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Thread: Electrolysis on Medieval Iron Finds

  1. #1

    Electrolysis on Medieval Iron Finds

    Hey Diggers,
    I got my electrolysis tank up and running (if you can call a plastic bucket a tank!). These are my first two attempts and I have lots more to go. The key is circa 1500 to 1600 and the hammer is straight up 1,000 years old (give or take). Thanks for looking and happy hunting!
    Attached Images Attached Images     
    Oldest Coin: 100-60 BC Gallic bronze coin (Sequani Tribe)
    Oldest Silver Coin: 1156 hammered Pfennig from (now) Bavaria
    Oldest U.S. coin: 1805 Draped Bust Large Cent
    Best Coins EVER: 1625 4 Sols from Kingdom of Chateau Renaud, France
    1662 15 Kreuzers, Leopold I, Austria
    Best Relics: Bronze Age Arrowheads & Spearhead, 2c Roman silver ring, complete medieval knight's spur (x6)
    YouTube Channel: Full Metal Digger

  2. #2
    Great results, Dave! Have we seen "before" photos of these two items? How fitting that you posted Thor's hammer on Thorsday!

    Are you going to coat them with something to keep them from rusting?
    Lifetime totals:
    10 Large Cents, 415 Indian Heads, 2 Two Cent Pieces, 1 Capped Bust Half Dime, 1 Seated Half Dime, 10 Shield Nickels, 68 V Nickels, 124 Buffalo Nickels, 31 War Nickels, 16 Seated Dimes, 131 Barber Dimes, 405 Mercury Dimes, 249 Rosies, 4 Seated Quarters, 18 Barber Quarters, 20 Standing Liberty Quarters, 89 Silver Washingtons, 1 Seated Half, 3 Barber Halves, 16 Walking Liberty Halves

    YouTube Channel: Tony Two-Cent https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmz...RlHTBIU42bUORg

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Tony Two-Cent View Post
    Great results, Dave! Have we seen "before" photos of these two items? Are you going to coat them with something to keep them from rusting?
    I didn't take very good "before" pics but will do better on the next relics. I coated the key with wax. I'm giving the hammer one more round of electrolysis and will then coat it with wax to keep it from rusting again.
    Oldest Coin: 100-60 BC Gallic bronze coin (Sequani Tribe)
    Oldest Silver Coin: 1156 hammered Pfennig from (now) Bavaria
    Oldest U.S. coin: 1805 Draped Bust Large Cent
    Best Coins EVER: 1625 4 Sols from Kingdom of Chateau Renaud, France
    1662 15 Kreuzers, Leopold I, Austria
    Best Relics: Bronze Age Arrowheads & Spearhead, 2c Roman silver ring, complete medieval knight's spur (x6)
    YouTube Channel: Full Metal Digger

  4. #4
    Administrator del's Avatar
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    I've got a very similar hammer Dave , wish it was just as old though ! nice job on the electrolysis
    "Honesty is an expensive gift ,
    so don't expect it from cheap people"

    XP Deus II , DFX ,TDI sl -

    Click here to view my finds album


  5. #5
    1,000 year old hammer....mind boggling. What are you using to preserve them Dave? I've used a soak in WD40. That actually works well for a year or so then I start to see rust creeping back. I think I will have to do the wax treatment for more permanent results. The best tip I ever got was to do an acetone soak to prevent the flash rust.
    Oldest find: 5,000 year old copper spearhead
    Oldest coin: 1699 William III halfpenny
    Purdiest coin: 1832 Capped Bust quarter
    Coolest find: USA button with blue threads still on shank

    "He who would search for pearls must dive below."

  6. #6
    What do you use for a power source?

