Brass to silver?

[Sandie23]

Not sure if I'm putting this in the right place, but here goes.

I am changing from my current SO to the local PD. SO required we have brass snaps, PD wants silver. Everything I have is Safariland leather with brass snaps. How can I change the snaps to silver? I am trying to avoid buying everything all over again.

[mookster]

The sorcerers stone can do what you need...

[Monty Ealerman]

electroplating:
(comparatively difficult)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nushine-Silv.../dp/B00D5TCYT8

or

paste silvering:
(easier)
10 gm silver chloride
20 gm salt
20 gm cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate)
enough water to make a usable paste
scrub the snaps with baking soda and a soft toothbrush and rinse them clean and dry them
rub paste on cleaned snaps with a piece of leather or cork or a Q-tip
lacquer them with clear nail polish afterward

or

stripping:
(easiest)
(not sure about Safariland snaps -- I think the brass finish is flashed onto nickel plating on the snaps with only the buckles on their leather goods being solid brass -- you can maybe check a worn area to tell)
EZ-Off oven cleaner will take the brass plating off and expose the nickel plating below it
use duct tape to isolate the snaps and protect the leather
apply the EZ-Off with a handi-wipe or something rather than spraying it on directly
http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/0...-oven-cleaner/
then lacquer etc.

[Resq14]

Ignore the ridiculous post above. If you're going through the trouble of removing the snaps to electroplate, the obvious solution is to just replace them.

I replaced snaps on my handcuff straps with special "one-way" snaps that only open from one direction. It's easy to do... just drill them out and use a special tool to install. Amazon and other stores sell snaps and the special tools to do it.
http://www.amazon.com/Bestop-93001-5...+button+chrome

[Monty Ealerman]

I agree with Resq14 regarding replacement being a much preferable option.

[Seventy2002]

the obvious solution is to just replace them.

Ditto that. Boating supply houses sell stainless steel snaps. Back before Velcro, we all started out with silver snaps. As you polished your gear the nickel plating wore off, exposing the brass underneath. Such equipment was described as "salty" or "nicely brassed" and wearing marked you as not a rookie.

[KenW.]

Most any upholstery shop can change the snaps.

[Shush]

Dude, if you are in the panhandle of Texas, there are probably leather shops on every corner. They can change them out for you in like 30 minutes, and super cheap. I had to go just the opposite with mine - silver to brass. Found a leather shop and they did all of mine in like 20 minutes and charged me like $10 total.

You could probably get the tools and snaps to do it yourself from tandyleather.com. More expensive that way though. As for skill needed -- if you know how to use a stapler, you know how to put snaps on stuff.

[Sandie23]

Thanks everyone. I actually found a shop here that will change them out. But thanks for all the input