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Author Topic: How long to soak in DW?  (Read 382 times)

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Offline Adrian H

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How long to soak in DW?
« on: August 21, 2022, 04:18:20 pm »
I purchased 13 coins two or three months ago and have been soaking them in DW ever since. About two weeks ago the dirt on one of them finally loosened a bit and I am sometimes able to scrape some dirt off with a toothpick - but I can't consistently pick some off, with that coin, some days it's harder than others. How long do you guys like to soak your coins before turning to more aggressive methods? The most aggressive thing I've done was boiling the coins for a few minutes in DW. What are some next steps to pursue for removing more dirt.
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Offline Ron C2

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Re: How long to soak in DW?
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2022, 01:08:31 am »
Are you changing the DW every 24 to 48 hours? DW works because it is devoid of mineral content. You need to refresh it. Every coin is different in terms of how long things take.
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Offline Adrian H

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Re: How long to soak in DW?
« Reply #2 on: August 22, 2022, 03:37:24 pm »
Are you changing the DW every 24 to 48 hours? DW works because it is devoid of mineral content. You need to refresh it. Every coin is different in terms of how long things take.

I'm changing it when I remember to change it. In the first few days, that was every day or two, now it's about once a week. I can certainly try changing it more.
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Offline Ron C2

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Re: How long to soak in DW?
« Reply #3 on: August 23, 2022, 02:11:39 am »
That would help, but DW won't get you all the way there with every coin. You may also need to investigate other techniques, including increasingly aggressive mechanical cleaning. I'd suggest you read the stickies and wiki. Many people use scalpels and magnification for some of the tougher deposits.
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Offline Ken W2

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Re: How long to soak in DW?
« Reply #4 on: August 23, 2022, 01:46:18 pm »

Hey Adrian:  I keep roughly 10-20 coins, in progressive stages of cleaning, in each of four tupperware containers soaking in DW almost continuously. Some may soak for more than a year.  I change the DW roughly every few days or weekly in the early stages; less frequent in later stages. Few coins will clean up with only DW soaks and brushing or toothpick prodding.  Most will require mechanical cleaning. I clean under an inexpensive 10X microscope and prefer an exacto knife using the no. 11 blade (inexpensive) and diamond encrusted dental drills in a pin vise (pretty expensive, but cut off needles and pins work well good too). Patience is the key-- remove the easy dirt, soak some more, remove a little more dirt, soak some more, and so on.         

 

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