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Acetone Technique

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 Posted 12/19/2012  4:25 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add John1 to your friends list
U B Funny Coin Chick .
John1
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 Posted 05/01/2013  12:04 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add lambecolin to your friends list
Hawthorn tree spikes also good---currently trying bramble bush thorns but they seem to loose their hardness quickly.
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 Posted 05/01/2013  06:20 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Circus to your friends list
Here is a like to the long soaking of 6 ikes I did.
https://goccf.com/t/147538&whichpage=1

Quote:
Do a search here on CCF for using an air brush set up.


I will also mention that using compressed air and acetone you basically are making a mixing chamber for fuel air ratio that can explode with the smallest spark. possible with static electricity.

The most hazardous property of acetone is its extreme flammability. Air mixtures of between 2.5% and 12.8% acetone, by volume, may explode or cause a flash fire. Vapors can flow along surfaces to distant ignition sources and flash back. Static discharge may also ignite acetone vapors. Acetone has, however very high ignition initiation energy point, so accidental ignition is rare. In the liquid form.

Not to mention the fire ball of the mixture of flammable gas mix hanging in the air in front of your head/face.

Breathing moderate-to-high levels of acetone for short periods of time can cause nose, throat, lung, and eye irritation. It can also cause intoxication, headaches, fatigue, stupor, light-headedness, dizziness, confusion, increased pulse rate, nausea, vomiting, and shortening of the menstrual cycle in women.

Breathing highly concentrated acetone vapors can irritate the respiratory tract and burn your eyes. Skin contact with acetone can irritate or damage your skin.

Even with the possible side effects of using it as a solvent, it is still one of the safe ones out there to use. Use nitrile gloves, and a ventilation source, mask rated for organic vapors. If you are going to be using it for extended periods of time.
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 Posted 05/01/2013  09:56 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jcmworld to your friends list
Acetone cleaning is generally not god for the coin long term.
I use a brass wire brush on my ancients. God results and no chemicals.
Soaking in DI water for a day or two will soften up most crusties, making them cleanable by mechanical means.
Jusy use someting softer than the coin to clean it with (i.e. don't use steel picks on silver coins) Toothpicks are fine, they're usually made of soft birch.
I've used electrolysis on US coins as testers and get great results if there is only tarnish and no corosion. If there's corrosion it'll remove it and leave a pit.
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 Posted 05/01/2013  10:32 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add SsuperDdave to your friends list

Quote:
Acetone cleaning is generally not god for the coin long term.


Acetone is physically incapable of reacting with any metal except copper. You can leave a silver coin in pure acetone for decades and it won't make a difference. Ever.

If you want to manage a reaction with copper, you need also the presence of water vapor and bright light, and you'll need to devote hours to the effort. In the absence of water vapor, you can't manage it. In the dark, regardless of water vapor, you can't manage it. Further, you'll need to allow the acetone to completely evaporate during the process.

Which is to say, as long as any coin is completely immersed in pure acetone, no chemical reaction of any sort will ever be possible for as long as you soak it.
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 Posted 05/01/2013  11:42 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Earle42 to your friends list
@johnny676767

I use an antique glass coaster that went under furniture legs - identical to these (random web pic):

Acetone-Technique

Pour enough acetone in to cover the coin - plus some more. So the coin does not slide around, use one Q-tip to hold it down and another to do your rolling/wiping.

Since I usually have a number of coins to do at one time (rinsing with acetone before putting in 2X2s), and sometimes a few minutes between each rinse, I use a plastic peanut butter jar lid to cover the coaster and hinder the acetone's evaporation.

I think the coaster was a .05 garage sale find. Also I have an antique glass canning jar lid w/ flat top - will therefore sit upside down without teetering. It is more shallow than the coaster but still will hold enough acetone so it won't evaporate for quite awhile (when I don't have the fan on!)

I use this primarily for halves and find I can fit 3 or 4 at a time in the acetone.

To remove the coins, a pen tip from one of those clear, plastic, one-piece BIC pens (make sure the pen tip has a flat end - not one of the blocky-ended types) works good getting under the edge of the coin and lifting so coin tweezers can then get on the edge to lift the coin out.

@SsuperDdave - great idea with the ice - wish I had thought of it!

Toothpicks: I know its not common for a lot of people to find - but I use a porcupine quill. Not on;y are the quills soft enough to get the grime and not scratch the coin, but the porcupines are kind enough to grow varying diameters (depending on which area of the critter they grow on) of quills so areas such as the inside of a D MM can be reached with the thinnest of these all natural coin-gunk-removal tools.

@Coin Chick

Quote:
My neighbors would be wondering what the crazy neighbor was doing now. Lol.

I don't worry about this. My neighbors found out I was crazy the first time my dog got loose, and from the front porch I loudly called her... by name... "Here Kitty Kitty." Its good to keep them guessing.



