Latest finds

[El Pirata]

Here are 3 of the best ones I acquired my last trip into Panama (sorry for the blury pic):

[Redd Oktober]

Oh My! Those are really nice specimens, mate!

[El Pirata]

Yeah, cleaning 300 years of crud off is a royal pain in the butt but the finished product is well worth the labor.

[endkaos]

Aye, those be beautiful coins. The picture is clear enough to see their beauty.

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

If you're not able to hunt your own coins, you can experience a bit of archaeology right in your own kitchen sink for just a few dollars. You can purchase uncleaned ancient Roman bronze coins for about $1 to $3 each on Ebay, sometimes less.

One year, I purchased a fair-sized lot and gave them as Christmas gifts along with cleaning instructions and website locations where the coins could be looked up and dated after cleaning. People were THRILLED!! Many of them had never touched anything more than a hundred years old or so and to hold something in their hand that was more than 2000 years old was very exciting for them. I spent less money that Christmas than any other and I believe they were some of the best gifts I ever gave.

I also did some coins with our the kids who live near us. They'd come by every couple of days to change the soaking solution and see what was coming out from under 2000 years of crud. They were pretty excited to know that they were the first people to see this in more than 2000 years! It makes a memorable class project and something that your kids will probably never forget!

[El Pirata]

Did you find a real labor saving cleaning method? If so link me, or point me in the right direction, because you really don't want to know how I have been cleaning the cions I have found for the last 10 years.

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

No, I've tried a variety of methods, but have no miracles I'm afraid. Good ol' soap and water, scrubbing with a toothbrush, soaking in olive oil for the not so bad ones. I also tried soaking some in a cleaning solvent that I can't recall the name of right this second. For the really badly encrusted ones, a museum curator told me to try lemon juice and while it works, it is hard on the metal and the metal feels almost pitted afterwards. I don't like the feel and condition of the metal. It's too harsh for anything but the really badly encrusted stuff. I used it on a Roman bronze bracelet. It is a beautiful rose-colored bronze, but due to the high copper content, it corrodes quickly and requires a lot of maintenance cleaning. In the case of coins, if they are that badly encrusted, I've found there's often nothing identifyable under the patina anyway.

[El Pirata]

Ok, your methods are pretty much what I have been doing all along, I was hoping there was a real labor saving method out there.

Here's a question I tried to get an answer for earlier, what is a patina?

[BoneHunterLane]

The patina is a sign of age on an artifact - it can add greatly to the value of an item, help authenticate it's age... It is valuable, and important not to destroy if you want to keep the value.

The mirriam webster dictionary has these definitions:

a : a usually green film formed naturally on copper and bronze by long exposure or artificially (as by acids) and often valued aesthetically for its color b : a surface appearance of something grown beautiful especially with age or use

2 : an appearance or aura that is derived from association, habit, or established character

3 : a superficial covering or exterior

I disagree with the 'usually green film' - part, as obsidian (projectile points, etc) can have a patina, but they sure don't usually turn green! Nor does desert rock... but it does apply to coins of copper/bronze extraction.

One of the artifacts at the museum I worked at was sent out for 'a polish' and came back stripped - talk about bright shiney new looking copper... much gnashing of teeth was heard (and wailing...)

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

I knew I should have clarified myself on that one... I'm talking about very run of the mill coins of which there are thousands and are not rare. Same with that bracelet, which was extremely heavy, one of thousands that pop up on Ebay on any given day and also thickly corroded. True, anything that has survived that long is a piece of history, valuable or not. But do you leave a coin alone that is a blank, unidentifyable disk or do you clean it carefully so that it can be identified and appreciated?

[BoneHunterLane]

I'm sure there's a trick to cleaning a coin but leaving the patina alone... I just don't really know - the only metal artifacts I had much to do with were mule shoes, and square nails... (why they didn't leave us interesting things to find... ) I didn't take the museology courses, only the archaeology ones... (of course, now, the museology courses would have done me more good!)

[El Pirata]

I understand now, patina in layman's terms: Rust or tarnish.

[the Royaliste]

:) Seems to me that patina isn't quite the issue with 'relic' condition finds, both dug and undug. Articles not in relic condition, however, greatly ride on the quality of their patinas. I purchased a pre Civil War sword last year. Excellent patina. Just before shipping, the seller thought he'd 'do me a favor' and cleaned half of it!! In the reverse, I have a 'relic' grade blade, and am slowly removing rust layers.........

