Proper acetone procedure

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by DLeach, Oct 19, 2011.

  1. DLeach

    DLeach New Member

    Hey gang, I am new to collecting and have some questions about using acetone. I have seen several different threads and posts concerning the use of acetone to help clean and conserve coins, but I havent seen any sort of agreed upon procedure for using acetone. For a moment, lets take the whole arguement about whether or not dipping/soaking the coins is necessary, and focus just on the actual procedure. My specific questions are:

    1. I have seen some poeple talk about using three seperate acetone baths. What is the purpose behind that, and do most people do it that way?

    2. How long should they sit in the baths?

    3. Should I rinse with distilled water afterwards?

    Like I mentioned earlier, I have seen little snippits of answers to these questions throughout different posts, but no centralized procedure. I am sure that lots of people do things differently, but I would at least like to get a general consensus.

    Now to the "is it necessary" questions:

    1. Do you dip/soak all of your new acquisitions as a preventative measure, even if there is no sign of verdigris?

    2. Do I risk damaging them by using acetone?

    I really appreciate all of the time and energy that you veterans put into helping educate us newcomers.
     
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  3. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    No they don't. But they should. The reason they should is that in the first bath the acetone itself becomes contaminated by whatever was on the coin. The second bath, the same thing happens, but to a lesser degree. By the time the 3rd bath is over any contaminants should be totally removed from the coin.

    It depends on what exactly is on the coin and how much of it there is. The 1st bath can be anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hrs. When you remove the coin, that's what tells you if you need more time or not. Personally, I think 24 hrs is the best bet for the 1st bath. For the 2nd bath, maybe 5 minutes. For the 3rd bath, a quick dip and a swish around for a few seconds should do it.

    I say yes, definitely. Others will dispute that.

    I've written out all of the things I mentioned above probably 50 times. I'll probably do it 50 more times.

    No. To begin with acetone will have no effect on verdigris. So don't even bother using it for that, it's a waste of time. Acetone should only used on coins that need to have it used on them. In other words, on coins that have some sort of contaminant on them. Typical contaminants can be tape residue, any of various types of glue, shellac and varnishes, fresh fingerprints (and only fresh fingerprints because if it has been there more than a couple of days it's not coming off), oils and grease, and sometimes ordinary dirt and grime. Other than that, forget about it because acetone isn't going to work.

    But some folks will tell you that they use acetone on every coin, regardless. These folks are in the minority among all collectors. Most will only use it as needed.

    Usually not. But if you've been reading recent posts you've seen the discussion about using acetone on copper coins. Most copper coins will probably not be affected at all, but some of them may turn weird colors. Even so, if the copper coin has something on it that needs to be removed, then by all means use the acetone.
     
  4. mizozuman2

    mizozuman2 that random guy

    very well said doug!
     
  5. LindeDad

    LindeDad His Walker.

    One additional thing I would like to add Acetone is a Toxic chemical and children should only be using with adult supervision and they must take the required safety precautions when using.

    READ the Label Guys and Girls......
     
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  6. BadThad

    BadThad Calibrated for Lincolns

    Doug covered most of your questions. I will add a little....

    In general, I rarely bath coins in acetone. I prefer to use it as a rinse in most cases. I simply use a disposable transfer pipet (cheap) to rinse with. If soaking, make sure you have a container with a well sealed lid. DO NOT ALLOW THE ACETONE TO EVAPORATE. It is very volatile and, if it evaporates, you'll just redeposit your coin surface residues back onto the surface. There's no need to use "3 containers", just soak your coin (no longer than 24 hours), remove and rinse it will with fresh, clean acetone. After that the coin is ready for storage.

    Contrary to Doug, I do not ever recommend rinsing your coins with water AFTER the acetone. That will rehydrate the surfaces and invite corrosion. Acetone is a very strong desiccant and will remove all traces of water (a coins worst enemy) from the coin surface. Coins should be immediately stored in an air tight holder after an acetone rinse.
     
  7. -jeffB

    -jeffB Greshams LEO Supporter

    ALWAYS read the label. Having said that, acetone is actually one of the least toxic organic solvents you're likely to come across -- comparable to rubbing alcohol, and certainly less toxic than methanol.

    It is, however, EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE, and extremely volatile -- it evaporates quickly and easily. If you're going to leave coins sitting in it for long periods, cover the container (with a non-plastic, non-painted lid), and watch out for ignition hazards.
     
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  8. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    Except there is no such thing as an airtight coin holder. But I do agree that you should use the best holder you can get.
     
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  9. medoraman

    medoraman Supporter! Supporter

    Doug's reply should be stickied.
     
  10. -jeffB

    -jeffB Greshams LEO Supporter

    And we should probably remind everyone that acetone will dissolve many plastics, possibly including those commonly used in coin holders. I know it chews up polystyrene and acrylic. Fortunately, as BadThad said, it evaporates quickly; just let your coin "dry off" before putting it in the holder.
     
  11. DLeach

    DLeach New Member

    Thanks for all of the replies guys!! BadThad, I am a little confused, you said dont let it evaporate. Does that mean dont let the soak evaporate, or dont let the acetone evaporate off of the coin after you rinse it with the fresh acetone? Does that mean I should blot it dry?
     
  12. BadThad

    BadThad Calibrated for Lincolns

    Don't let it evaporate in the soaking container. You want it to evaporate (and it will) during the rinse phase. This takes less than 10 seconds....no need to blot it dry.
     
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  13. Kasia

    Kasia Got my learning hat on

    Thanks for this thread!
     
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  14. rev1774

    rev1774 Well-Known Member

    Agreed, thanks for sharing this.. I might give this a try on some lesser grade common items to see how it works.. (get a feel for the procedure per-say)
     
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  15. medoraman

    medoraman Supporter! Supporter

    Yes, always. Same with the first time dipping a coin. Anytime you want to play doctor on a coin do it on circulation coinage first, since I guarantee you at some point you will make a mistake. I know I did.
     
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  16. rev1774

    rev1774 Well-Known Member

    True, that would be my first experiments with some circulation coins, as you say, mistakes will be made at some point I'm sure..
     
  17. collectingkid

    collectingkid Copper Collector

    I am going to practice this on regular coins that cost face first then move on to some I need to conserve
     
  18. dctjr80

    dctjr80 Senior Member

    I didn't wish to buy a huge container of Acetone from a hardware store, so I purchased a 100% Acetone Salon Plus Nail Polish Remover, would this be ok to soak coins? The only other ingredients is Denatonium and Fragrance, but if using a distilled water rinse directly after would this be safe for the coins?
     
    Paul M. likes this.
  19. dctjr80

    dctjr80 Senior Member

    My other question would be, what do you actually store the coin in while soaking? Most containers use a rubber or plastic seal in the lid to be liquid tight?
     
  20. NorthKorea

    NorthKorea Dealer Member is a made up title...

    If there's anything other than acetone on the ingredients label, it's not 100% acetone. Use actual acetone, not nail polish remover.
     
    mac266 likes this.
  21. rev1774

    rev1774 Well-Known Member

    I've not tried using acetone but from everything I've read, I agree with the above...
     
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