - thanks for your comments. S- interesting little combination of letters - serendipity placed them. S/R - you are right I can rescue the bowl. I don't seal much of my work - what do you seal polished iron with? Go well. B

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Comments are welcomed - it is good to connect with fellow travellers.