did you know...
Sorry for the crap photo - someone has twiddled my camera settings and I'm going to have to break down and finally read the manual to make it work again.
Anyhoo - you know when metalwork (like turquoise & silver Indian jewelry) has detail that stands in relief and the recessed spaces are black? Yeah, well, d'ya know how those recessed spaces get blackened? Do ya? Do ya? Do ya?
Well, I'll tell ya how it works. Jewelry makers use Liver of Sulphur for this purpose. Liver of sulphur is a fusion of sulphur and potassium carbonate. This combination is corrosive and will effectively blacken just about any metal, as far as I know.
I buy this from a jeweler's supply in the can shown in the photo (like a tiny paint can) and it comes in the form of these matte, stinky little rocklets that sorta look like gall stones. You choose a rock, put it in a plastic cup, and add some very hot water to it, and the rock will dissolve into a liquid you can use to etch your stuff. Once the metal is blackened, you have to polish the high relief stuff so the whole piece doesn't simply remain black. To minimize polishing time, I usually paint the LOS into the recessed areas with a toothpick.
I was using this last night for a little project and thought I'd snap a photo and tell you all about it.
When I first ordered this stuff I was bewildered. I always used it in liquid form from a bottle in the lab at a silversmithing class. However, exposure to light degrades the efficacy of LOS, so it's good if you can mix a fresh batch as needed.
Funny thing was this morning when I was leaving the house, I thought "what is that beastly, rotten-egg sewer-gas fartsome foulness?" Seriously. Those were my exact words in my wee brain.
As I left the house, I walked by where I'd been working last night and the wide-eyed innocent little vessel of Liver of Sulphur looked pleased with itself, having uttered the inaudible discord of his race.
Outdoors. Well-ventilated areas. Um, I think that's on the can somewhere. Must start reading instructions...
9 comments:
Be careful you don't stink yourself out! That wouldn't be fun.
Oy! My Gatos! Sounds like you have a mans brain trapped in a woman's body!!! If it weren't for your love of shoes and sparkly things I'd say you were beyond help... Oh, wait. Maybe it's the brain of a GAY man trapped in a woman's body. That would explain sooo many things about you. *L*
Sulfur and KCO3... hrmm. Well, the S and the H2O will make hydrogen sulfide (AIR THE HOUSE), but I betcha the blackening is free sulfide ions with a little carbonate buffering to slow it down.
You ain't kiddin' about the stench. Trouble with H2S is though that you acclimate to it, and once you've done that you can't tell if the levels increase to the poisonous level. H2S will also blacken stuff like paintings, etc. so you should probably crack some windows for a few hours...
lainy - I think I remember a Biblical reference to hell stinking of sulphur - I know why, now.
hollyb - and now my secret is out! *wink*
dr. strange gun - ok - now I feel foolish for having been so careless with such a toxin. Will use outdoors from now on.
I get the sulphur part, but the Liver has me stumped.
Just came by to let you know that I no longer am blogging as turboslut. Please visit http://cocainetongue.blogspot.com/ to see the new me. I promise to be more open on this private blog. xxxx
I thought, what the hell let's Google the phrase "what is that beastly, rotten-egg sewer-gas fartsome foulness?" Guess what...you've coined a completely unique smell phrase!
Congrats!
Perhaps you're a transvestite, gay, hetro, woman trapped in a lift by her scrotum.
Yes I know, it doesn't make any sense. It's late, I'm tired....
tam - I had my theory on that, and I called a chemist friend for confirmation - the "Liver" is a reference to acid of the ilk of urea or uric acid as produced by the liver. "Liver" in a compound's description can also be a reference to a dark red-brown color, like, erm, uh, liver.
mushy - *LOL* YEah, I googled me words, too - COOL! I'm famous, right? Someone's going to pay me for that, uh, right? *crickets*
tickers - Well, my secret is out now!
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