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Techniques for CollectorsAcid Forum

22nd Aug 2011 21:47 UTCDavid Zimmerman (2)

Rock or Others,

Would it be possible to start a new forum on Mindat specifically for acids. Each post would ideally be a separate acid. Posts that did not have a new acid in the title would be moved out. I think that would make things a little easier to find and reference. Maybe this forum (mineral cleaning and preparation) could get split. It might also be of interest to do a forum on tools as well, i.e. bead blasters, micro-blasters, water guns, soda blasters, trimming presses, geode crackers, etc. I've always had difficulty finding things on this website (4 years) and default to doing Google searches inside this domain. Just a thought.

25th Aug 2011 21:09 UTCAnonymous User

Hi there!

Categorizing is a good idea,but in practice I don't see how this is possible.

Preparing a specimen is every time a different project.It's truw that there are some standards,but rules in cleaning are only for orientating us to clean a specific piece.

For example,Calcite can be dissolved in any acid.So the topic should advice-use any acid.

Smithsonite also.So,someone who would read it,would consider there is no way to clean Calcite off Smithsonite.

However,a specific question would push the members recommend removing the Calcite with Calcite abrasive.

This couldn't happen,however,if the Smithsonite was needle crystals.Rubbing and blasting would brake them all.

Soda blasters-NEVER use Soda Bicarbonate for blasting!You can use Caclite,which has same hardness and won't attack your mineral specimens.