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Author Topic: How to clean this Isis?  (Read 1072 times)

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Offline Arminius

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How to clean this Isis?
« on: March 28, 2010, 02:57:09 pm »
Hello!

Although these encrustations look at first glance like those easy ones - ready to chip off - they persisted all gentle cleaning attempts so far.

Alexandria in Egypt, 181-171 BC., Ptolemaios V. Epiphanes, Obol, Svoronos 1238.

The visible layer is a mixture of sand, earth and dirt.
This is cemented by a (the second) layer of brown and then green-blue oxides to a smooth and fortunately non-corroded bronze patina surface.

So far i tried boiling in DW, soda solution and soaking with oils for a couple of days.

With high pressure on the tip of a sharp steel blade i can chip off very small particles.
But the danger of slipping and causing irreversible damage is high.

Maybe someone has more experience with such a "bane of the Pharaohs".

 ???

Offline Arminius

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Re: How to clean this Isis?
« Reply #1 on: March 31, 2010, 05:48:39 pm »
Yes, only the hard and dangerous way seems to be effective for the Nilus cement.

With a lot of patience plus tightness the steel blade finally discovered this.

I left some encrustations in the dimples and at the edges so the children won´t mistake it for a chocolate.   ;)

Offline Matthew W2

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Re: How to clean this Isis?
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2010, 07:15:05 pm »
Wow, incredible job cleaning that!

 

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