How much squash could a Sasquatch squash if a Sasquatch would squash squash?
Download and read: Grading the graders
Costly TPG ineptitude and No FG Kennedy halves
https://ln5.sync.com/dl/7ca91bdd0/w...i3b-rbj9fir2
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 Posted 05/01/2013  12:04 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add just carl to your friends list
Some things to think about with using Acetone.
1. If you don't need it around the house for anything else, spending the money to buy it may be a waste.
2. With the high price of gasoline for a car, driving to a hardware or paint store to buy Acetone may cost more than you think.
3. Same may be true of distilled water.
4. Note that in most areas Acetone comes in Quart sized containers. Distilled water is usually in Gallon bottles.
Lots of stuff if only for a few coins.
5. Using anything to blow on Acetone may end up costing a lot of money at a hospital for eye treatments. And if made blind, collecting coins may well be over.
6. If the coins your attempting to clean are not valuable, spending a lot of money to clean them is sort of nutty.
7. If your coins are valuable, any cleaning with toothpicks, rose thornes, brushes, etc. may end up making them a lot less valuable.
And always remember that any flamable solution or substance laying around could be a real danger if the wrong person messes with that stuff.
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 Posted 05/01/2013  3:38 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add BadThad to your friends list

Quote:
Acetone cleaning is generally not god for the coin long term.


On what basis do you make that assertion?
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 Posted 05/01/2013  9:08 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Earle42 to your friends list
Remember acetone is the main ingredient used in fingernail polish remover. The manufacturers switched to using acetone because it is safe to use, be around et cetera.

100% acetone is available at Wal-mart (where I get mine) and does not cost much.

Our bodies produce acetone in small quantities and every time we eat a grape, we ingest very small amounts.

So if you would be tempted to use fingernail polish for a coffee flavoring, eye wash, pet food, etc. - don't use acetone. As with all things acetone is safe if you use common sense.

Google acetone household uses =- you will find it handy to have around.







How much squash could a Sasquatch squash if a Sasquatch would squash squash?
Download and read: Grading the graders
Costly TPG ineptitude and No FG Kennedy halves
https://ln5.sync.com/dl/7ca91bdd0/w...i3b-rbj9fir2
Edited by Earle42
05/01/2013 9:11 pm
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 Posted 05/02/2013  1:09 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add just carl to your friends list

Quote:
So if you would be tempted to use fingernail polish for a coffee flavoring, eye wash, pet food, etc. - don't use acetone. As with all things acetone is safe if you use common sense.

Google acetone household uses =- you will find it handy to have around.

Try to remember that many, many people that read things on the internet are young. They may not understand exactly what is dangerous and what isn't. Even suggesting in humor to use fingernail polish for coffee flavoring or eye washes is really, really dangerous. And to Google anything for using Acetone for household usage could be great, bad or just scarry.

Quote:
Acetone cleaning is generally not god for the coin long term.

Not exactly sure what GOD has to do with using Acetone at all.
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 Posted 05/02/2013  1:16 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jcmworld to your friends list
Acetone catalyzes in the presence of copper and oxygen, which generates oxidation (from the reduction of the acetone) and heat.

True acetone won't hurt pure silver but most silver coins minted have some copper content. Using actone on these will create pitting as the acetone will react selectively with the copper in the alloy. Also once catalyzed the reduction will continue until all of the acetone is comsumed, and you are left with a layer of oxidation which will react with moisture and oxygen to sustain the oxidation reaction.

Also once you remove the passivity layer on a coin's surface you expose a whole new surface for fresh oxidation. Depending on how evenly the passivity layer was removed the coin will oxidize evenly or unevenly.
Fingernail polish remover typically has some surfactants and fragrance mixed in, even the "100% pure" stuff. The surfactants are more likely to be residual and need to be removed.

Acetone is also an irritant and can cause respiratory damage. I used to have to do lab work under a hood when I used acetone.

Distilled water is available in every grocery store and Wal-mart for less than $2 per gallon. Use the water sold in the baby section as "nursery water" as it doesn't have additives put in after distillation.
Best bet is to use some distilled water with some dish soap and rinse thoroughly after.
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 Posted 05/02/2013  6:52 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Earle42 to your friends list
Thank you just carl - I definitely should have worded this differently.

How much squash could a Sasquatch squash if a Sasquatch would squash squash?
Download and read: Grading the graders
Costly TPG ineptitude and No FG Kennedy halves
https://ln5.sync.com/dl/7ca91bdd0/w...i3b-rbj9fir2
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 Posted 05/03/2013  4:43 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add BadThad to your friends list

Quote:
Acetone catalyzes in the presence of copper and oxygen, which generates oxidation (from the reduction of the acetone) and heat.
True acetone won't hurt pure silver but most silver coins minted have some copper content. Using actone on these will create pitting as the acetone will react selectively with the copper in the alloy.


The reaction would be infinitesimally small over a period under which a collector would be using acetone. The tiny amount oxygen produced would rise into the container air space and definately have NO effect on the coin. I have personally soaked every coin composition for a week or longer with zero adverse effects, i.e. no pitting. I know Carl has pushed this to weeks and included sunlight with no ill effect.

Are you a chemist or just a googler?
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 Posted 05/10/2013  9:55 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jcmworld to your friends list
I worked for 12 years in power plant wet chemistry control (nuclear and conventional fueled plants) and radiochemistry.
Needed a career change to a sit down job, though so I'm in law school now.
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 Posted 05/14/2013  06:06 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add buddy16cat to your friends list
Sometimes coins are dirty, they just look like it because they are corroded or have environmental damage. I have used a q-tip on coins when they are soaking in distilled water rather than acetone. I found that 90% alcohol is good for taking off dirt as well.
Edited by buddy16cat
05/14/2013 06:08 am
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