Re-silvering worn plate

I just ran across this at an estate sale. For putting a lower resistance silver plate on copper or brass electrical contacts. I don't know how well it would it would wear on flatware or such. Should be good for that old silver on copper tray for display.

Typical heel wear.

Sanded lightly with very fine paper.

Powder wetted and applied.

Rubbed in a little.

Buffed in more.

The raw powder.

Polished with Simichrome.

The pits where the plate was worn are still there but the surface all looks like silver again.

 

What you have there is the same material sold by clock shops to restore the silvering on clock dials. It does a good job there because there is no frictive wear, just chemical breakdoown over time (tarnish). On a clock dial it can last for 100 years. I think it may simply be silver nitrate.

 

I found a bottle of prepared powder on ebay for $150.00

Here is how to make your own ......

http://www.saltlakemetals.com/SilverChloridePlating1.htm

 

Yes, silver chloride. Exactly the process to re-silver old grandfather clock dials. Those brass dials started out silver and were much easier to see the time on. You fill in the numbers with black wax.

 

Ah, so that's how they did my clock!

 

Fascinating!!!!!

 

This bottle I got was just hand labeled. I think it may be 'cool-amp' brand.

 

Book, it was over in the back room, I'll bump it.

 

Hi,
Places that supply clock parts have small bottles of stuff to resilver dials. I had an old clock dial that had wear around the winding holes. Tiny brush and they were gone.
greg