Carol Boswell Simpson wrote:
>
> I had a phone call from a lady yesterday who heard about our shell club...she
> said she had lots of shells she and her husband had gotten in Panama back in
> the '60's.  She described a few shells that I recognized, and then asked if we
> would like to have them.  She said she didn't want to sell them.
>
> I told her we often have auctions, and also fill lamps with the profits going
> to our scholarship fund.  (I was so excited to get these Panamic shells!!!!)
>
> We've made plans to meet tomorrow and she'll give us the shells.  Before she
> hung up, she said, "I don't know if this makes any difference or not, but we
> varnished the shells."  (There went my balloon!)
>
> If there are any really good shells in this donation, is there any way the
> varnish can be removed without ruining the shells?  (I'm assuming it was clear
> varnish.)
>
> Carol
Yes, soak them in paint thinner.  We have some huge California abalones
that have been varnished and we are about to do that to them.
Bob Lipe has had experience with this.
Bobbi