[Black Deacon]

If you are cleaning bronze or copper. And it's not a truely valueable piece. Try viniger and salt. Just rub the viniger soaked salt over the piece. You can also soak it in a V&S solution and it will work. Remember doing that with an old penny in science class.

I lost an ebay auction last night by .50 on a 1720 Reale. It went foe $9.51. Wasn't in bad shape. If been moving more towards Ducatts lately. The last dive trip I was on was off the coast of Nicaragua near Puerto Cabezas. By chance I found a 1645 Spanish Doubloon in 45ft of clear blue. You always find the best stuff after a hurricane.

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

Patina isn't necessarily rust or tarnish. It's the reaction of different metal alloys to exposure to air over hundreds or thousands of years. It can be green, brown or black. Depending upon the metal, it can be thin or thickly corroded.

For example, I have a 3000 year old Egyptian bronze ring (verified authentic New Kingdom period by 4 Egyptologists) which has a thin, fine layer of brown patina, no "bronze disease" corrosion, but it was resting for thousands of years against the finger of a mummy. So in one portion inside the band, there is a spot of green patina due to exposure to natron salt used in the embalming process.

[captweaver65]

I pirated this from another pirate

AAARRRRRRRRRR!!!

it seems complicated,but there is no comparing the steel/iron object before and after.I've seen examples of iron nails that were cleaned using the tap-with-hammer-and-power-wire-brush-it and then the electrolysis done nails.there was a lot of material missing form the brushed ones and not from the others.

Electrolysis Instructions

The process I use is the result of researching a lot of different methods, speaking with experts who clean artillery shells and combining a few different techniques into one that I find is clean, efficient and safe.

To begin with, electrolysis cleans metal by placing an electrical charge between the solid surface of the item being cleaned and the rust or corrosion coating it. The electrical charge removes this oxidized coating. I have also been told the use of electrolysis helps drive moisture as well as salt from the inside of objects being cleaned and it returns carbonized metal not oxidized to solid iron. Not being a chemist or engineer I cannot speak to that but accept it.

When I first dig an iron object like artillery shells or fragments, I place them in a bucket and cover them with hot water. I have a hot water line in my back yard that I ran for this purpose. This prevents the iron from drying out , cracking or scaling , helps begin the cleaning process and flushes out salt from the metal. I do this several times, brushing the iron items with a metal brush between soakings until all of the dirt and most of the loose rust or scale comes off. DO NOT hit the iron relic HARD with a hammer or any metal object attempting to knock off rust or corrosion. Iron right out of the ground, particularly damp or wet ground is fragile and striking it with a hard metal object will fracture it. A gentle tap on loose scale at an angle to the relic surface is O.K.

While the iron is soaking you can gather the rest of the equipment you need and set it up. Here’s what to get and how to do it:

1.) A battery charger with a 6 volt/12 volt switch and an amperage switch with a 2amp/6 amp position and a manual charge position switch. These are hard to find. I could find a 6 volt/2 amp combination but had to buy a second charger to get a 6 volt/6 amp setting. You will use the 6volt/2 amp setting for normal cleaning and the 6 volts/6 amps setting for initial cleaning of heavily encrusted iron.

2.)A tank for the electrolysis process. I use several, depending on the size of what I am cleaning. Sometimes a five gallon bucket , a Rubber Maid type kitty litter pan, or a Rubber Maid storage box, etc. You get the idea.

3.)An electrolyte. After much trial and error I use plain old Arm and Hammer Baking Soda. It is safer, cleaner and cheaper than lye and I think it works just as well. I use 1 tablespoon per gallon and then increase it if I do not get electrolytic action...but the amount does not appear to be critical to the process.

4.) An Anode. The anode is what cleans your iron object. It is connected to the POSITIVE clamp on the battery charger. I use 316 stainless steel sheet metal about 1/16 thick. I get this at stainless steel fabricating shops off of their junk piles. Some shops will give it to you others will sell it. It is not overly expensive. It should be as long as your container and wide enough to stick up out of the water solution. I find the larger the surface the better the cleaning process goes.

You can also use 1/8 or 1/4 mild steel plate but it is not as efficient as stainless steel. I get the plate from trash piles at welding shops. It needs to be cleaned before you use it, not rusty. A wire brush or sandpaper works fine, sand blasting works better if you have access to a blasting cabinet. Again, the steel plate works but not as well as stainless.

