Holding Solution Público Deposited
- Holding Solution. A solution in which patina work can be halted and the item stored until some further operation is performed; cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate) effectively stops all chemical action until it is thoroughly rinsed. A very light nitric acid solution will perform the same stopping action; but care must be exercised in preparing the solution, as too strong a solution may be corrosive to the metal surface. Often the last batch processed late Friday afternoon is placed in a cream of tartar bath; Monday morning the holding solution is rinsed off, and work continued for a correct patina finish.
excerpted with permission from
An Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Technology
For Artists, Makers, Collectors and Curators
COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY D. WAYNE JOHNSON
Roger W. Burdette, Editor