Arab percussion for comments

[Mefidk]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

Not sure what you are using as etch, but in my past experience, the metal IS better hot but ONLY to the heat of boilng water. That will not damage the silver and if it is a "feric" etch (which it should be) then it won't attack the silver either.
Regards Stu

Thanks Stu - I didn't realize that Ferric Chloride would not attack the silver. So I can manage this without the resist - great.

Added a couple more pictures of the gun this far.

[kai]

I didn't realize that Ferric Chloride would not attack the silver. So I can manage this without the resist - great.

It won't attack pure silver to any noticeable degree and even lower silver alloys will repolish easily. However, the acid will eat away any rust in the crevices and sometimes this is the only hold for old inlay work which then can get loose...

If you work swiftly and take care to kill any remaining acid afterwards (IMHO ammonium based solutions work more effectively than washing soda or baking powder), this is usually not a problem. If you want a bit more safety, you can use a clear lacquer (or nail polish) to fill any crevices and offer so some protection for the inlay and remove this later with organic solvents. If you decide to go this route, I'd suggest to carefully remove any lacquer from the surface as any remaining stains may interfere with the etching process.

Regards,
Kai

[Mefidk]

Originally Posted by kai

If you work swiftly and take care to kill any remaining acid afterwards (IMHO ammonium based solutions work more effectively than washing soda or baking powder), this is usually not a problem. If you want a bit more safety, you can use a clear lacquer (or nail polish) to fill any crevices and offer so some protection for the inlay and remove this later with organic solvents. If you decide to go this route, I'd suggest to carefully remove any lacquer from the surface as any remaining stains may interfere with the etching process.

Sounds like excellent advice, thanks Kai. I'll see if I can give this a go at the weekend. I like the idea of lacquer, just in case. Don't want to lose the last 60% silver