Deleted
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Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2023 22:41:19 GMT -5
Hello all- Monday I played hooky from work and my wife and went agate collecting. Most of them are very boring, but I found a couple with some small vugs with those crystals that look like very small cauliflower inside. However, they are covered in white/brown crud so that the shape is apparent but no other features can be seen. I tried the toothbrush route with no success. Is there a way to get the kaolin or whatever it is off without damaging the crystals?
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Post by velodromed on May 3, 2023 16:00:33 GMT -5
Hello all- Monday I played hooky from work and my wife and went agate collecting. Most of them are very boring, but I found a couple with some small vugs with those crystals that look like very small cauliflower inside. However, they are covered in white/brown crud so that the shape is apparent but no other features can be seen. I tried the toothbrush route with no success. Is there a way to get the kaolin or whatever it is off without damaging the crystals? I live in the San Antonio area so everything is covered with limestone and other calcite materials here. When I find rocks or fossils that have features I want to clean up, first I soak them in extremely strong vinegar. I buy the 45%, concentrated and dilute it to about 20%. I’ll let it soak for a day or two, sometimes longer if I forget. Once done I clean it well with hot water and a brush and then let it sit in freshwater for 24 hours. If it’s still not clean enough I will squirt a good amount of CLR (calcium, lime and rust remover) or Lime Away, which basically does the same thing, and let it soak in that for a day. It works decent enough on some rocks, extremely well on others and not at all on the rest. i’ve heard hydrochloric acid is good but have not tried it yet. Of course, you may want to do a test first to make sure the crystals that you’re looking to clean aren’t calcite… |
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Post by opalpyrexia on May 4, 2023 8:54:16 GMT -5
I don't know if this would help your crystals, but I've had good results with immersion in an ultrasonic cleaner.
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Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2023 10:07:17 GMT -5
Thanks all, for the advice. I guess it's a bit like kleechee or however it's spelled back in Abilene, where I'm originally from. I'll get some of the acetic acid and give that a try. I do have access to ultrasonic cleaners, but they're in a hospital. Maybe use them over a weekend, drain and flush really well..... Hmmmm
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Post by velodromed on May 5, 2023 14:28:15 GMT -5
Thanks all, for the advice. I guess it's a bit like kleechee or however it's spelled back in Abilene, where I'm originally from. I'll get some of the acetic acid and give that a try. I do have access to ultrasonic cleaners, but they're in a hospital. Maybe use them over a weekend, drain and flush really well..... Hmmmm That would be Caliche clay. Or just caliche. It drys like a cement and when it’s powdered, the supermicro fine particles get into everything. We have a lot of it here in San Antonio, Texas. It’s a nightmare for my RC cars. |
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