Muriatic acid is the old name for hydrochloric acid.  It needs to be very
dilute--depends on the concentration you start with--try only 1 or 2
teaspoonfuls per pint or quart of water and it needs to be boiling so you
have to use a pyrex or "visions" glass cooking pot.  Whatever you dip the
shells into the pot with has to resist acid--try a large slotted plastic
spoon.  Please wear rubber gloves and a face shield--very dangerous--and
excellent ventilation.  The outside of the shell is immediately etched off
so it will only work on thick shells--any holes in the shell will become
larger.  I have tried it on a few junk, thick shells to give to kids, never
on a specimen shell. Suggest you have a sodium bicarb (baking soda) solution
already prepared to dip the shells into after boiling and to pour on any
acid spills.  This is very dangerous, very corrosive.  Keith-----Original
Message-----
From: Linda Bush <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Monday, April 02, 2001 8:07 AM
Subject: Re: Shell Polishing info needed.


>Hi, Ross and the rest of you!
>
>An old book I have, by Walter  Freeman Webb, says to dip the shellsin hot
muriatic acid (yuck, that's dangerous) and then plunce them into ice cold
water.   Needless to say, I have never tried it, so I don't know if it works
or not.  But I do have some of those "polished" shells, which I obtained a
long time ago from curio shops.
>
>Cheers,
>Linda