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 Replies: 30 / Views: 7,548 |
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Moderator
 Australia
16828 Posts |
Rubbing alcohol should be OK, though perhaps more dilute and less effective than acetone. Rubbing alcohol is also more likely to contain other ingredients to make it smell prettier or taste bad; acetone doesn't need such help. These ingredients will stay behind on the coin once the isopropanol evaporates.
As for tap water vs distilled water, it depends on what your local water supplier puts in the water, but you generally don't want tap water sitting on your coins, especially copper/bronze ones. The trace salts in tap water can initiate or accelerate the development of bronze disease.
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
19949 Posts |
NEVER rinse with water after using acetone, ALWAYS rinse with fresh, clean acetone and air dry (about 10 seconds). Using water after acetone will rehydrate the surfaces which can lead to corrosion. Why take the chance? Rinse with fresh acetone and put the coin right into a holder for the best protection.
Lincoln Cent Lover!VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR https://verdi.care/
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Moderator
United States
188440 Posts |
 Quote:
That is the purpose of the Distilled water rinse. Of course a second dip in new Acetone would do the same. The acetone rinse is preferred since it does not require you to dry the coin (which depending on the method can be bad). |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
I have no problem with a distilled water rinse after using the acetone in order to flush away any contaminated acetone still on the coin, but I do then do a final FLOWING rinse with pure acetone after the water rinse inorder to dissolve the water into the acetone and carry it way with the rapid acetone evaporation. This leave the coin clean and dry. (Note that is CLEAN not CLEANED.)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
Like I said before, you folks think too much and are WAY to anal about simple cleaning. I haven't had a problem in over 40 years in a simple cleaning job using acetone or rubbing alcohol, in fact acetone is a bit harsh compared to alcohol. Best wishes to all! 'nuff said....
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Quote:
As for tap water vs distilled water, it depends on what your local water supplier puts in the water, but you generally don't want tap water sitting on your coins, especially copper/bronze ones. The trace salts in tap water can initiate or accelerate the development of bronze disease. Although explained many times, people just don't believe or understand what is in most tap waters. In some areas people are told to boil their tap waters since so full of almost anything. On of the largest problems people find about using tap water on their house plants is the plants die. The most common reason is the Chlorine used to kill germs in their tap water. Many have water softeners that actually add Salt to the water and this too kills plants. In many areas the tap water is from wells. This water contains almost anything on Earth. None of these are good for any coins, valuable or not. And in many instances not good to drink either. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
Just Carl, You've watched the sitcom "Cheers" right? Are you by any chance related to the Postman Cliff Clavin?
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1195 Posts |
*Thread necromancy* The drawbacks of being 25 and still living at home I guess...  So I mention to my grandpa last night that I intended to buy some acetone and use it to "clean up" some grimy UK and Irish pennies that I acquired [from DavidUK]. He goes crazy spouting things along the following lines: I'd try warm soapy water before I'd do something that drastic. Acetone, that's acid isn't it? Then we gotta worry about storing it and if it spills on somebody. Then how do you get rid of the [stuff], it's toxic waste! How do I reason with him? Or do I just use the 91% Isopropanol that we have on hand. |
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Show him this reply. Quote:
I'd try warm soapy water before I'd do something that drastic Never use soap and water on a coin. Quote:
Acetone, that's acid isn't it? No, it's not acid; it has the same ph as water. Quote:
Then we gotta worry about storing it and if it spills on somebody. Store it as you would gasoline. If you're unwilling to store something like gasoline, this is a genuine problem. Me? I keep it under my kitchen sink. Acetone containers are air-tight, and it doesn't auto-ignite until 869F (465C), and if my kitchen is that temperature I have far greater problems than acetone. Spilling acetone on anything is a non-problem because it evaporates so darn quickly, but it will sting the heck out of an open sore. Trust me on this.  Quote:
Then how do you get rid of the [stuff], it's toxic waste! It mixes with water easily. You can safely wash it down the drain, as long as you're not doing gallons at once. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10038 Posts |
Wal Mart sells pure acetone inexpensively. I know we live in a day where liability is a big issue, but if this chemical was as hazardous as reading this thread makes it sound, every newspaper in the country would daily include three pages of obituaries for young/teen girls who died that day from doing their fingernails! Use common sense. - Put the coin in a small container just larger in diameter than the coin- I used a cleaned cap from a small bottle of chocolate milk! - Pour enough acetone in to just cover the coin. - Let the coin soak and watch it to see how long it takes to see the tape dissolve. It should not take too long. - Carefully dump the container and acetone onto a rag (preferably an old T-shirt - cotton). No worries of disposal this way since it evaporates! Repeat if needed (acetone may become saturated with the tape residue). Fumes: Umm... girls stay saturated in a vapor cloud of it for half an hour while doing their nails! You don't need a lab or its equipment. No need to call the fire department to stand by. Don't worry about the bomb squad either. Home Land Security also need not be bothered.  Oh yes, don't drink it. Don't use a hypodeemic nerdle to inject it into your pet crayfish. Don't pour it in your eyes. Don't mix it with peanut butter. Don't use it as a desert topping. Don't pour it in your aquarium. Don't use it to water plants. Not intended for use as a coffee sweetener...   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 halveshttps://ln5.sync.com/dl/7ca91bdd0/w...i3b-rbj9fir2 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1211 Posts |
For anyone who is AFRAID of using acetone to CONSERVE a coin: JUST TRY IT!
It is fairly simple, it actually works, and it won't hurt your coins - really!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4897 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1195 Posts |
Asking my grandfather again about acetone, I got to the root of his concerns. To my astonishment, and I quote hyperbole included:  Quote:
If acetone is such great stuff, drink it, cook with it, put it on your head makes your hair grow, why haven't I heard of it? In my 73 years, I have never heard of acetone! He's scared of having it around because he's never heard of it! I suppose I can't blame him, but I could not help but laugh in disbelief. So long as I store it in the shop in the barn, use it outside, it's labeled clearly enough so that he dont confuse it with something else, and I only buy a small quantity, he fine with me bringing some home. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19949 Posts |
Quote:
No, it's not acid; it has the same ph as water.
Actually, acetone has no pH since it (essentially) contains no water. Lincoln Cent Lover!VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR https://verdi.care/
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10038 Posts |
argentum - get a bottle of finger nail polish remover and show him it is basically acetone on the list of ingredients. If his wife ever used to paint her nails, he has been around it - just not knowing the name. Also - wikipedia: Quote:
Acetone is produced and disposed of in the human body through normal metabolic processes. It is normally present in blood and urine. [emphasis added] People with diabetes produce it in larger amounts. Reproductive toxicity tests show that it has low potential to cause reproductive problems. Due to the higher energy requirements in pregnant women, nursing mothers and children, they have higher levels of acetone. Ketogenic diets that increase acetone in the body are used to reduce epileptic attacks in infants and children who suffer from recalcitrant refractory epilepsy. Its everywhere ! Like everything else in this world - concentrates have different effects, but acetone was used in fingernail polish remover as a safe alternative to other hazardous chemicals. Mine is stored with other things such as cleaners, dishwashing & hand soap, mothballs, bleach, and such other deadly-as-intense-gamma-radiation-exposue or nuclear-fissionable-material chemicals. |
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Replies: 30 / Views: 7,548 |
First Page
Posted 05/03/2012 05:32 am
