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Acetone question - beating a live horse

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?

Comments

  • adamlaneusadamlaneus Posts: 6,969 ✭✭✭
    A couple of times i've used acetone to de-haze bullion...

    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".
  • SonorandesertratSonorandesertrat Posts: 5,695 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Very bad PVC gunk (green) will take multiple 'baths' to come off---each immersion could take as long as an hour or more. If the PVC gunk is bad, however, dissolving it off will leave you with a coin that shows clear evidence of etching by hydrochloric acid (a product of PVC decomposition) in places where the PVC was.
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  • GrumpyEdGrumpyEd Posts: 4,749 ✭✭✭
    Is the coin covered with lacquer?

    I've seen that acetone softens it up but won't get it off unless you help it.



    Ed
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,895 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I've never tried an acetone soak. Just dips, followed by Q-tip work as necessary.

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  • << <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 image)
    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?
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,892 ✭✭✭✭✭
    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.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
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  • << <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.
  • RobbRobb Posts: 2,034
    Use a rose thorn for the nooks and crannies.
    imageRIP
  • Walkerguy21DWalkerguy21D Posts: 11,721 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You may need to step up to mineral spirits, if the gunk is that bad.
    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!.
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  • It all depends on the type and quantity of "gunk" you're trying to remove. PVC deeply embedded in crevices will take multiple immersions. Get a waterpik to achieve a friction-free result on valuable coins. The pulsing jets of water will remove the softened and embedded stuff without scratching and you'll have pearly whites too! image
    Dave of the cornfields
  • Soapy water, mineral oil, and acetone all remove different types of gunk. Acetone works wonders on tape residue. Only time I tried a soak the container wasn't air tight and the acetone totally evaporated in less than a day.
  • TomBTomB Posts: 22,095 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It depends what you have on the surface of the coin already.
    Thomas Bush Numismatics & Numismatic Photography

    In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson

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  • renomedphysrenomedphys Posts: 3,838 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Try using a soaked lint free soft cloth and pressing (NOT RUBBING) the surface of the coin. Above all, take your time. I don't recommend long baths for a myriad of reasons.

    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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