How to Clean Buttons

[RPG]

Dug this one today. Tried the toothpick but couldn't see a thing. I saw one little spot of gilt so decided to use aluminum jelly. I really thought this one was toast.

 

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[BuckleBoy]

Very nice, RPG

It's surprising what is underneath the crust sometimes.

 

[FatCat]

I wish I could nominate this post for the Banner!!

 

[BuckleBoy]

I wish I could nominate this post for the Banner!!

Thank you for the kind words. It makes me happy to know that this post was helpful to you.


Best Wishes and Happy Hunting,



Buckles

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

I wish I could nominate this post for the Banner!!

I have a handful of posts bookmarked for future reference. Needless to say this is one of them. I have referred back many times.

 

[rjw4law]

Ditto you the man, I am saving this one.

 

[BobinSouthVA]

Awesome post, thanks so much. Here are my results with a button I didn't know had any gilt until I read this post and took a closer look at it. could see something shining through on one of the stars and decided to give it a try. Pic does not do it justice, it looks much better in person. Unfortunatly removing the crud on top did reveal more degradation of the button.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Awesome post, thanks so much. Here are my results with a button I didn't know had any gilt until I read this post and took a closer look at it. could see something shining through on one of the stars and decided to give it a try. Pic does not do it justice, it looks much better in person. Unfortunatly removing the crud on top did reveal more degradation of the button.

That is a Beautiful button, and a great restoration job. Thank you for sharing this one--Well Done!

 

[Mirage]

Thanks for the detailed information and sharing you knowledge. I never really found many old button until the last two years (especially '09). I know I wish I could have a couple buttons back.....

Bob

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Thanks for the detailed information and sharing you knowledge. I never really found many old button until the last two years (especially '09). I know I wish I could have a couple buttons back.....

Bob

Just curious, Bob. Did you get a new detector around the same time you started finding buttons?

One thing I see overlooked many times is the ability for a detector to find small items. Everyone focuses on Depth but not sensitivity. I did not find many buttons until I got a DFX. I went back to a site I thought I cleaned up pretty good after finding 6 buttons with my old detector and found about 100 more that I had missed. Many were just too deep for my early 1990's detectors, but others were not deep, but very small.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Thanks for the detailed information and sharing you knowledge. I never really found many old button until the last two years (especially '09). I know I wish I could have a couple buttons back.....

Bob

Just curious, Bob. Did you get a new detector around the same time you started finding buttons?

One thing I see overlooked many times is the ability for a detector to find small items. Everyone focuses on Depth but not sensitivity. I did not find many buttons until I got a DFX. I went back to a site I thought I cleaned up pretty good after finding 6 buttons with my old detector and found about 100 more that I had missed. Many were just too deep for my early 1990's detectors, but others were not deep, but very small.

Bob,

Good to hear from you. The more of these types of buttons you start finding, the older your finds will be. That fact by itself is exciting. My buddy Rodeo Recon was cleaning a normal looking flat button this past spring and realized that he had an 1808-ish 1st Regt. Artillery button. Looked like a normal flat button before cleaning.

In response to Neil--I agree that finding the small cuff sized buttons (much smaller than a half dime), some detectors seem to work better than others. Such signals are not great ones on my old 1266--but my Tesoro works quite well at picking them up at depths less than 4 or 5 inches. I found a tombac cuff this year that was tiny (total size of the button was not much wider than the width of the shank). But I was in a Very good site that was not trashy, digging everything that read above iron nail.

Best Wishes to you both for 2010


Buckles

 

[Mirage]

Thanks for the detailed information and sharing you knowledge. I never really found many old button until the last two years (especially '09). I know I wish I could have a couple buttons back.....

Bob

Just curious, Bob. Did you get a new detector around the same time you started finding buttons?

One thing I see overlooked many times is the ability for a detector to find small items. Everyone focuses on Depth but not sensitivity. I did not find many buttons until I got a DFX. I went back to a site I thought I cleaned up pretty good after finding 6 buttons with my old detector and found about 100 more that I had missed. Many were just too deep for my early 1990's detectors, but others were not deep, but very small.

No, part of finding more buttons is just hunting old sites and digging "everything". It's so easy and enjoyable to hunt that way. Minimal decisions about signals - if it ain't iron it gets dug!

Thanks Buckles. I've always known buttons were a good sign. Just never found them consistently like others did. Most likely because we focused more on the high percentage yielding silver sites like early 1900's schools.

Bob

 

[BuckleBoy]

Thanks Buckles. I've always known buttons were a good sign. Just never found them consistently like others did. Most likely because we focused more on the high percentage yielding silver sites like early 1900's schools.

Bob

It's hard to argue with the sheer numbers of old silver coins you and your crew have dug. I have enjoyed every one of your posts, my friend.


-Buckles

 

[Dedimus]

This is the most interesting of threads. I will try your techniques.

 

[Des from down under]

THANKS BUCKLE BOY..having found my first colonial war tunic button a few weeks ago..I didnt want to stuff it, so after your great info I can have a lil play..thanks mate..

 

[BuckleBoy]

THANKS BUCKLE BOY..having found my first colonial war tunic button a few weeks ago..I didnt want to stuff it, so after your great info I can have a lil play..thanks mate..

I remember that post. Let me know how it turns out.


Best Wishes,


Buckles

 

[Des from down under]

THANKS BUCKLE BOY..having found my first colonial war tunic button a few weeks ago..I didnt want to stuff it, so after your great info I can have a lil play..thanks mate..

I remember that post. Let me know how it turns out.


Best Wishes,


Buckles

I will thanks mate.....

 

[Iron Patch]

Thanks for the detailed information and sharing you knowledge. I never really found many old button until the last two years (especially '09). I know I wish I could have a couple buttons back.....

Bob

Just curious, Bob. Did you get a new detector around the same time you started finding buttons?

One thing I see overlooked many times is the ability for a detector to find small items. Everyone focuses on Depth but not sensitivity. I did not find many buttons until I got a DFX. I went back to a site I thought I cleaned up pretty good after finding 6 buttons with my old detector and found about 100 more that I had missed. Many were just too deep for my early 1990's detectors, but others were not deep, but very small.

For a couple of years I had two friends who lived 2 hours away argue with me that their early sites had more coppers than buttons. I said it was either them, or their Bounty hunters, but there was no way buttons would out number the coppers on average at the Colonial sites in our part of the world. Finally both bought explorers and guess who was right.

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

For a couple of years I had two friends who lived 2 hours away argue with me that their early sites had more coppers than buttons. I said it was either them, or their Bounty hunters, but there was no way buttons would out number the coppers on average at the Colonial sites in our part of the world. Finally both bought explorers and guess who was right.

I am not sure if I have this straight. Is your argument that coppers should outnumber buttons, or vice versa? I would say I find 10 buttons to every copper on average.

 

[Iron Patch]

For a couple of years I had two friends who lived 2 hours away argue with me that their early sites had more coppers than buttons. I said it was either them, or their Bounty hunters, but there was no way buttons would out number the coppers on average at the Colonial sites in our part of the world. Finally both bought explorers and guess who was right.

I am not sure if I have this straight. Is your argument that coppers should outnumber buttons, or vice versa? I would say I find 10 buttons to every copper on average.

They were finding more coppers than buttons and I said that was crazy. Yes, definitely more buttons than early coppers at Colonial era sites.