Homemade Pickle

by Judy Larson

Making your own, non-toxic pickling solution is simple and economical! We've asked Judy Larson about creating your own homemade pickle solution - not for your favorite Kosher dills, but for your latest piece of jewelry!

Pickle is essential for removing fire scale from metal pieces after heating them with a torch, such as during annealing or soldering. If you only need to pickle a few items occasionally, learning how to make pickling solution for jewelry can be the perfect, cost-effective solution.

Judy Larson's jewelry pickle recipe uses common household ingredients like vinegar, water, and salt to achieve professional results, and her easy-to-follow guide ensures your pieces come out clean and polished every time.

Instructions

How to make pickling solution for jewelry

Bring ½ cup vinegar and ½ cup water to a boil. You can use more vinegar than water. Some people even use just vinegar, no water.

Pour in a glass or ceramic coffee container. Hint: Make sure that the container you use for your pickle does not get used for anything else after this.

Add 1 tsp salt.

Add your metal jewelry piece, making sure that it is covered with solution. You may need to turn the piece over while it is soaking if the back of the piece sits directly on the bottom of the container. Note: Do not use pickling solution on jewelry pieces with gemstones.

While the piece is soaking, mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 1 cup of warm water in another glass or ceramic container.

When you see that the fire scale is gone, remove the piece from the pickling solution using a wooden pick or copper tongs. Hint: If you have heavy fire scale, you may need to reheat the solution-without the jewelry piece in it-and soak the piece again. You may even need to make new pickle solution and re-pickle.

Place the piece in the baking soda/water solution. This solution helps neutralize the acid in the vinegar that ate away the fire scale.

Rinse and dry the piece.

Brushing the piece with a brass brush will polish the piece to a satin finish. Rubbing a burnisher across the surface of the piece will polish and highlight the raised areas.

Tumbling the piece with shot will polish the whole piece.

Note: A half and half mixture of pickle and hydrogen peroxide is needed to remove the copper from the surface of brass items that have been pickled.

Be Environmentally Conscious:

Most communities have laws governing the disposal of what can be considered hazardous waste. Since your pickle solution contains metal particles in it, it should be poured into a labeled container, like an old bleach container, that you will eventually turn in to your hazardous waste dump.

Additional Tools:

Pickle Pot, 16 Ounces

You can pay a lot more and never come close to the quality of this pickle pot. Stainless steel with a stoneware bowl.

Sure they call it a crock-pot, but it's the best and most economical pickle pot available. Capacity is 16 oz. with a shipping weight of 2.6 lbs. 110 volts, 60 hertz and 35 watts

Judy Larson's Homemade Pickle - , Metalwork, , Pickle Pot

Copper Pickling Tweezers, Curved, Reinforced, 8-1/2 Inches:

Our curved, copper pickling tweezers provide more strength than ordinary copper tweezers. Made to lift heavier objects, legs are less flexible than others. For years people have been dropping articles because copper tweezers flex too much, causing a lack of grip.

This curved version offers a reinforcing rib which runs the length of the tweezer making it far more sturdy, easier to use and safer too! You'll be amazed by the difference. 8-1/2″ long.

Judy Larson's Homemade Pickle - , Metalwork, , Copper Pickling Tweezers

Materials

No materials listed

Tools

Pickle Pot, 16 Ounces

CLN-584.00

CLN-584.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $31.95
Gold Club Price: $23.96

Add to Bag

Straight Copper Tongs

TWZ-958.00

TWZ-958.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $10.57
Gold Club Price: $7.93

Add to Bag

Copper Pickling Tweezers, Curved, Reinforced, 8-1/2 Inches

TWZ-959.00

TWZ-959.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $9.95
Gold Club Price: $7.46

Add to Bag

Small Brass Brush

BRS-966.10

BRS-966.10
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $10.97
Gold Club Price: $8.23

Add to Bag

Wood Handle Metal Brush, Brass

BRS-968.00

BRS-968.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $9.95
Gold Club Price: $7.46

Add to Bag

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Category: Metalwork
Technique(s): General Education

Reviews

Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!