| Before and After of severe garbage disposal damage to a baby spoon. Click to enlarge photos. |
Friedman
Silversmiths
since 1972
E-MAIL Dave Friedman
Silversmiths
since 1972
E-MAIL Dave Friedman
| All Metal Restorations| Plating| Polishing| Soldering|Straightening| Sterling Silver, Silver Plate, Britannia Metal, Sheffield Plate, Pewter, Brass Bronze |
1323 Euclid Ave.
Bellingham, Washington 98229
(877) 255-0193 Toll Free [Pacific
Time]
Email:
davefriedman4repair@gmail.com
Bellingham, Washington 98229
(877) 255-0193 Toll Free [Pacific
Time]
Email:
davefriedman4repair@gmail.com
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| Friedman Silversmiths 1323 Euclid Ave., Bellingham, Washington 98229 Toll Free (877) 255-0193 [Pacific Time] E-Mail: DaveFriedman4Repair@gmail.com |
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A day in the Life of a Silversmith...
I have decided to start a 'BLOG' so I can tell you all about what I do and how the restorations
conditions. Some of you ask me questions about your restoration requirements and it
seems to me that I could give you a better understanding of the world of Silver Repairs by
thousand words..." So, here goes...
I have decided to start a 'BLOG' so I can tell you all about what I do and how the restorations
conditions. Some of you ask me questions about your restoration requirements and it
seems to me that I could give you a better understanding of the world of Silver Repairs by
thousand words..." So, here goes...
I hadn't realized how long it had been since I had time to make an entry into this Repair and Picture Gallery
BLOG. I have been extremely busy with repairs and in fact happy to see all the interesting work that has
been coming my way.
To the right you will note a Sterling Silver 'convertible' candelabra.
This is a vintage piece that many of you have in your collections
and they can easily become damaged. If you 'click' on the BEFORE
photo, you can see just how torn up theseyou can see just how torn
up these Sterling weighted items can get. Sometimes
customers will remark how 'heavy' they are without realizing their
weight is by virtue of their being filled with a plaster or 'pitch' (resin) material. Prior to being able to restore
these filled or weighted sterling items, the fill must be evacuated and then I can access the metal for the
repairs. Often these will also be broken or torn. You can also see here that the candle cup has been torn
off the body of the lower stick. Convertible means that this candelabra can be set up as a single short
stick, a 'low' 3-light candelabra (top on bottom base) or a tall 3-light candelabra as is shown here with the
3-light top on a extra column which is then attached to the bottom base.
The final product shows a completed restored candelabra, cleaned and polished and ready for use.
A new store contacted me this month. I always love how the internet reaches every corner of our country
and then some. This store had a customer approach them about a needed repair to a precious coffee pot
which had fallen and smashed the base into the body causing it to lean terribly. Stine the pot is a 'hard
metal' it can be a difficult metal to make right again. Here are the before and after photos and I can say the
customer was very pleased (see our Customer Comments page).
Click Photo
and then some. This store had a customer approach them about a needed repair to a precious coffee pot
which had fallen and smashed the base into the body causing it to lean terribly. Stine the pot is a 'hard
metal' it can be a difficult metal to make right again. Here are the before and after photos and I can say the
customer was very pleased (see our Customer Comments page).
Click Photo
June 20
An interesting project came my way that I wanted to share about. I have been contacted by a Scientific
Research firm that makes equipment for studying DNA. They have asked me to custom fabricate some
their test equipment. It's always fun for me to do something different and this definitely was that. I first
produced the 2-prototypes and now have fabricated many-more boxes for them.
An interesting project came my way that I wanted to share about. I have been contacted by a Scientific
Research firm that makes equipment for studying DNA. They have asked me to custom fabricate some
their test equipment. It's always fun for me to do something different and this definitely was that. I first
produced the 2-prototypes and now have fabricated many-more boxes for them.
