Lacquer seals silver and prevents tarnish.
Silver is a precious metal found in everything from eating utensils to decorative pieces of art and medals. While silver shines brightly when it is clean, exposure to air creates a gray or black smudge on the surface, called tarnish. One way to prevent tarnish from developing on decorative silver items is to cover them in a thin layer of lacquer. This prevents air from getting to the silver and maintains the shine.
Instructions
1. Open a towel on a table and place the silver piece on top of it. Dampen a soft cloth and pour 1 tsp. of silver polish onto it. Place the cloth on top of the silver piece and rub it in a back-and-forth motion, not circular, to remove the existing tarnish from the surface.
2. Turn the cloth to a clean section frequently and add more silver polish as needed until no tarnish remains on the silver piece.
3. Hold the silver piece under a stream of running water and rub the object using your fingers to remove all traces of the polish. Apply 1 tsp. of a neutral cleaner to a soft cloth and wash the silver again to ensure removal of the silver polish. Rinse the silver a final time thoroughly.
4. Dry the silver using a towel until no moisture remains.
5. Put on disposable gloves and apply 1 to 2 tsp. of acetone to a soft cloth. Wipe all surfaces of the silver with the acetone-soaked rag to degrease it.
6. Spread newspapers over the work surface and center the silver object on it. Open a can of clear acrylic lacquer and insert a natural bristle paint brush into it.
7. Paint the lacquer onto the silver in a thin coat until covering all portions. Wait until the lacquer dries and apply a second coat to the silver.
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