  7. #7
    Elite Member Digger Don's Avatar
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    Northern Illinois
    Posts
    3,785
    Quote Originally Posted by noah View Post
    what do you use for a power source?
    electricity!!
    Oldest Coin: 1699 William III Halfpenny


    20
    24
    Silver 4
    Indian 3, Buff 1, V Nik 1, Rosie 2, Barber Dime, SLQ 1,

    YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoU...FVGumMQ/videos

  8. #8
    Tim, I drew you a diagram of how electrolysis works:

    Name:  ELECTROLOSYS.jpg
Views: 127
Size:  49.2 KB
    Lifetime totals:
    10 Large Cents, 415 Indian Heads, 2 Two Cent Pieces, 1 Capped Bust Half Dime, 1 Seated Half Dime, 10 Shield Nickels, 68 V Nickels, 124 Buffalo Nickels, 31 War Nickels, 16 Seated Dimes, 131 Barber Dimes, 405 Mercury Dimes, 249 Rosies, 4 Seated Quarters, 18 Barber Quarters, 20 Standing Liberty Quarters, 89 Silver Washingtons, 1 Seated Half, 3 Barber Halves, 16 Walking Liberty Halves

    YouTube Channel: Tony Two-Cent https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmz...RlHTBIU42bUORg

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Tony Two-Cent View Post
    Tim, I drew you a diagram of how electrolysis works:

    Name:  ELECTROLOSYS.jpg
Views: 127
Size:  49.2 KB
    That's amazing Tony! Knowing how you save every scrap of paper you ever had I'm confident this drawing will be in your archives forever!
    Oldest Coin: 100-60 BC Gallic bronze coin (Sequani Tribe)
    Oldest Silver Coin: 1156 hammered Pfennig from (now) Bavaria
    Oldest U.S. coin: 1805 Draped Bust Large Cent
    Best Coins EVER: 1625 4 Sols from Kingdom of Chateau Renaud, France
    1662 15 Kreuzers, Leopold I, Austria
    Best Relics: Bronze Age Arrowheads & Spearhead, 2c Roman silver ring, complete medieval knight's spur (x6)
    YouTube Channel: Full Metal Digger

  10. #10
    Ha ha haaaaa. I've heard of guys using a battery charger but was trying to figure out what is best. I've used a motorcycle battery charger but have had limited success. I suppose you all just run direct current from a wire you stick into the outlet .

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Noah View Post
    Ha ha haaaaa. I've heard of guys using a battery charger but was trying to figure out what is best. I've used a motorcycle battery charger but have had limited success. I suppose you all just run direct current from a wire you stick into the outlet .
    Noah,
    I bought a battery charger but not the fancy digital kind. Those don't work for electrolysis because it senses there's no battery being charged. I bought the kind that I always called "trickle chargers."
    Oldest Coin: 100-60 BC Gallic bronze coin (Sequani Tribe)
    Oldest Silver Coin: 1156 hammered Pfennig from (now) Bavaria
    Oldest U.S. coin: 1805 Draped Bust Large Cent
    Best Coins EVER: 1625 4 Sols from Kingdom of Chateau Renaud, France
    1662 15 Kreuzers, Leopold I, Austria
    Best Relics: Bronze Age Arrowheads & Spearhead, 2c Roman silver ring, complete medieval knight's spur (x6)
    YouTube Channel: Full Metal Digger

  12. #12

  13. #13
    Veteran Member BTV Digger's Avatar
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    Jan 2014
    Location
    Northern Vermont
    Posts
    1,874
    Great job Dave. For what it's worth my tank is an orange Lowe's plastic bucket with cut iron rebar for the nodes around the perimeter. If you watch all the YouTube vids on electrolysis you'd think it just takes a few minutes for relics to come out sparkling clean, but the reality is it can take quite some time. Some of my heavier encrusted ax heads took several long cycles before they looked decent.

    John
    Vermont relic hunting, one swing at a time.
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG2...OLib30A/videos

  14. #14
    Global Moderator aloldstuff's Avatar
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    western mass
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    Great read about electrolysis. Maybe someday I'll get a set up but ..... I'm the guy who gets shocked putting batteries in a flashlight.
    V3i- Prism IV- Pro Pointer
    2020 GOAL: Any Flowing Hair coin

    TOTAL 100 YEAR OLD COINS - -280
    2020:
    Silver: 11


    Oldest U.S. Copper - 1795 Liberty Cap
    Oldest U.S. Silver - 1829 Capped Bust Dime extra large 10C
    Click here to view my album

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