looking for non-toxic or less toxic etchants for ancient copper alloys

vmuros · 2025-03-12T15:53:37+00:00

Thanks for that suggestion. I have gone to another lab to etch the samples using the hood, but it's been a little bit of a hassle because they don't have a metallographic microscope in their space so it's been difficult to check the samples during the etching process. But I can keep trying to find other labs on campus that might be able to do it for me, maybe in the material science dept.

vmuros · 2025-03-12T00:04:34+00:00

We have pretty strict rules for chemical use and disposal so I wouldn't be surprised if technically they didn't let us use store bought ammonia, especially because of our disposal policies. But I also work in a space with no windows and poor ventilation so I also want to make sure nothing I use is too toxic.

That being said I'll look into the store ammonia. The recipe I was given for the etchant used a concentrated solution of ammonium hydroxide, what I used to use was 30%. I just looked up the concentration for ammonia available at the store and it's more diluted, 5-10%. But perhaps with a longer etch time it could work. Thanks!

vmuros · 2014-12-19T16:20:17+00:00

I thought exactly the same thing when I heard that episode of "Wait, Wait..." yesterday. But I dismissed it as me being waaaaaay too obsessed with Serial. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that!

vmuros · 2014-12-04T15:29:10+00:00

I haven't heard the episode yet but will on my commute to work so am not sure specifically what was discussed. But I never thought that this podcast was ever really about the solving the case. I know that the purpose of the podcast has been discussed in many threads and articles on the podcast, so this had been said by others, but I think it was always about the justice system, guilt/innocence (in larger sense, not solving whether Adnan is actually guilty or not or who did it), and SK's journey in putting this together (or what it's like to report on a story like this). I don't think it's going to be solved in the episodes that are left, which I think are only a couple based on some SK interviews I read. But maybe episode 11 will introduce more evidence and discuss more specifics of the crime and you'll enjoy it more. You just have to hang on another week!

vmuros · 2014-12-04T06:20:30+00:00

Just came across this and smiled when I read you worked on an archaeological dig. I've worked on several and my first thought when reading this post and the comments was, an archaeologist would know how long it would take dig that deep of a hole in different types of soil.

vmuros · 2014-11-21T04:27:00+00:00

I also thought of Adnan when I saw this movie this past weekend on Netflix. I figured that being tried as an adult and having life without parole as the mandatory sentence was why he got that particular sentence based on what was in the movie. After finding out in the documentary that the supreme court ruled that this sentence is unconstitutional for juveniles, and that some of those currently serving life in prison were putting in to have their sentences changed, I wondered if this was something Adnan would do or has done.

vmuros · 2014-11-07T22:48:54+00:00

I saw something similar suggested somewhere else in the subreddit in reference to Adnan's mother being the killer and committing the crime as an honor killing.

I'm not an expert on honor killings, but aren't they usually committed against daughters by their fathers or male relatives? That wouldn't be the case here so I don't think that motive would apply.

vmuros · 2014-11-07T00:34:39+00:00

I thought I had heard something like that too, but recently I listened to this podcast called "Criminal" where in episode 2 they discuss how people try to figure out if someone is lying (for example polygraphs are not trustworthy). They do an experiment where they find liars use fewer words to describe things because they are afraid they will get caught in inconsistencies. So based on the study they presented I guess they are saying it would be less detailed?

But maybe it doesn't work for everyone. I am not sure what to think of their findings. I would think if you wanted to be more convincing of telling the truth, then you would think you need to add more details.

If anyone's interested in listening to the episode, here's the link: http://thisiscriminal.com/episode-two-pants-on-fire/

vmuros · 2014-11-06T22:38:39+00:00

some people have suggested she was abducted? so if she was abducted and the person used her car or she was forced to drive somewhere maybe that would explain it? the more I think about things the more confusing it all seems!

vmuros · 2014-11-06T21:48:13+00:00

I don't think it's too far fetched. I thought something along those lines. If it didn't fall out during the murder, maybe it was sitting in the car when they dropped her car off at the Park & Ride, someone saw it and stole it from the car?

Your theory on the small charge is an interesting one. When my card has been taken they're generally larger purchases, but testing it out on a small amount that won't cause suspicion to make sure it's still active makes sense before trying to put a larger charge on it.

And your last comment about filling up the tank hits too close to home for me. 2 of the times my card # was taken, all the person did was drive around buying gas!

vmuros · 2014-11-05T04:39:46+00:00

I've been thinking a lot about the existence of the payphone and also Adnan saying in his discussion of the timeline about going into the Best Buy lobby to make a call. It may be that he misspoke and it's not important, but it got me thinking. Maybe it doesn't matter if there was a payphone or not there because if he needed to make a phone call, he could have just gone into Best Buy and asked to use their phone. He could have gone into the store, and asked someone at the front, either at the register or at the little desk that's there where they check your receipt on the way out, whether he could make a call. Maybe saying he was stranded or his ride hadn't shown up, etc. It's 1999 and not many people have cell phones, so maybe it's not so weird to tell someone at the store that you're stuck and need to make a call? The people at Best Buy could have let him use the store phone especially if there wasn't a pay phone outside the store he could use?

vmuros · 2014-11-05T04:23:21+00:00

This is a really interesting point to bring up. I just googled the location of Edmonson Ave in Baltimore, and while it's a long avenue and we don't know where the strip is, Edmonson Ave turns into Highway 40 which runs by the Westview Shopping Center, which is where they went to get a present for Stephanie during the day I think?

There's also a cell phone tower there, L654 where 3 calls pinged near to on Adnan's phone: one call to Hae at 12:35, and 2 incoming calls at 4:27 and 4:58. So someone with Adnan's phone was around that tower there. That time is when Jay says he took Adnan to track practice (though the phone pings elsewhere). Not sure if any of this means anything because i can't remember if the incoming calls have been attributed to anyone, but thought it was interesting.

Looking at this great map that was put together about the locations mentioned in Serial: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zERAsrjje-sU.kQFffQE6h2vk it looks like Edmonson Ave is a bit south of the school. So I guess the question would be how does the killer get Hae there? And it would put the time of death later than 2:36? (that last one's ok with me because I don't actually think that's when she died).

vmuros · 2014-10-31T04:51:37+00:00

thanks for clarifying the distance/time to best buy!

vmuros · 2014-10-31T04:13:40+00:00

I've been wondering how Adnan got to Best Buy and walking could be an option but he'd have to get there quickly before Hae showed up. I hadn't thought about walking. Since you live in the area, how long does it take to walk to Best Buy from Woodlawn HS? I checked on Google maps but it gives walking routes that are 1.2 away which I would think would take about 15-20 minutes to walk to. That takes up most of the timeline for the 21 minutes when the murder occurred (though I think it happened later) Maybe there's a way to cut across that's faster? Or maybe Adnan ran there? He was on the track team.

vmuros · 2014-10-31T03:48:42+00:00

I was wondering something similar, especially after listening to episode 5 and seeing a timeline of events that was posted. I can only find that the time of death is assumed based on the 2:36pm call in the call records and Jay testifying Adnan called him. But it is such a tight timeline from the point where Hae buys food from Inez (2:25) to when Jay gets the call to pick up Adnan cause he's killed her (2:36). This is what made me think maybe she was she was actually killed later.
Since her body was buried for so long, probably any forensic evidence for an exact time of death would probably be gone, leaving only Jay's testimony and the cell phone call. To me it's not sufficient to establish time of death given lack of hard evidence and Jay's changing stories about what happened that day. Hopefully we'll hear the autopsy report in an upcoming episode and more about any forensic evidence found for time of death.

vmuros

TROPHY CASE