5.) A Drill Press . I use this to drill a 7/64'th hole in Cannon balls or fragments , then tap the hole ( thread it) with a 6/32 tap. Sounds complicated but it’s a snap. You get the drill and tap set at Home Depot. Use machine oil when you drill the hole in the iron and use it again when you thread the hole. Do not force the tap when trying to thread the hole, it will snap off. If it is hard to turn, back it out clean out the hole put in more oil and slowly thread it again. Easy does it. Clean the oil out of the hole. Next I screw into the hole a 6/32 brass screw of what ever length I require. ( easy does it here as well, brass screws snap off easily) This makes a good solid metal to metal contact which is critical to electrolysis. To this screw or a copper wire leading from it I connect the NEGATIVE

clamp from the battery charger. If the item you are cleaning can simply be clamped with the NEGATIVE LEAD then of course you do not have to tap a hole, just attach the clamp to it. The NEGATIVE clamp can be in the water, it doesn’t hurt it. ( However, if lye is used as an electrolyte , it will eat it up.)

If you are cleaning other types of iron: axe heads, horse shoes, old iron tools connect a clamp to the copper wire to clamp onto the iron object. This can be something as small as an alligator clip, to the galvanized claps you find in hardware stores or the replacement battery clamps you find at auto supply stores. Clamp your battery charger lead to the end of the copper wire.

6.) Mix up your electrolyte, enough to cover the item being cleaned by a couple of inches. Place the Relic in the water/electrolyte, attach the negative lead to it. Place the anode in the water. Make sure more than enough is sticking out of the water to attach your POSITIVE clamp to it. Make sure the Anode and the relic DO NOT TOUCH and are separated by several inches.

7.) Plug in the charger. In a few seconds you should see bubbles coming from the relic you are trying to clean. (You do not want rolling bubbles like alka seltzer. If it is bubbling like that you can slow it down by raising the anode up out of the water a bit.) This means it is working properly and you have a good connection. No bubbles , bad connection, double check all connections again. On cast iron items like cannonballs it is better to clean them slowly. Just a few bubbles coming off, don’t rush it. Actually the slower the better. With baking soda sometimes the Anode will bubble a bit but this is no problem....AS LONG AS THE POSITIVE CLAMP IS CONNECTED TO THE ANODE AND NEGATIVE CLAMP IS CONNECTED TO THE RELIC...OTHERWISE YOU WILL CLEAN YOUR ANODE AND DESTROY YOUR RELIC.

Check on the process. After a few hours or overnight, check the relic. FIRST..unplug the charger. Take out the relic. If it was heavily encrusted, some rust or scale should “eggshell” off. Brush it with a stiff bristled brush or a wire brush. A lot of “black stuff” should begin coming off along with some scale and rust. Next rinse it with clean water. If it looks like it needs more cleaning, it probably does so put it back for more treatment. DO NOT attempt to force any lumps of corrosion or rust off by hitting it. This will often lead to damaging your relic, I know because I have done it much to my regret. Keep taking it out and cleaning it from time to time until it looks O.K.

9.) After it is clean ( Sometimes it takes a few hours , sometimes a few days) from electrolysis. I use detergent and a brass bristled brush for a final cleaning. For some reason

a brass brush cleans iron better than a regular wire brush.

10.) Salt Purge. If the iron I am cleaning came from a salt marsh or salty area. I leave it in electrolysis a few days after it is clean. Check it frequently to make sure it is not losing surface metal. Next, I boil it for a few hours for a final purging. Let the water cool, change it and boil it some more. I do this four or five times.

All of the iron I dig from salty areas I let soak in hot water for a while PRIOR to electrolysis, changing the water frequently.

11.)Final Drying. I then put the relic in the oven at about 350 degrees and bake it 24 to 48 hours or longer depending on its size. After taking it out of the oven and it is cool enough to handle. I dry brush it again with a brass bristled brush to remove any surface rust. Even if you do not see it, it IS there. You will notice the difference after you brush it.

If the artillery shells have been in damp or salty soil you may also want to soak it in alcohol and then acetone. Let it soak for an hour in alcohol and take it out. The alcohol attaches to any water molecules and evaporates them from the metal. Repeat this about 4 times and then repeat the process with acetone. It will get all the water out of the cast iron.

