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Old 2015-03-06, 7:49pm
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ItsMeSB ItsMeSB is offline
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Join Date: Jan 16, 2015
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So I've been doing pretty well with my shells and will post a photo soon of the completed project. I discovered that one should definitely seal them first if leaving any of the shell visible. The acid will eat away the shell. I thought I'd read that it wasn't necessary, then I double checked and there were some that said to seal the shells first. The not sealing is fine if you're completely encasing in copper. Rinsing in distilled water didn't stop the CS reaction so I soaked them a bit in distilled water and baking soda.

Anyway, I'd like some direction about "clean up" habits. I'm concerned about keeping things cleaned up and proper disposal. Based on what I've read in the forum, here's what I've been doing...

When filtering the sulfate solution I have cheesecloth and coffee filters that are saturated with the cs solution and copper sediment. Once the CS is filtered, I rinse the beaker with a little distilled water and baking soda, then pour it and the remaining copper sediment into a small old bucket that I started with about 1/2 cup D water/BS. I also put the cheesecloth and filters in there swish them around until the foaming stops , wring them out and put them in a trash bag. I'll add more BS if the foaming doesn't stop.

I plan to let the water evaporate off, but not sure what to do with the residue. Also, is it now safe to dispose of the rinsed filter material?

Thanks,
Sharon in Iowa
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