Acetone Baths - Space Efficiency

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musospuso
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Acetone Baths - Space Efficiency

#1 Unread post by musospuso »

So I've started to "acetone bath" some coins to test and experiment and was wondering if anyone had any advice for how to use space most efficiently. Mainly:

- How do you expose both sides properly i.e. the face down of the coin probably isn't getting "bathed" as much as the upside
- Is there a material that can be used to suspend the coins or make multiple layers for space efficiency (say, for inside a large glass bowl for ex) without causing a chemical reaction between the "strata" material and the coins themselves?

I know gold is inert but I don't exactly have the moola hanging around to spring for some kind of gold lattice, coin-suspension......thing.

Ideas? Pics? Thoughts?

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Earle42
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Re: Acetone Baths - Space Efficiency

#2 Unread post by Earle42 »

PURE acetone (marked on the bottle as such) must be used.

Using acetone for this is a LOT simpler than you may think (former Chemistry teacher BTW).

I put some acetone in a baby food jar and put the coin(s) in with plastic (HDP I believe - they are impervious to acetone) tongs:
https://tinyurl.com/yxqpcvdj
But look around, mine were only .99 when I got them a few years ago instead of this ridiculous price!

Make sure there is enough acetone to cover the coins completely. The reason I use a baby food jar is b/c of the smaller volume of acetone it takes as well as having a cap to screw it on and keep the acetone from evaporating.

It does not take long per coin. You could likely do as much in 5-10 seconds as you would in a long soak. When I have a bunch to put into 2X2s, I will just put them all in the jar at one time.
- Is there a material that can be used to suspend the coins or make multiple layers for space efficiency (say, for inside a large glass bowl for ex) without causing a chemical reaction between the "strata" material and the coins themselves?
A milk jug should be made of HDP and impervious to acetone. And easy way to tell would be to simply put a few drops onto a piece of plastic from a milk jug. You could cut the side from the jugs for your strata. But...by the time you were starting to put in your second level , the first level of coins would have been in long enough to be removed if they are just regular circulated coins!

As to being worried about one side vs. the other...don't. If you immerse them in the acetone, this will expose both sides to the acetone enough to work. Think of it this way...if you place a coin into water, aren't both side going to get wet?

The internal pressure caused by the contained mass of the acetone surrounding the coin will cause the entire surface of the coin to be exposed.
Common grading company shortcomings & resulting co$tly mi$take$ to collectors (using Kennedy No FG halves):
https://tinyurl.com/y7rksxu8

How much squash would a sasquatch squash if a sasquatch would squash squash?

musospuso
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Re: Acetone Baths - Space Efficiency

#3 Unread post by musospuso »

Good idea about the baby food jars I'm definitely going to try that. Is it OK to recycle/reuse acetone and xylene? Or does the used stuff just need to be dumped?

EDIT: Also, is there ANY substance that can be "rubbed" on a coin to help remove gunk (or assist the acetone process)? Some say qtips, some say only 100% cotton but you can't rub or wipe you have to just dab. Isn't there some 21st century material that can be rubbed and wiped on a coin without leaving a mark?

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Re: Acetone Baths - Space Efficiency

#4 Unread post by Earle42 »

Re-using acetone:

The answer to this is akin to how many dishes do you wash in the sink full of warm soapy water before changing the water?

It's a judge as you go type of thing. Admittedly my personal thoughts and practice have been when just putting normal circulated coins into 2X2s or capsules, I am not worried about the micro accumulation the acetone is removing from the surface of the coins.

When I have had something exceptionally crud covered, then I use enough to cover the coin, let it soak, take it out and pat with cotton cloth, and put it in again if needed. I do pay attention to see if gunk is in the acetone and will re-use it on that same coin (if needed), but just "because" will dump that acetone and not put another coin into it if I see particles/gunk in the liquid. Acetone is inexpensive which helps (Shhh! Don't tell brandon!).

As to rubbing - just don't do it. The "21st century material" to use is an old COTTON (read the label) T-shirt :D
Why not rub? B/c no matter how soft the cloth/item is that you want to rub with, what if the dirt you are rubbing is harder than the coin's surface? That hard gunk will still scratch the coin b/c your soft cloth is pushing on top of the hard gunk which is the sliding across the coin's surface while being pressed down onto the coin....scraaaaatch! This is why we pat and dab.

Personally I do not rub with the cotton T-shirt. I just use it as a safe place to lay the coins when brining them out of the acetone. BTW, no rinse required with acetone. It COMPLETELY evaporates off of the surface.



On that rare occasion I cannot get some bit of crud out from the small parts of the lettering, etc...

Get a pet porcupine!

No...really...get some pocy needles off of ebay (cheap!) or a local road kill if you happen to be in that type of ecosystem like I used to be (THICK leather gloves and you will have a lifetime supply form just one - yes, I am serious!).

A toothpick tip, which is big and bulky compared to the end of a porcy needle, cannot literally fit inside the D's hole in the mint mark and scoop out stuck gunk. A thorn from a rose also works, but not for nearly as long. I have used ONE porcy needle on a hundred nickels while going through a gripe of older ones from circulation. The porcy needle will not scratch the coin b/c its softer than the coin is.

Exception: Lets say there was a micro grain of sand on the coin. Anything physical you use to try to lift the gunk off the surface can possibly have that micro and hard particle under it so when you move your tool, the micro particle scratches the surface.

Been there. Done that. But it happens so very rarely I don't worry about it.
Common grading company shortcomings & resulting co$tly mi$take$ to collectors (using Kennedy No FG halves):
https://tinyurl.com/y7rksxu8

How much squash would a sasquatch squash if a sasquatch would squash squash?

musospuso
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Re: Acetone Baths - Space Efficiency

#5 Unread post by musospuso »

Earle42 wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 8:54 pm That hard gunk will still scratch the coin b/c your soft cloth is pushing on top of the hard gunk which is the sliding across the coin's surface while being pressed down onto the coin....scraaaaatch!
That is such great insight, I never thought about that! Makes a lot more sense now why never to rub. Literally checking Amazon right now for those needles :lol:

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Re: Acetone Baths - Space Efficiency

#6 Unread post by Earle42 »

Try ebay - I have seen bags with a hundred or so go for 4.00 (well - that was before brandonflation).
Common grading company shortcomings & resulting co$tly mi$take$ to collectors (using Kennedy No FG halves):
https://tinyurl.com/y7rksxu8

How much squash would a sasquatch squash if a sasquatch would squash squash?

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