Using Electroysis on the Golden Glob - video

Carol K · Apr 25, 2007

Yesterday Vlad and I spent most of the day dislodging the gold ring from the glob we found at Narragansett Beach last Friday.

We figured Electroysis was the only way to go. So we setup in the backyard and started zapping it, removing the penny that was attached first.

Once we got the penny off, which turned out to be a 1940 wheat, we started on the ring.

Vlad used a stainless steel plate covered with some nylon netting in a bucket of water, and attached the battery charger, and put it on 10 amps.

We would zap it 3 minutes then take it out, pick at it a little, rezap it, pick it some more....

Carol K · Apr 25, 2007

After about an hour, we were thinking it wasn't working. Vlad decides to use his Dremel and sand some of the corrosion off. It didn't really do anything but smooth it, which made it harder to pick.

Then we would zap it some more.

After a couple more dunks, we could see a "19" and knew it was a class ring.

Carol K · Apr 25, 2007

Then Vlad got an idea to use some Catalyst on it, which is suppose to loosen rusty bolts and stuff. Well, it didn't work.

We rezapped it for 10 minutes... it still wouldn't come off.

Carol K · Apr 25, 2007

After 3 hours of picking and zapping and everything else, we were getting to a point of frustration, and was afraid of breaking the ring.

We decided at that point just to put it in the electrolysis for 10 min... nothing

15 more min... nothing

So we left it for a full half hour. :shock:

When I went out to check it (thinking the ring had probably melted) I started picking at it, and a pebble fell off, then when I picked at another pebble the whole glob came off.

It turns out to be a 1927 class ring, stamped 14 k inside! I'm so glad we didn't break it.

Watch the video... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS0e_jj0Bf8

FelixtheCat · Apr 25, 2007

Nice going and good play by play! I have an idea for you and anybody else in similar situation.:!: There used to be these home sonic devices that you would put things in and through thousands of tiny sonic waves would clean things. (I don't know if it was for dentures?) It sure seems to me like a safe & sure method that would have worked for you.

angellionel · Apr 25, 2007

Wow! That's a cool find of a ring. The effort to dislodge it paid off, though I too would have been concerned about damaging it.

FelixtheCat · Apr 25, 2007

Here it is a denture ultrasonic cleaner! They start at $9.99. Also listed with them are "jewelry" ultrasonic cleaners. Probably all the same. Not bad for items such as Carol's.

http://www.nextag.com/sonic-cleaners/search-html

Rudy · Apr 25, 2007

Carol K said:
Vlad used a stainless steel plate covered with some nylon netting in a bucket of water, and attached the battery charger, and put it on 10 amps.

We would zap it 3 minutes then take it out, pick at it a little, rezap it, pick it some more....

Thanks for the pictures and blow by blow Carol. Gee, 10 Amps of current seems like a lot of current for such a little thing. Usual currents used for coin sized objects are around 0.020 Amps. You are lucky it didn't vaporize.

Bentfork · Apr 27, 2007

Can you tell what the composition of the glob is?

Is the glob a hunk of rust? I'd be interested to know.

Gary

mxtswinger · Apr 27, 2007

Reeely nice ring . Congrats!

George in PA · Apr 28, 2007

I bought an ultra-sonic cleaner, and am very disapointed with it. It will remove heavy dirt quite well, but thats where it stops. I am sure it would not do anything at all to a ring and coin such as Carol and Vlad's. Maybe I am using the wrong chemicals in it. I know there are people out there who use and like them, maybe one of them could suggest what type of cleaner/chemicals they are having success with. George

PocketChange · Apr 28, 2007

Thanks Carol for another great video - I really enjoy them. Keep em coming!

kad · May 29, 2007

FelixtheCat said:
Nice going and good play by play! I have an idea for you and anybody else in similar situation.:!: There used to be these home sonic devices that you would put things in and through thousands of tiny sonic waves would clean things. (I don't know if it was for dentures?) It sure seems to me like a safe & sure method that would have worked for you.

I've got one of those, cost me about $30 and it's turned out to be completely useless so far. The owner of the local detector shop (He's also the guy who manufactures the "Detector Pro" line of detectors) told me that none of the little cheap ones actually use ultrasonics, they're just "sonic". In other words, just sounds waves, but not in the ultrasonic range. He's got a true ultrasonic cleaner, which he says cleans some things, but not others.

Using Electroysis on the Golden Glob - video

Carol K

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Carol K

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Carol K

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Carol K

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FelixtheCat

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angellionel

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FelixtheCat

A Moderating Knight of the Round Coil

Rudy

Bentfork

In memory of...

mxtswinger

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George in PA

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PocketChange

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kad

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