Alcohol and acetone also help neutralize salts and chlorides which will eventually destroy your iron relic if not treated properly.

12.)WD 40. Because most of the artillery we dig has been in wet and often salty soil since the C.W. We next put the ball or shell in a container and cover it with WD-40, which we buy in gallon cans. A 24 pound ball will fit just right in a large coffee can. We then let it soak for about four months, checking it occasionally. At the end of 4 months take it out, let it dry an hour or so and spray or paint it with it with rust converter ( Wal Mart auto section) After it dries 24 hours you can wax it.

13.) Final Coating for metals NOT from wet salty soil. There are several coatings I use but my favorite is Mahogany Briwax. While the ball is still warm from the oven, I use an appropriately sized, cheap paint brush to brush Briwax on the ball. It will melt and soak into the metal. Apply it until the iron will take no more and the wax gets a slight “build”. Let it dry and polish it with a shoe brush and a soft rag and you are finished. The brown wax gives it a nice patina. You can also

spray the warm iron with a quick drying lacquer or polyurethane varnish, depending on the look you want. Rust converter from Wal Mart also works well this has tannic acid in it which is a rust inhibitor. Brush this on, it will look milky but will dry to a blue black finish. I find I usually need two coats of this. I use this mostly on iron tools. The rust converter can be left as a finish or you can spray it with lacquer or wax it, what ever you like.You can also buy rust converter in spray cans.

FINAL NOTES.

Of course there are a number of variations to this process and I’ll mention a few here. Some people use copper pipe as an anode. While this works extremely well, removes all rust and is very, very conductive, in my experience it tends to add too much of a copper color to the iron and the copper anode requires frequent cleaning to work efficiently. Some experts also maintain that copper anodes deposit a copper oxide on the object being cleaned and actually promotes further rusting after the object is cleaned. I have found this to be true, so I recommend avoiding the use of a copper anode.

CLEANING MORE THAN ONE ITEM AT ONCE

You can do this by placing an appropriate length of 3/4 or ½ inch copper pipe across your tank . You drill 4 holes in the pipe for 1 and ½ inch 10-24 stainless bolts, place the bolts thru the holes, use a nut on the other side to tighten it and add a wing nut which will be used to tighten down a lead to the tank. The leads I make from cg 84 black coated stranded copper wire. I strip both ends and attach ring terminals to each end. You get these at most hardware stores in packs of eight I use the ones marked 12-10 awg for an 8-10 stud. Attach copper wire to the bolts using the ring terminals. Tighten the wing nuts up for a good connection, attach the wires to the relics in the tank using your 6/32 brass bolts. Put a wing nut on the bolt. Slip on the ring terminal , add a 6/32 net but do not tighten yet. Screw the bolt into the relic and then tighten the wing nut on the ring terminal. Next connect the NEGATIVE LEAD CLAMP of the battery charger to the copper pipe. On my anode I drill a hole thru the stainless use a ½ inch 10-24 stainless pan head nut and bolt and connect a copper wire lead to it as well. I get the red coated 84 gauge wire for this side, or you can just spray the wire with red paint. On either end of this wire I connect spade terminals. Again you get these at hardware stores. Get the ones marked 12-10 awg for 8-10 studs. Attach the wire to the stainless steel anode and clamp the other end to the positive lead of your battery charger. Set your charger to 6 volts, 2 amps and plug it in. All the attached relics should begin bubbling. This is helpful when you have a bucket of fragments to clean. Keep in mind you can attach small or large clamps to the copper wires using the ring terminals to connect to the posts on the clamp, to clamp to iron relics you do not want to drill. You get these clamps at Sears auto supply, Wal Mart , hardware stores, etc.

MATERIALS LIST FOR 4 POST TANK USING A RUBBER MAID STORAGE BOX AS THE TANK. APPROXIMATE COST $30.00

1. ONE 4 FOOT LENGTH OF 3/4 OR ½ INCH COPPER PIPE.

2. FOUR 1 AND ½ INCH 10-24 STAINLESS PAN HEAD BOLTS FOR PIPE CONNECTION.

3. ONE ½ INCH 10-24 STAINLESS PAN HEAD BOLT FOR THE ANODE.

4. FIVE 10-24 STAINLESS NUTS AND 5 10-24 STAINLESS WING NUTS.

5. FOUR 10-24 STAINLESS WING NUTS.( I USE THE NUTS TO FASTEN THE BOLTS TO THE PIPE , THEN SLIP THE RING TERMINAL OVER THE BOLT AND CLAMP IT IN PLACE WITH THE WING NUT.)

