pilkguns
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
I just got a piece back from heat treating that had gold inlays in it. Had being the operative word here. This is strange thing, but I have pink, green and yellow gold inlays in it and some have chosen to stay exactly like I sent them off, others have bubbled up like a volcano, cleaning out their cavity for the most part and made a layer of thin gold across the surface that is on there very hard. It will not peel off, and cuts off very hard. Getting it comeplety out of the engraved grooves for scroll is a nightmare. No rhyme or reason for which ones stayed and which did this. The pink gold does have a copper backer that was soldered to it so it seems the solder has thinned the gold and made it a massive welded on blob. Anybody with any ideas what might remove this? Aqua Regis? I wonder if I have what it takes to make some up to try? Other suggestions??