PERMATEX RUST TREATMENT
Here's Permatex Rust Treatment. I think I picked it up at Wal-Mart for something or other, and ran across it yesterday.
Might as well try it. Rust is an oxide, and encrustations are an oxide (as well as patina) from what I gather, so it might eat the encrustation (and patina) off.
These two coins weigh 8.0 grams, and have been soaking in DW for zapping. The larger coin isn't too bad, but the smaller one is fully caked with encrustation. I'll check it tomorrow if I have time. Going to spray enough on them to cover the coins, and let them soak in a container.
After two days, coins still weigh 8.0 grams. It seems safe on patinas, but there isn't much encrustation loss. Also, there's some kind of white crud that didn't release when I rinsed them, and rubbed soap into the coin. This stuff apparently has some kind of oil in it, for initially the water would just bead up and slide off. I'll throw them back in, and try to remember to check back in a week or so. Might as well go for the long run.
1/9/06
Coins weigh 7.95 grams. Not much seems to have been removed. Something happened- when I opened the container, there were strands of what I would call plasticized rubber. There was a large amount of this, perhaps a golf-ball sized amount, if all put together. This is quite a bit more volume than I sprayed into the container- it must have been eating the plastic. Patina loss on the larger coin.
Exploratory picking- encrustations a little softer, but still quite hard.
Dismal failure- don't repeat.
