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Finally got a clean scan of that Roman coin from the Sussex dig site by using a thin layer of baby oil

It was always coming up blurry under the microscope. Has anyone else tried this trick for cleaning up surface details on small finds?
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3 Comments
diana_kim66
Baby oil is a clever idea for a temporary medium. Does it leave any residue you have to clean off later, or does it just evaporate clean? I'd be worried about it getting into any tiny cracks and attracting dust over time. What kind of baby oil did you use, the basic mineral oil kind or one with added scents and lotions?
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phoenix_lewis
It doesn't evaporate, it's an oil. You just wipe it off with a paper towel when you're done. The basic mineral oil kind works fine and doesn't leave a sticky mess.
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nancyjones
Listen to phoenix_lewis, diana_kim66. It really is that simple. You wipe it off and it's gone. The whole point is it doesn't seep in or leave a film. People overthink this stuff. Just use the plain kind and a paper towel, done.
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