I have used this method for some years, and it works well. Just a couple of notes regarding the solvent that Dr. Clench recommended. I use a lot of xylene here in the lab - on the order of 8 to 10 gallons a month. As organic solvents go, it is a relatively safe one, with toxicity and flammability characteristics comparable to kerosene. But you shouldn't use xylene - or kerosene - without good ventilation - or near sparks or open flames. Don't smoke! Protective gloves might sound like a good idea - however, xylene will dissolve latex, rubber, and many plastics. You can get by without gloves if you use some kind of tongs or forceps to dip the shells, not your hands. I would take exception to Dr. Clench's recommendation to heat the xylene. Any liquid heated in a tightly sealed container may burst the container due to thermal expansion of the liquid; and xylene heated in an unsealed container will fill your house with strong-smelling vapors. Even at room temperature it is rather odoriferous (again, comparable to kerosene). The paraffin will dissolve in the xylene without heating. It will take a little longer (maybe overnight, compared to an hour or two), but heating xylene isn't a good idea unless you have a fume hood to work in. Just noticed - Dr. Clench refers to the solvent as xylol - same thing. Paul M.