Re: ATM Mirror Coating Stripper Recipe?

["Andrew Schott" <aschott@cfl.rr.com>]

Since the start of this thread and others previous dealing with mirror
stripping, I've been trying to remember what was used to remove the coating
from an old mirror of mine.  An optician friend of mine set it in a pan of
lukewarm water and added about a quarter cup of this stuff and it ate the
coating off in seconds.  It buckled and wrinkled up like paint does when
smeared with strong paint remover and dissolved into solution without a
trace.  It was some sort of a household product, like dish soap, but I can't
remember what it was.  Another friend of mine was present when this was done
and he can't remember what it was either.  After racking our brains for a
while we remembered the fluid was bluish/greenish, came in a tall plastic
bottle with a screw on lid and, for some reason, we both believed it was
some sort of radiator cleaner.  I know nothing like that exists but that's
what comes to mind.  Kind of like a seance, or regression hypnotherapy,
calling back bits and pieces of the past but that's all I've got to go on.
I was more interested in the refiguring and testing aspects that I was
learning that night.  The stripping agent was quickly forgotten.

It didn't have a strong smell and wasn't dangerous at all.  I remember
dragging some cotton through the solution to wipe the last of the aluminum
off the glass with my bare hands.  It was slightly slippery and soapy and
was a product you could buy off the shelf at a supermarket.  It had a brand
name like Palmolive or Ajax or Spray and Wipe or something like that.  I
wish I could be of more help and I'll keep thinking.  Maybe I'll remember
what it was.  It might behoove some of the more adventurous out there to try
some ordinary household products and see if they work.  Lysol?  Mr. Clean?
Easy Off?  They all warn you not to use them on aluminum surfaces.  Hoppe's
#9 solvent? Glow fuel? Treakle?  Whatever it was, it sure worked well.  I
would ask the optician what his secret was but I'm afraid he's no longer
with us.  I haven't heard from him in years, some of you may have known him.
His name was Paul McCoy and he ran a little optical shop over in Orlando
called Parametric Optical.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Guy Brandenburg" <gfbranden@earthlink.net>
To: "Sam Michael" <samm@idcomm.com>
Cc: "David M Groski" <David.M.Groski@usa.dupont.com>; <Atm@shore.net>
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 8:31 PM
Subject: Re: ATM Mirror Coating Stripper Recipe?


>
> What about using plain old ammonia?
> Guy Brandenburg
>
> Sam Michael wrote:
> >
> > Ferric Chloride is safer to use, but is environmently less responsible.
> >
> > NaOH WILL definitely etch glass and can do it quickly depending upon the
> > glass.
> >
> > HCL is a very good alternative.  It is cheap purchased in the form of
> > "muratic acid" which can also include other acids as well.
> >
> > Diluted it will work in just a few minutes.  If the mirror is not SiO
> > overcoated, it will work in seconds.
> >
> > Sam.
>
>