Tumbling Coins

[kcarter4x4]

I was reading the thread on how to clean coins. It stated that a tumbler was used. Where do I purchase this, and does anyone have a website for it. THANKS
Cheers
Kevin

[bdahunter]

There are plenty of tumblers available on E-Bay or from craft shops or from gem and mineral shops. Don't tumble your good silver coins or old coins though, it's just too rough on them, great for cleaning clad though.
Try using some aquarium gravel with some dish washing soap and a little lemon juice.

Cheers,

BDA

I bought mine second hand from the classifieds.

[kcarter4x4]

Thanks for the advice. Are all tumblers able to hold liquid? Also, you mentioned the aquarium rock etc., do you mean to put that in the tumbler as well, with the coins?? Thanks again for your advise. One other question. What about relics that I find such as old Civil War nails, that kind of thing. Can I tumble that as well??
Cheers
Kevin

[bdahunter]

Pretty much anything you can easily fit in the tumbler, you can tumble it. The aquarium aggregate is used to scour the crud off of the clad and the dish soap and lemon juice help loosen up the crud. You could probably do it with just coins but the results wouldn't be as good and would take a lot longer.(the coins would have to do the the work of the aggregate by rubbing against each other)
Cleaning relics is best done by soaking and hand scrubbing, a brass wire brush or a dremel tool can come in handy here as well, depending upon how bad a shape the relic is in when you dig it out. If the item is iron and has been exposed to salt water make sure you soak it in freshwater for at least several weeks (some suggest adding mollasses and water) to neutralize the salt in the iron. Otherwise the salt will crystallize and blow your iron find into a bunch of rusty flakes.

Cheers,

BDA

['E']

How long do you generally have to leave them in the tumbler, I want to get one too but am yet to find one, thanks.

[Steve in PR]

Windy City Detectors, Tony in CT and Kelly all have tumblers for sale. I am looking into one as we speak.

There are 2 main types, a rotary tumbler and a vibrating tumbler.

I am looking into rotary because they are cheaper. There are 3 and 6 pound capacity. Probably a good idea to have extra belts.

Time to clean depends on the type and amount of corrosion and the media used.

I have seen reports of 4 to 24 hours to clean.

That's about all I know right now.

[ERnurse]

I would like one myself.

[bdahunter]

Originally Posted by Steve in PR

Windy City Detectors, Tony in CT and Kelly all have tumblers for sale.

I didn't know they carried tumblers, thanks for that Steve. I guess it makes sense though.

Cheers,

BDA

[bbqcook]

I got mine from Tony in TC. It seems to work good so far.

Earl

['E']

I'll look at the Kelly site, thanks Steve.