Mixing Metals

**OC Richard** · 28th January 10, 06:23 AM

Originally Posted by azwildcat96

Growing up I was taught that you wear a black belt with black shoes, or brown with brown.

True with Saxon dress but not necessarily true with Highland dress.

Back in the 1940's up through the 1960's most civilian Day Dress sporrans were brown, but were nearly always worn with black Ghillie-ties. (Brown Ghillies and black day sporrans were both uncommon.)

I know it really jumped out at me the first time I saw a guy with all his leatherwork a matching shade of brown! It looked odd to me.

**Strings** · 29th January 10, 03:56 AM

If you mix metals like copper, stainless still, silver it could be OK. But if you add some less stable metals you can end up with fast corrosion of one of them.

you're thinking galvanic corrosion. I've seen examples of high-end flintlocks where silver was used for the stocks, reacting with the steel or iron of the barrel and creating a problem over time...

**tyger** · 29th January 10, 04:37 AM

Misinformation about galvantic corrosion has been posted before. Galvantic corrosion requires the presence of an electrolyte (footnote below).

As terrestrial beings, there is no reason for us to worry about the combinations of metals that we are talking about. Married metal jewelry will last for thousands of years, as withnessed by treasure found in the pharaoh's toombs!

Mix your metals and live a little!

Footnote:The presence of electrolyte and a conducting path between metals may cause corrosion where otherwise neither metal alone would have corroded. Even a single type of metal may corrode galvanically if the electrolyte varies in composition, forming a concentration cell.

**Strings** · 29th January 10, 05:02 AM

Hmmm... I wonder about the flintlocks I've seen then, if there wasn't some other culprit.

Although I suppose sweat or bodily oils COULD have provided the electrolyte...

**tyger** · 29th January 10, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by Strings

Hmmm... I wonder about the flintlocks I've seen then, if there wasn't some other culprit.

Although I suppose sweat or bodily oils COULD have provided the electrolyte...

Yes, there is always moisture in wood. Couple that with what could have been salts in the wood, or applied to the wood via perspiration, and BINGO: you have an electrolye.

Despite what I consider way above average attention and care, I have had a few guns suffer from proximity to the salt: the salt water aerosol carries how far inland?