FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SILVER REPAIRS AND REPLATING

WHAT IS HOLLOWARE?

Holloware is the anything that is used for serving food or displaying food. Examples are; A tray, teapots, sugar, creamer holders, spoons, hot water kettles etc.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO REATTACH A BROKEN LEG, HANDLE, SPIGOT, FOOT, FINEAL, HINGE OR BORDER?

First determine what type of metal; all of the above items are usually made of lead, pewter, and pot metal. The item is usually made from copper, brass, nickel, or steel. Before soldering the item and part to be replaced must be cleaned, then soldered together using flux and lead solder, after soldering they are cleaned again to remove any scale or excess solder that was used, Then the item is repolished where it was repaired or totally repolished, then sponge plated or totally replated, which procedure is followed is usually determined by the condition of the item, is any silver worn off or missing,

On some plated items it is necessary to copper plate the before soldering them because the solder will not stick to the item and the plating will not adhere.

CAN YOU REPLATE A KNIFE BLADE?

You can replate knife blades, but they are usually steel, which will pit, plating does not fill pits it is a coating that is applied electrically. The blades must first be nickel plated before silver plating. When knife blades are replated the plating usually will come off from scratching against bones or cutting boards. If they are going to be used for show plating usually will work.

CAN YOU REATTACH A KNIFE BLADE IN THE HANDLE?

Knife blades can be reattached, but you must first remove all the old plaster of paris (color white), pitch or shellac (color brown, black, we have seen sand in some you never know what they used, some pitch's removes easy some are very difficult to remove, sometimes in removing the handle will break from the heat and or force necessary to remove. (We can repair the break most of the time). After RESOLDERING usually with silver solder or lead, the item needs replating and polishing.

CAN YOU PUT A NEW BLADE IN MY OLD KNIFE HANDLE?

We can put a new blade in your handle. They are stainless steel, we can replace knife, serving pieces, forks any thing to fit the handle, The biggest problem is matching the exact style, but we have pictures and can match most, It doesn't matter whether plated or sterling the blades are stainless steel.

CAN YOU STRAIGHTEN MY SPOON WHICH FELL IN THE GARBAGE DISPOSAL AND IS ALL SCRATCHED UP, NICKED, DENTED, TWISTED, ETC.?

We can repair you spoon, we usually remove all of the rough spots so they will not catch, the bowl is reshaped close to the same shape, but sometimes must be a little smaller, you can not really tell, then the item is replated and polished, We repair sterling or replated items.

CAN YOU COPY A BROKEN LEG FROM MY TEAPOT OR TRAY?

We can copy any leg, but to do this we must first remove one to make a sand casting of the leg then cast one in lead, this finished then they both are reattached to the item, then they are replated and polished.

CAN YOU REPLACE A FINIAL (THING USED TO LIFT THE LID) ON MY TEAPOT?

We can copy one from you coffeepot, and reproduce it in lead, then they are both soldered back on and replated and polished.

MY TRAY HANDLE BROKE IN TWO CAN YOU REPAIR?

We can solder or replace the handle, first remove good handle, cast in lead, reattach, polish and plate.

CAN YOU REPLACE A COMB IN MY COMB HANDLE?

We can replace a comb in the handle we can also repair breaks in the back of the comb.

CAN YOU REPLACE MY BRISTLES IN MY HAIRBRUSH?

We can replace the bristles, this done my coping the block which holds the bristles, making a new one and reinserting in the handle. Each is one of a kind made by hand.

CAN YOU RE-MIRROR MY MIRROR?

We can replace the mirror with flat mirror or sometimes with faceted mirror, then it is installed and polished. The old mirror is usually to scratched to re use.

MY CANDLESTICK BROKE AT THE ARM, CAN YOU AND HOW DO YOU FIX IT?

Information to repair a candle stick whether Sterling Silver or plated or pewter which is broken the same procedure must apply, (1) determine the metal, (2) remove all of the pitch, shellac, plaster of paris, lead, we have many different things used to weight and fill the item, this is done by removing the base and cleaning it out for soldering, when all is removed the item is cleaned, (3) The item is soldered back together, if sterling silver then sterling silver solder is used, if lead or pewter then lead solder or pewter solder is used after soldering the item is refilled with a pitch for weight and so that the item will not dent, then the base is put back together and sponge plated or polished if sterling, we can also make a piece to fill a gap or hole must see first to tell you which is better, also we must see both candle sticks if it is a pair so that the height will not be different and they will match.

To replate your candlesticks I need to know the height of the candlestick? I also need to know how many arms or candle holders/ lights. They are usually 1, 3. 5 etc. lights. How many bobashes if any, Bobashes are the holders that fit in the hole where the candle goes. Please note: not all candlesticks have them. Are any repairs needed, broken arms, bases off, etc? If it is a pair, please send both so that the height can be the same.