eZest Coin Cleaner vs. eZest Speed Dip

Noticed these two different products on Amazon. Both seem to be thiourea-sulfuric acid based products. Anyone know any difference?

 

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Coin "cleaner" - 5 ounces for $11.10 (apparently for copper)
Coin "dip" - [Speedip] - 10 ounces for $12.65 (for silver)

Do you really want sulfuric acid on your coins? Even for 10 seconds?

If you scroll down on the Amazon page, you will see lots more details for these two products.

 

Here's the safety data sheets

http://aervoe.com/msds/EzEst Coin Cleaner 1985 - US Bulk.pdf

http://aervoe.com/msds/E-Z-EstSpeed Dip Silver Cleaner - US.pdf


Apparently they are exactly the same product just a marketing angle I guess.

I personally use the coin cleaner version but never at full strength. I use at most 50/50 Ezest/distilled water on most coins. But also have a jar at 25/75 for removing haze off proofs or for spot type jobs.

 

I don't think the coin cleaner was ever for copper. Doesn't bother me using sulfuric acid, of course then I have hydrochloric acid in my stomach.

 

It says copper on there but it will turn copper bright pink almost as soon as you place it in the dip even heavily diluted.

 

So, they are pretty much the same, although the percentage range allows for the two to be different. Whatever the strength, you can always dip a second time, but never undip. That's why if I dip, I do so for a very short time. I think

Yeah, I was noticing that there is a range given for the percentage and I somehow got the idea that the "Speed Dip" was a higher strength. @V. Kurt Bellman prefers a dip that uses thiourea and citric acid.

 

Oh I don't doubt it, but so far I haven't really liked any of the results I've obtained. I've been meaning to try the dip diluted 1:9 with distilled water and see where that gets me. I last tried 1:3 and it was still too strong for the test cents I was using.

 

I'd never mess with sulfuric, at any strength. Citric works as well if not better.

 

I wonder why that is

 

Substitute Acetic Acid for Thiourea and experiment in that direction.

 

Actually substitute acetic acid for the sulfuric acid...

 

If you are mixing your own from the basic ingredients, you should be aware of thiourea, especially for the oral/nasal regions. If you are not a chemist, buy the commercial products and dilute as much as needed to slow down any reaction, and decrease medical reactions.

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ipcsneng/neng0680.html

 

Yeah, thiourea is nasty stuff. H2S gas...

 

And that's a bit ironic, given that H2S is what most easily causes tarnish in the first place...

 

The concoction I use only starts smelling of H2S when it's nearing exhaustion. By then, there is also pure sulfur precipitate in the dish as well. It literally grabs the sulfur off the silver sulfide molecules leaving elemental silver behind.

 

No kidding... Heinz 57 ketchup for cents.

The ascetic acid is dilute enough to do a good job. But it still can be overdone.

I always have the water running, put enough Ketchup (does not take much) in my hand to make sure the coin is totally surrounded, and with my hand close to the stream of water, I put the coin into the ketchup and make sure its totally coated. I wait for 4 seconds before holding the ketchup/coin under the water stream until I am sure there is no more ketchup... and then hold it in the water a few seconds more.

I repeat if I think the results can be made better. Sometimes for only 2 seconds. Sometimes longer. Try it on junk coins to get a feel for it. I have seen some luster return depending what was hiding it. But beware, like any other dip, this can be overdone.

I then rinse off with distilled water. The final step is an acetone dip to make sure all organic material is totally gone.

 

OK, gotta' look up the chemistry on this one...

 

That must be my problem, I'm not disciplined enough to use ascetic acid...

 

ROFL. I feel ya.