Is it possible to remove firescale from sterling silver by bead blasting / sand blasting?

Situation:
I'm working on a large project with many small pieces and my workflow is being seriously disrupted by firescale issues. Sanding through firescale and polishing each piece works but is so time consuming that it is driving the cost up beyond what my market will tolerate. I feel that eliminating the firescale is preferrable to raising the fine silver because of quality and durability (it's likely the fine silver will wear off on these necklaces). Anti-firescale flux has helped but has not solved the issue.

Basically, I am looking for a production method that quickly removes firescale on many pieces. Bead blasting would be great if it works, because it could possibly combine the finishing step as well. But, does it work? Are there any other possible methods?

Thanks!!

Don't know if it would work.

Don't know of any other methods

Best not to get the firescale to begin with. :)

Have you tried anything as 'drastic' as firescoff...?

I've tried Stop-OX II from Rio, but not Firescoff. Thanks for the suggestion!

I used to have a real problem with firescale .. Someone suggested (on the old forum) a denature alcohol/Borax mix - before fluxing - and I have to tell you, it has cut down tremendously on the firescale!  Search the archives for the exact mix .. I think it was 4 to 1.  I still do depletion guilding when I get firescale but it is much, much less often :)  Yippee ...

BTW - I bought my alcohol at the hardware store (it has to be pure NOT rubbing alcohol) and Borax from the grocery store ..
 

Blasting the silver surface may be only a short-term fix.  Firescale goes down through the silver.  At best, blasting or polishing will only be a short-lived brightner.  Each time the firescale raises it's ugly head (which it will - you can be certain), and you blast or polish you remove more silver, thinning the metal. 

To prevent firescale, stop oxygen from getting in contact with the metal. Firescale is formed whenever silver and sterling is heated above about 1000 degrees F. Oxygen combines with copper to form cuprous oxide which exhibits as firescale.

Prips Flux, denatured alcohol/borax solution, Cupronil…any of these products will work. You might try coating the whole piece in flux before soldering. Be generous with the flux.

To properly apply anti-firescale-fluxes, the metal must be heated slightly. Paint, dip the piece or spray on the anti-fs-flux. A mist atomizer bottle works well here. If the metal temperature is correct a white grainy coating will form.  Quickly play a flame across the wet fluxed metal to dry it.  This will evaporate the alcohol, leaving a white coating of tiny borax crystals.

Apply a paste flux on your joints - sparingly. When heated it will migrate out away from the joint, washing away the surrounding anti-fs-flux. Break up your soldering job into small steps, rather than trying to solder all joint at one time.

Ochre is a good solder melt out preventative if you’re working on multiple solder joints. Coat the previously soldered joints with ochre, but do not inhale heated ochre fumes. Nasty and very unhealthy!

Heating must be done quickly, using a large flame. Bring the heat up quickly and evenly, get the solder to flow, and then get the torch away immediately. If it isn't done quickly, the flux will break down, burn off and fire scale will form.

Use the hottest torch you own and don‘t be afraid to use the larger torch tips. As you do more soldering and become adept with heat and flame control you will find ways to utilize those small tips. Don’t use MAP bottle gas and small butane torches to solder joints. They simply don’t get hot enough,quickly enough.

Then pickle, pickle, pickle - we find warm pickle to be the most effective.