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Acetone question - beating a live horse
mumu
Posts: 1,840
The questions come up over time so i hate to start yet another thread but...
Do you chaps find that it is better to do a single prolonged acetone dip or has anyone seen better results doing multiple medium term dips, like either an hour at a time then another hour later in the week et cetera. Or maybe overnight then a week later another overnighter? I ask because I have been dipping a testing coin a few times to see if the results will improve and seems to get a little bit each time, but after each individual dip there is still some gunk there that is removeable with a bush thorn. Its too much to remove completely witht he thorn and it doesnt look as good, but in this case would it be best to do one long term dip and how long is long term - a month?
Do you chaps find that it is better to do a single prolonged acetone dip or has anyone seen better results doing multiple medium term dips, like either an hour at a time then another hour later in the week et cetera. Or maybe overnight then a week later another overnighter? I ask because I have been dipping a testing coin a few times to see if the results will improve and seems to get a little bit each time, but after each individual dip there is still some gunk there that is removeable with a bush thorn. Its too much to remove completely witht he thorn and it doesnt look as good, but in this case would it be best to do one long term dip and how long is long term - a month?
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The time required is measured in seconds, not days. At least that is my experience. I guess it depends on the condition of the coin; you mention "gunk", not "haze".
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
I've seen that acetone softens it up but won't get it off unless you help it.
<< <i>Is the coin covered with lacquer?
I've seen that acetone softens it up but won't get it off unless you help it. >>
Im not sure what lacquer refers to in numismatic cleansing terms. (Theres definetly not a thin flim of cheap wood or linoleum on the coin
What this coin im playing with has is what seems like soil or gunk covering a thin film over the fields and in the nook and crannies. I assume that would qualify as lacquer?
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
<< <i>mumu---in the old days, some coin collectors would apply a coating of lacquer to protect their coins---especially red copper. This practice has fallen into disfavor by collectors. >>
Crazy old coots.
Also, given the vapor pressure of acetone, if you intend on soaking a coin in it for days or weeks, I'd recommend an air tight container!.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Something else you might try is a long olive oil soak, followed by an acetone press as described above after the olive oil is for the most part blotted off.
The best easily obtained cloths are white cotton glove liners. Use 'em and pitch 'em.
Oh yeah, be really careful to watch for dislodged debris. It can get on the cloth and damage the fields as you work the coin. Nothing worse than hairlining your coin. Best is to work the surfaces over with the soft cloth carefully, then rince the coin while holding the coin vertically with more acetone. You can simply absorb some acetone into the cloth and press it into the edge of the coin, allowing the acetone to rince the coin free of debris.
It's very nice to have a 20-40x scope handy to check the surfaces between rounds.
Gads! I sound like a regular coin doctor!
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