I do a bit of stone tumbling. Has anyone tried cleaning clad with stone polishing medium? If so, what grit did you use and how long did you tumble it? What were the results? I know we have a brain trust on here and figured I'd see if anyone else has tried it. Thanks.
Find's Treasure Forums
Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!
You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.
Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.
Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.
Click here to register!
Need Support Help?
Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you
Changed email? Forgot to update your account with new email address? Need assistance with something else?, click here to go to Find's Support Form and fill out the form.
Cleaning clad question
- Thread starter casull454
- Start date
I use aquarium gravel some Dawn dish soap and a bit of vinegar. Usually are clean enough after 3 hours to rinse and go to the machine at my bank...I don't know what to use on copper... I forgot to mention warm water!!
407floyd
Well-known member
I’ve been using an old electric ice cream maker. Take the paddles off, the coins will get clogged up if you don’t. Tilt it over about 30 degrees from the ground so the motor can turn the container and toss the coins. No need for grit. If the coins are dirty, they make their own grit. After an hour or 2, rinse and dry the coins. Good enough for Coinstar.
I have tried different grades of the grit and find that the coins just come out too tough looking as it seem to scratch them too much
What I found works good for me is separating the clad from the copper and run in a rock tumbler with the aquarium gravel water and some real lemon juice for about a hour and most come out looking great. Now with the clad I do the same, but run longer and check them and pick out the ones that look good, then do them again with new water and lemon juice, sometimes I will leave them sit over nite with the tumbler shut off and run it in the morning again for a couple of hours. Just remember to rinse the coins well with water before you let them dry. Some will even look like they just came out from the bank, but always get a few that are real bad and will run them in my small tumbler with some stronger cleaner for only a hour at the most. Tried Comet once, but it too for me scratched them too much.
Lot of people like the dish soap and I have never tried it other than my Wheaties in my vibrating tumbler with finder sand or using stainless steel shot and finish with crushed walnut shells, rinse in water and let dry.
Rick
Donna(NJ
Well-known member
I also separate my copper pennies from zinc. If the zinc are slighly pitted they will eventually fall apart and the tumbler liquid will turn black and usually ruin the batch !!!
Recently Ive used stainless steel shot with either, lemon, lime or Dawn. They will will come out newer than the Mint !!!! Highly polished. I like to send my coins off for a new beginning !!!
HH
Donna(NJ)
Recently Ive used stainless steel shot with either, lemon, lime or Dawn. They will will come out newer than the Mint !!!! Highly polished. I like to send my coins off for a new beginning !!!
HH
Donna(NJ)
