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Cleaning Nickel Silver Tubing

Need a formula to clean Alloy 752 18% Nickel Silver Tube that has been sitting since 1950, very dirty and dull/discolored.

James E Dempsey
Ferrule Maker - Palm City, Florida, USA
March 4, 2008

You need to be more specific about what dirt is. If it is dirt dirt, then soap and water and a long tube brush. If it is more, it may take multiple soaks in an alkaline cleaner with numerous rinses. It may even need an acid dip, but that is very very specific as to what the problem is. What was it's use in it's previous life?

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
March 6, 2008

In my experience hot soapy water scrubbing and polishing to a high buffed finish using any of the many metal polishing compounds advertised. Trial and error would be the only way to find out which would be best. Hand polishing is a very long labor intensive job. When it comes to polishing with power equipment it might be wise to find an experienced polishing man to do it for you. It may not be cheap but neither is emergency medical care. A lot of old horse bridle and chains for draw wagons used this particular alloy. I saw the result of a man caught up in a chain on a 5 horsepower buffing machine. Took him a few years to heal up.

Frank DeGuire
- St. Louis, Missouri, USA
March 19, 2008