Using acetone

I know there have been many discussions here about using acetone on coins, and I'm ready to do some experimenting with it on some of my older coins. But I need particulars on how to do it. For example, what container do you use for the soak? I'm thinking a shallow glass dish, something I could possibly put two or three coins in at one time.

And after leaving them for a few days, do I just let the acetone evaporate off and then rinse the coins, or should I pull them out and pour out the acetone? Or do you pour out the acetone first and then remove the coins? And do the coins need to be rinsed anyway after the soak, since the acetone evaporates anyway?

Sorry for so may questions, but i don't need to screw up any coins, even if they aren't worth much.

 

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Don't let the acetone evaporate on the coin...the suspended particles will just redeposit on the coin. Glass container is good.

 

Everything you need to know: https://www.ngccoin.com/boards/topi...of-a-3-part-series-using-acetone/#Post5536102

 

Im trying to figure it out too, i read that most commercial brands of acetone, such as nail polish remover, contains denatonium benzoate, which people say will harm coins. Can anybody clear that up for me?

 

Don't use nail polish remover as it will harm the coins. Use an industrial strength acetone.

 

That might be true of nail polish removers. Acetone sold at paint and home improvement stores is the pure stuff.

 

Nail polish remover isn't usually pure acetone. Often, it will have other chemicals and perfumes added. The denatonium itself won't harm the coins, it is just there to make it extremely bitter so kids don't drink it.

To find pure acetone, look in the paint department at Walmart or Home Depot. It is marketed as paint thinner or paint remover.

 

I will do that. Now, since I am going to be removing the coin before all the acetone is gone, how do I remove it from the container? I know this is really basic stuff for you folks, but I have had a bad experience with some sanding sealer before and just want to know if I can pluck the coin out of the liquid with my bare fingers. And I suppose the coins will need to be rinsed, but does it have to be distilled water?

 

Getting acetone on your fingers is no big deal. It feels cold as it evaporates off of your skin.

 

An old relish jar and top. Seals nicely to keep the acetone from evaporating. Rinse with distilled water (after discarding the acetone), and re-soak as needed.

 

I buy 'Strip kleen' brand and have used gallons cleaning various type of metal, dissolving super glue, etc, I do not think the gallon sizes have DB , but I wouldn't be concerned as the percentage even is most fingernail removers just have to be in the range of close to 0% due to its strength to produce horrible taste. It is used in acetone because some procedures to make crystal meth and other illicit substances use acetone and the DB really messes up the taste ( according to internet rumors).

The human body makes acetone in metabolic reactions so I do not worry about it, just don't drink it as it is as bad as booze. IMO, do not rinse with any water after the acetone has evaporated. If you allowed it to drain by holding it between your fingers until the acetone on the coin evaporate, usually about 1 min. for silver dollar size. The acetone takes water in the crannies of a coin away when it evaporates, and since common coin corrosion can not occur if completely dry you can pop it into a proper holder, Rinse it and you can activate a reaction that will continue when put into any holder, safe or not., IMO, Jim

 

Indeed. I usually rinse the coin with clean acetone after a soak.

 

• I use a small glass food storage container with a snap-on plastic lid to slow evaporation.

• I buy acetone in a quart can sold in the painting supplies section of my local Home Depot or Lowe's.

• You shouldn't need to soak for days. Hours, and in many cases minutes, are usually enough time for the acetone to remove or loosen anything it's capable of removing or loosening.

• A relatively clean coin may need only one soaking. A dirtier coin might need two, three or more, each time in clean acetone. The rule I follow is, keep doing additional soakings until I don't see any more particles of dislodged gunk in the bottom of the bowl, and then a final quick swish in more clean acetone to make sure no residual particles stick to the coin.

• Just remove the coin with your fingers, holding by the rim. The acetone will fully evaporate off the surface of the coin in seconds. Acetone won't harm your skin.

• Some people do a wash in distilled water after the acetone treatment is completed. I do not. Why reintroduce moisture to the surface of the coin after the evaporation of the acetone has left it bone dry?

Acetone only interacts with stuff on the coin, not the coin itself, so you don't need to worry about screwing up a coin . . . for the most part.

A few exceptions to this rule based on personal experience:

• An aluminum coin I soaked in acetone came out severely pitted. It was one of the French territorial coins; Madagascar, I think.

• A brass plated (or some kind of plated) coin came out with discoloration. It was a cheap modern world coin, so no great loss.

• A bronze 1945 quarter anna from India came out of the acetone with a slight pinkish hue. That's the only time that happened, but when I soak a bronze coin now, I keep a close eye on it. Or sometimes I'll substitute xylene for acetone.

One of our resident chemists may come along to claim that these exceptions aren't possible. I haven't studied chemistry since college so I can't address the issue in scientific terms, but I know what I did and I know what I saw.

 

As we speak I have a silver 1856 Naples 120 Grana coin in a Acetone bath. It's the second soaking. I picked the coin up on Ebay and it had that green "stuff" on it. The first soak removed most of it and the second should remove the remaining. I use a small glass jar with a glass lid. The Acetone I buy at Walmart. I use small wood tongs to pick up the coin. I let the coins soak for a few days with no adverse effects. I don't rinse the coins off with water. When I'm done with the soaks I throw the old Acetone on the cement in my backyard and it evaporates in seconds.
I only use Acetone on Silver coins.

 

I use shot glasses and do one coin at a time. I pick a glass that is the right size to support the coin by the edges. An old glass flashlight lens works well to cover the shot glass. After a few hours, I poor off the acetone and slide the coin out on a cloth. Clean the glass and do it again with fresh acetone. Each bath takes an ounce or two of acetone. It's nice to have a squirt bottle of acetone for the final rinse.
After several hundred coins, I have never damaged a coin using this system.

Some folks get in trouble because they start rubbing the coin. Bad idea.

 

Don't do this while doing shots of vodka.

Squirt bottle? What is it made of that it isn't damaged by the acetone?

 

I use a small glass pyrex dish, like you would serve pickles in or something. Basically, anything glass that's big enough to hold your coins. Just be gentle as you are setting them in there.

You don't need to soak for days, usually I only soak for 15-30 minutes. The example shown in the article I linked was an exception, because it was so thick the entire coin was green.

It is perfectly fine to just stick your fingers in there and grab the coin by the edges. Acetone won't hurt you. It might sting if you have a cut on your finger, but it's fine. Just wash your hands thoroughly before and after (but you should do that anyways before handling raw coins).

I always rinse in water, in case there are any contaminants still on the coin. I then let them air dry on a soft, clean cloth (do not pat dry).

 

I can't add anything to the good advice above but be forewarned that acetone will destroy the finish on wood furniture almost instantly. Keep this in mind when you choose where you use it.

 

Oh, yes, good call!

I always use a pad under the glass container. I have a soft cloth that I do all coin work over, and then I'll layer several paper towels on top of that. If I do have a small spill, or if a couple of drops comes off the coin when I pick it up, the paper towels catch that rather than whatever surface I'm working on.

 

The above is true, however, I found that proofs sometimes get cloudy as soon as the acetone evaporates off of the coin. This cloudiness I think is due to the rapid temperature change from the evaporation. This doesn't seem to happen when rinsing with distilled water. I haven't had any issues with distilled water rinsing. You just have to make sure the coin is on it's edge and has had ample time to dry. Of note, xylene does not seem to ever cause this cloudiness. I switched to exclusively using xylene on proofs for this reason.