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 Replies: 9 / Views: 1,792 |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2490 Posts |
This afternoon, the lovely Mrs. Bagerap handed me a box, saying "is this any use to you, it's been in the cupboard for years?""It" was something called a Sonic Cleaner. Supposed to clean jewellery, says Mrs B. Maybe a hint I should perhaps buy her some? Anyways she thinks it's rubbish, but maybe it'll work better on coins than necklaces; so I'm trying it out on the contents of my scrap box.  And it seems to work. It uses a small quantity of an unidentified cleaning solution 1:6 with water, placed in a small tank which is "sonicly" stimulated. No, me neither. Regardless, it seems to work on my junk coins, but I'm nervous about going further. Does anyone know anything about this stuff? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
532 Posts |
They do work, but a coin must be suspended as to prevent contact points making abrasion spots.
I would change out the unidentified in place for purified water and start there. Go more and more agressive as needed but the thought of plunking a valuable coin into a mystery solution does not sound like a good plan.
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Pillar of the Community
 United Kingdom
2490 Posts |
By the feel of it, the mystery liquid is not too far removed from old fashioned soap. At a distinctly new fashioned price.
Still I'm only playing with it for now, until I can find out more. But thanks for the idea of suspension; maybe a soft cloth bag?
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Moderator
 Australia
16826 Posts |
Ultrasonic cleaning is standard practice in certain medical and scientific fields; we have one in the lab here at work to remove nasty gunk from the glassware. It's also standard practice in jewellery cleaning. For coins, the main problem is how to prevent unwanted friction, as RFB points out. If a coin touches anything while in the bath - (another coin, the walls or floor of the bath, or even a piece of string you're dangling it from) it might create a friction "hotspot", the equivalent of taking your coin and rubbing it against a piece of cloth for a minute or so.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2490 Posts |
Thanks Sap. In fact I'm very well aware of the uses and benefits of ultrasonic cleaning, but this thing very clearly and carefully describes itself as a sonic cleaner; and the retail price (£15.00) certainly precludes any chance of superior technology.
This is what I failed to make clear originally. I know what this machine isn't, I'm just not exactly sure what it is or how it appears to be working.
And as I write, it's just transformed a characterless black disc into a recognisable Louis XVI sol. Now if it could only improve the condition.............
Edited by alganbagerap
02/07/2010 7:18 pm
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Moderator
Australia
16826 Posts |
Quote:
Thanks Sap. In fact I'm very well aware of the uses and benefits of ultrasonic cleaning, but this thing very clearly and carefully describes itself as a sonic cleaner; and the retail price (£15.00) certainly precludes any chance of superior technology. Actual "sonic cleaning" would be no more effective than talking to (or shouting at) your coins underwater; you, however, seem to be actually getting results.  So regardless of what it calls itself, the principle behind it is still ultrasonic cleaning. £15 is well within the price range of a small, simple ultrasonic cleaner. Maybe the company that made it wanted to save the "ultra" prefix for its higher priced models. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
Curious... if even string or a cloth bag can cause friction marks on a coin as it is suspended in a sonic cleaner, than what possibly could be used to suspend a coin?
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2490 Posts |
In the UK we've got the Trades Description Act limiting what can & can't be said about a product, which is why I made an issue of the word sonic. I'd assumed that the manufacturer was using weasel words to hype an inferior product.
Regardless of which, it seems that I do have a very cheap ultrasonic cleaner which works quite well.
I've now tried it using distilled water with no noticeable effect. The soapy liquid supplied works well, but until I can identify its make up, it's going no where near the good stuff.
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Moderator
Australia
16826 Posts |
Quote:
Curious... if even string or a cloth bag can cause friction marks on a coin as it is suspended in a sonic cleaner, than what possibly could be used to suspend a coin? I don't know. That's why I wouldn't recommend using it on anything more precious than the junk coins alganbagerup's already tried. Quote:
The soapy liquid supplied works well, but until I can identify its make up, it's going no where near the good stuff. Wise. The soap will be a kind of detergent, like that in dishwashing liquid. Without a detailed chemical breakdown, I'd be reluctant to use it on a lustrous coin - many detergents contain tarnish-causing sulfur compounds. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Sonic cleaners do work for what they are intended for.
As to their uses on coins:
DO NOT CLEAN COINS.
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Replies: 9 / Views: 1,792 |
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Posted 02/07/2010 5:08 pm
