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Old 11-09-2010, 02:02 AM   #16
The Freediver
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Re: The Only Way to Clean an Abalone Shell

Thanks for taking the time to post this! I've been collecting shells for some time now and have been wondering how to do this. Where do you get the acid?
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Old 11-09-2010, 03:22 AM   #17
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Re: The Only Way to Clean an Abalone Shell

how do you guys get so much red in your shell?
i didn't use muriatic but soaked in vinegar. is that why? ph of hcl is supposedly higher though
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Old 11-09-2010, 09:43 AM   #18
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Re: The Only Way to Clean an Abalone Shell

That’s a lot of work. I just take a gallon of muriatic acid and put it into a 5 gal bucket and put the shell in.

I check the shell after fifteen minutes and take it out or leave it in. If I find a shell without worm holes I will leave it in the bucket until the acid is neutralized and then add some more bring the shell down to a silver color on the outside.

Walla!!! The rare silver abalone is born!!!@!@! Down at 35 feet in the cracks of rocks this rare silver abalone is more special then any 12 inch red abalone!!

And the divers at the party are drooling in their beer, ready to find this treasure!! But they have to wait for the party to get over or their wife will kill them.!!
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Old 11-09-2010, 10:37 AM   #19
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Re: The Only Way to Clean an Abalone Shell

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Freediver View Post
Thanks for taking the time to post this! I've been collecting shells for some time now and have been wondering how to do this. Where do you get the acid?
Most hardware stores have it. I went to Ace.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ezcompany10 View Post
how do you guys get so much red in your shell?
i didn't use muriatic but soaked in vinegar. is that why? ph of hcl is supposedly higher though
What species of abalone do you have? These are red abalone and are much more common in northern Cali than down there. If you found yours down south its most likely a green.
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Old 11-09-2010, 12:03 PM   #20
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Re: The Only Way to Clean an Abalone Shell

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One tool that I find super helpful when cleaning abalone is a pressure washer. It will shoot the barnacles right off.
That is one of the cleanest shells I have seen in a while. Very nice.
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Old 11-09-2010, 01:32 PM   #21
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Re: The Only Way to Clean an Abalone Shell

Hey Kirby,

Good thread.

How I clean my ab shells are very similar.

Differences are:

1 - I wire brush the shell shortly after popping ab for an initial removal of organic material prior to allowing to dry

2 - after second wire brushing, I use a dental pick instead of tweezers to remove undesired material the wire brush failed to remove

3 - my final step is muriatic acid to bring out the color of the shell. To reiterate what Kirby mentioned, wearing protective gear and having really good ventilation is important. I make sure I have lots of water available too - both a five gallon bucket to stop the acid etching and a hose with running water.

here is a sample of a 'before' and 'after'

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Old 11-09-2010, 02:10 PM   #22
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Re: The Only Way to Clean an Abalone Shell

Kirby, once again , you put up an amazing post. These are the types of posts I actually save as PDFs on my computer. Nice work and that one huge ab sure is a clean shell -WOW! Can't wait to get up there again and dive w/ you guys.
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Old 11-09-2010, 02:14 PM   #23
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Re: The Only Way to Clean an Abalone Shell

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kirby View Post
Most hardware stores have it. I went to Ace.



What species of abalone do you have? These are red abalone and are much more common in northern Cali than down there. If you found yours down south its most likely a green.

The one i got was from mendocino, so i'm pretty sure its a red abalone?
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Old 11-09-2010, 06:26 PM   #24
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Re: The Only Way to Clean an Abalone Shell

Wow... man thanks for the info. Nature really has some beautiful art with in.
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Old 11-10-2010, 01:26 PM   #25
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Re: The Only Way to Clean an Abalone Shell

Here is one my buddy found up in the elk area we call it the zebra abalone all that was done to it was a clear coat it was found this way !
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Old 11-10-2010, 08:16 PM   #26
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Re: The Only Way to Clean an Abalone Shell

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Here is one my buddy found up in the elk area we call it the zebra abalone all that was done to it was a clear coat it was found this way !

thats a cool looking shell.
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Old 11-11-2010, 01:19 AM   #27
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Re: The Only Way to Clean an Abalone Shell

Thanks for the post, your timing was perfect for me. I came back from the Triton X Open with some abs and I had no idea how to prepare the shells and couldn't find any info on the internet or youtube.
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Old 11-11-2010, 01:55 AM   #28
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Re: The Only Way to Clean an Abalone Shell

Great post. Thanks. A little bleach will also dissolve the protein / organic brown grunge left after the acid wash. That way no scratches from the brush.
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Old 11-11-2010, 04:20 PM   #29
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Re: The Only Way to Clean an Abalone Shell

Thanks for the great info, Ive been putting this off forever
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Old 11-25-2010, 03:16 PM   #30
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Re: The Only Way to Clean an Abalone Shell

Thanks kirby. yeah not sure if I like the shiny oil finish.
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