Last week I received two trays from a customer I have had for many years. We have probably known each other for over 10-years now and as is the case with most of my clients, you send me your things on and off as needed. He found these 2-trays and wanted them restored. 'Click' on the first photo which is of the larger tray prior to being Silverplated. You can click directly on the tray to enlarge it so you can see the 'real' before picture of a gorgeous tray, some might say 'good bones', but in very poor condition. As you look at the tray, see how it compaes to one that you may be considering sending to us. It has the copper showing through because it is a "Silver over Copper" tray, made in England. The details are still nice and crisp, but there is very little silver still remaining on this tray. The first thing I have to do is 'strip' all the old silver from the tray, which I do in my plating department. Then the metal gets thoroughly cleaned and I perform all the repairs. This tray had numerous dents and bends and needed considerable straightening. Then, it gets highly buffed and polished to a jewelry finish ready for our silver re-plating. |
| Click Photo |
February 29
This weekend I am teaching a class "Collecting Silver Antiques--Tips of the Trade" at the local
Community College. I wanted to show the students a good example of 'before' and 'after' silver
re-plating and chose this wonderful set of Art Nouveau Lady Candlesticks.
This was really a challenging restoration because the one candlestick I restored
was so badly oxidized and corroded that it required extra time in cleaning and prep
before I could even begin to start repairing and polishing in prep for silver plating.
But, you can see after you click on the photo that the results are quite dramatic.
This weekend I am teaching a class "Collecting Silver Antiques--Tips of the Trade" at the local
Community College. I wanted to show the students a good example of 'before' and 'after' silver
re-plating and chose this wonderful set of Art Nouveau Lady Candlesticks.
This was really a challenging restoration because the one candlestick I restored
was so badly oxidized and corroded that it required extra time in cleaning and prep
before I could even begin to start repairing and polishing in prep for silver plating.
But, you can see after you click on the photo that the results are quite dramatic.
Click photos to view Before and After re-Plating and repairs
A 'RUSH' job into the workshop this past week. Another workshop tyat typically buffs brass and copper
items received a job to clean and polish a French Art Deco Mirror Plateau 'frame' only. The mirror
numerous places. My thinking was that it got CAUGHT in their buffing machine and by the time they were
able to rescue it out, it was in 5-twisted and mangled pieces. Click photo #1below to see the full size
before photo of the deco mirror frame. This was a very difficult repair since I had to get all the twists and
asked to silver plate the frame (click photo #3). I'm proud of the results. Please check it out.
items received a job to clean and polish a French Art Deco Mirror Plateau 'frame' only. The mirror
numerous places. My thinking was that it got CAUGHT in their buffing machine and by the time they were
able to rescue it out, it was in 5-twisted and mangled pieces. Click photo #1below to see the full size
before photo of the deco mirror frame. This was a very difficult repair since I had to get all the twists and
asked to silver plate the frame (click photo #3). I'm proud of the results. Please check it out.
I had an interesting occurrence today. A customer sent me a grouping of flatware for 'silver plating'. After
careful examination, most of the flatware was French Sterling Silver which requires buffing and polishing
(not silver plating) to bring back the lustre. My wife asked me what I thought other vendors might do if
presented with an unknowing customer who requests silver plating (again, you do not want to silver plate
over sterling silver). Would they just go ahead and re-silver the sterling and charge the bigger plating
price? Or, would they do the right thing, inform the customer and polish only for a much lower cost? We
decided that a more factory type operation would probably just follow the customer instructions because
they don't have the same trained eye looking at each piece as a professional silversmith. So, I guess I'm
saying, you have to know who you are dealing with.
careful examination, most of the flatware was French Sterling Silver which requires buffing and polishing
(not silver plating) to bring back the lustre. My wife asked me what I thought other vendors might do if
presented with an unknowing customer who requests silver plating (again, you do not want to silver plate
over sterling silver). Would they just go ahead and re-silver the sterling and charge the bigger plating
price? Or, would they do the right thing, inform the customer and polish only for a much lower cost? We
decided that a more factory type operation would probably just follow the customer instructions because
they don't have the same trained eye looking at each piece as a professional silversmith. So, I guess I'm
saying, you have to know who you are dealing with.
| In the Work Studio. |
| TOLL FREE (877) 255-0193 [Pacific Time] |
BLOG |
| Early American 1860's Coffee & Tea Set restored and silverplated by David Friedman. January 2012 |
| click to see full size photo |