6.12 FEET OF BLACK COATED 84 GAUGE STRANDED COPPER WIRE.

7.THREE FEET OF RED COATED 84 GAUGE STRANDED COPPER WIRE FOR ANODE CONNECTION OR SIMPLY SPRAY A RED SPOT ON A LENGTH OF BLACK WIRE.

8.1 8 PACK OF RING TERMINALS MARKED 12-10 AWG , 8 TO 10 STUD.

9. 1 PACK OF SPADE TERMINALS MARKED 12-10 AWG, 8 TO 10 STUD.

10. ONE TWO PACK OF APPROPRIATE SIZED CLAMPS WITH SCREW POST CONNECTORS. THESE CLAMPS COME IN VARIOUS SIZES.

11. 1 7/64 METAL DRILL BIT.

12. 1 6/32 TAP.

13. 1 TAP WRENCH.

14. FOUR 1 3/4, 6/32 BRASS BOLTS.

15. FOUR 6/32 BRASS NUTS.

16. FOUR 6/32 BRASS OR STAINLESS WING NUTS.

11.ONE RUBBER MAID STORAGE CONTAINER FOR THE TANK

12.ONE LARGE BOX OF ARM AND HAMMER BAKING SODA.

CONCLUSION

I am not an engineer or chemist and although I have read a lot about electrolysis there is still a lot I have to learn, especially about the effects of voltage and amperage.

I am sure this process is not the final word on the “how to” aspects of electrolysis but it is a system that has worked successfully for Hy and me in cleaning dozens of iron relics over the past year.

.......HH................"DOC"

[captweaver65]

here is another version

Building A Mini Electrolysis Machine

by James A. McCulloch

As all detectorists are aware, long-term burial in corrosive soil, or immersion in salt water, doesn't do the appearance of most metallic objects any favors. Regrettably, tarnish, rust, and corrosion are the natural consequences of chemical interaction with most metals.

Many methods have been devised to remove the various forms of oxides, sulfides, carbonates, chlorides and assorted types of verdigris from metallic objects. The method employed most often by professional conservators of recovered metallic objects is electrolysis, a process wherein the object to be cleaned is submerged in a special, electrically-charged chemical solution which causes to corrosion to disintegrate.

The purpose of this article is to inform "Treasure Seekers" readers how they can build an inexpensive electrolysis machine which will do a splendid job of cleaning coins or other small metal artifacts.

The first thing you will need to obtain, if you don't already have one, is a 9 to 12 volt AC adaptor, often called an AC/DC convertor, or battery eliminator. This is the same electrical device which plugs into an electrical wall outlet and lets you operate portable radios, cassette players, and so forth, without the use of batteries.

When choosing the AC adaptor for your mini electrolysis machine, take note of its rated output. This will be printed somewhere on the adaptor, and will usually be listed in milliamps (1/1000th of an ampere) which is designated by the symbol "mA," as in "350 mA." The higher the output, the faster the cleaning effect; I recommend the selection of an adaptor of at least 300 milliamp output.

You will also need several small electrical "alligator clips," a stainless steel spoon, a non-metallic cup or small bowl, water, and some common table salt.

To convert your AC adaptor into an electrolysis machine, first cut off the little plug device from the end of the wire. (The "plug" referred to here is the one that connects to the radio, cassette, etc., NOT the one that connects to the wall socket) Once you've removed that little plug, you will note that the wire to that little plug is a double-strand wire; beginning at the cut off tip, very carefully separate (pull apart) those two individual strands of insulated wire for a distance of about 6 inches, leaving the insulation intact on each of the wires. Next, strip away about a quarter to a half inch of insulation from the tip of one of those loose wires, and where the insulation has been removed firmly affix (crimp into place) an alligator clip. Be sure that there is a good electrical contact between the bare wire and the alligator clip. Now, repeat that procedure to the other strand of wire. You will now have two single-wire sections, each with its own alligator clip.

Now, make up an ample supply of electrolyte solution, at the ratio of at least 1/2 teaspoon of common table salt for every 8 ounces of water. Pour some of this electrolyte solution into the cup, nearly filling it. Place both alligator clips into the solution, being careful not to let them touch one another. Remember, once we plug the adaptor into the wall socket, electrical current will be flowing to the alligator clips, and if they touch one another, the adaptor will short out, and be ruined.

