My shot has turned very dark ?

I recently tumbled some sterling that must have had a reaction from the soap with the left over pickle used? My shot turned very dark. Can I still use it on Fine Silver? I have been instructed to run it without any jewelry pieces in it a few times to clean it again. Will this work? Have I ruined my shot?

Stacy's Answer:

First, I really want to apologize for the long delay in responding to your question. I accidentally marked it, along with several others, as being completed when it was not. By now, you may have resolved the problem but, if not, here's my answer.

I'm sure your shot is not ruined...it just needs to be cleaned. It's always a good idea to clean Stainless steel shot from time-to-time as it seems to get a dark residue on it occasionally.

I use a Stainless steel shot cleaner I get from Rio Grande Jewelry Supply. It's concentrated and mixed with water. Basically you mix it up add it to your barrel with the shot and let you tumber run for an hour or two.

Comments for My shot has turned very dark ?

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Feb 10, 2012

cleaning steel shot
by: Anonymous

Use good old coca cola. Tumble your shot with coke for about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse your shot then tumble again with more fresh coke. repeat several times and your shot will come out shiny clean like new. Using this method your shot will last a lifetime or 2 or 3...

Oct 04, 2012

Cleaning with Coke
by: Adrienne

I tried using Coke based on the above comment - it works! But you should make sure the Coke is flat first, or your tumbler may come close to exploding. I wonder if you could get the same effect from just letting the shot soak in the Coke overnight? I also wonder if it's good to drink a beverage that can also be used to clean steel.

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