After you've made sure that the alligator clips are not in contact with each other, plug the adaptor into the wall socket, and watch to see which of the two alligator clips begins to produce bubbles. The one that begins to bubble is the cathode, or negative pole of the AC adaptor. The side that does not bubble is the anode, or positive electrode. Unplug the adaptor, remove the alligator clips from the solution, and in some way mark the polarity of the wires.

Bend the stainless steel spoon into a sharp "U" shape so that, when hung over the lip of the cup, the "bowl" of the spoon can reach about half way deep into the cup.

Hook the anode (positive, non-bubbling) alligator clip to the portion of the spoon which is outside the cup. Then, hook the cathode (negative, "bubble side") alligator clip to the object to be cleaned, and suspend it into the solution, over the edge of the cup opposite the spoon, and use one of your spare alligator clips (or a clothes pin, etc.) to secure that artifact-holding wire in place. You want to be sure that the object to be cleaned is fully immersed in the solution, and suspended more or less at the same level in the cup as the bowl of the spoon.

Once that is done, you are now ready to begin the electrolysis cleaning of your artifact. Making sure that the two electrodes are not touching, plug the adaptor into the wall socket. Within moments, the object to be cleaned should start producing bubbles. If not, unplug the adaptor, and reposition the alligator clip on the artifact, preferably at a point where metal is showing. Then plug the adaptor back into the wall socket.

Once the coin or artifact is merrily bubbling away, then everything has been done right. So what is taking place? During electrolysis, ions (atoms which either have an excess or deficiency of electrons, and thus are electrically charged) are liberated from the poles, and these migrate through the electrolyte solution to the oppositely charged pole. The cathode, to which the artifact is attached, is the point of entry of anions (negatively charged atoms with a surplus of electrons) into the electrolyte solution. The liberation of anions, from the chemical compounds which constitute the corrosion on our artifact, triggers chemical changes within those compounds, causing them to disintegrate into less complex chemical substances. Proof of these chemical changes are seen not only in the artifact becoming progressively more clean, but also in the discoloration of the electrolyte solution as dirt and various chemicals are released into it, as well as a build-up of "gunk" on the stainless steel spoon.

How long does it take for an object to become clean? That depends on how badly it is corroded. After a few minutes, unplug the adaptor, remove the coin or artifact from the solution, and gently rub it with your fingers or a soft toothbrush to remove loosened corrosion, then rinse it thoroughly in clean water. If it is acceptably clean, then there is no further need for electrolysis. If it still needs further cleaning, return it to the solution, and resume electrolysis. This process may have to be repeated several times for badly corroded or heavily concreted objects. During this process, should the electrolyte solution become notably discolored, replace it with fresh solution.

Several things should be kept in mind regarding electrolysis. First, it should be remembered that corrosion progressively affects the metal of the object, and in advanced stages of corrosion little or none of the original metal may be left; in other words, all that may be left is a lump of corrosion more or less resembling the original object. This is especially true if the object was made of thin metal to begin with, or if the metal was one that corrodes especially easily, such as tin, aluminum, etc. Sometimes, severely corroded objects will crumble away to nothing when submitted to electrolysis. Thus, you will have to make the decision whether submitting a particular object to electrolysis will likely be worthwhile.

Also, don't be in too big a hurry to clean every object you recover. Keep in mind that cleaning off the layer of corrosion will merely reveal "what's left" of the object, and in some cases, that is not very impressive. If the object has reasonably good patina and is aesthetically pleasing, leave it "as is."

A word of caution: from time to time, feel the AC adaptor to determine if it is getting too hot. If so, disconnect it, to let it cool off. Such overheating will occur as the artifact becomes progressively cleaner. This, in turn, allows for a greater flow of electrical current to pass through the adaptor, increasing its temperature. Thus, never leave your electrolysis machine on and unattended for any length of time.

Careful use of your mini electrolysis machine will help transform many of those "ugly blobs of corrosion" into beautiful coins and relics.

[the Royaliste]

:) Keeping in mind that you are entering the realm of Hazmat materials, check your local retailer for at least a half-face respirator and purple grade or higher filters. You wanna live to enjoy the stuff, right kids?..

[El Pirata]

You can substitute the battery charger with a 12 volt car battery, which I do to the cannon balls and other steel/iron objects I find scuba diving.