Metalpickle
New member
What brand of coin tumbler is the most popular for the best price that I should consider buying? Would really appreciate your experience on this one.
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.
Coin Tumbler
- Thread starter Metalpickle
- Start date
GoGoGopher
New member
Is the Vibrator one loud though, and how long does it take??
HH,
HH,
What do you put in yours to make it do right? I have a vibrating one we use to clean shell casings for reloading and have tried cleaning coins with it but it don't work for that. I've tried the walnut media and corncob media and have left the coins in there for days and not seen any effect. They are very loud!
Metalpickle, I use a Lortone tumbler that I purchased on Ebay. I have two methods for tumbling coins. One is for pre-memorial pennies, I put the pennies in to the tumbler with aquarium gravel that I bought at a Petsmart, water, and powdered soap. I tumble overnight, 10-12 hours, and the coins clean up very well. I also use this method for silver but I do not tumble copper and silver together, I keep them separate. With coins that are older than 1899 I prefer to use 1/2 inch glass marbles instead of gravel and I tumble for a shorter period of time, 6-8 hours. I check the coins after the tumble and sometimes will run another cycle for an additional 5-6 hours but usually I am satisfied with the results after one cycle. I bought the marbles in bulk on Ebay. Good luck, Mark
Metalpickle
New member
Thanks
Mark and zax and everyone. Very grateful for the info. Will scope them out
Mark and zax and everyone. Very grateful for the info. Will scope them out
I have both the single barrel rubber drum tumbler from Harbor Freight and the vibrating tumbler plus one I made myself.
The vibrating tumbler is noisy and does a pretty good job of polishing things but it takes forever to removed the dirt and crud from coins. I have tumbled some for days without good results.
The drum type tumbler from HF does a very nice job of cleaning up coins. The biggest problem with this particular tumbler is the original belts did not last at all and finding replacement belts is difficult. The best substitute is using thicker rubber bands. They break also, but last longer than the original belts did and you can buy a whole package for a dollar or so.
Most people use gravel from a fish tank for the media to put in with the coins along with a dash of soap. Others use just the coins tumbling on each other with no gravel.
I use a little gravel in the HF tumbler since I get better tumbling action. But use coins only in my larger home made tumbler that has a paddle inside the drum.
The Harbor Freight barrel tumbler has a limit of about three pounds total which includes coins, tumbling media and water. Anything more than that overloads the belt drive system and the drum does not turn properly.
A word of caution on using soap, CLR or other things...... use very little because too much causes pressure to build up and the compression lid gets pushed out and water starts leaking all over. It took me a long time to figure that one out.
The best tumbler I have was made out of four inch diameter PVC drain pipe. I have removable stoppers in both ends, and a paddle that runs the entire length of the barrel chamber. (about a foot) The mechanism is built along the lines of the Harbor Freight barrel tumbler and made with rods, belts and motors salvaged from an old line printer.
It will hold between 3 and 4 pounds of coins per batch and let tumble for 6 or 8 house and then and put in another batch. Can clean up a whole years worth of coin finds in just a few days with it. I do not try to get fancy and make the coins all shinny like I used to. I just clean them good enough so the coin machine at the bank takes them.
Jerry
The vibrating tumbler is noisy and does a pretty good job of polishing things but it takes forever to removed the dirt and crud from coins. I have tumbled some for days without good results.
The drum type tumbler from HF does a very nice job of cleaning up coins. The biggest problem with this particular tumbler is the original belts did not last at all and finding replacement belts is difficult. The best substitute is using thicker rubber bands. They break also, but last longer than the original belts did and you can buy a whole package for a dollar or so.
Most people use gravel from a fish tank for the media to put in with the coins along with a dash of soap. Others use just the coins tumbling on each other with no gravel.
I use a little gravel in the HF tumbler since I get better tumbling action. But use coins only in my larger home made tumbler that has a paddle inside the drum.
The Harbor Freight barrel tumbler has a limit of about three pounds total which includes coins, tumbling media and water. Anything more than that overloads the belt drive system and the drum does not turn properly.
A word of caution on using soap, CLR or other things...... use very little because too much causes pressure to build up and the compression lid gets pushed out and water starts leaking all over. It took me a long time to figure that one out.
The best tumbler I have was made out of four inch diameter PVC drain pipe. I have removable stoppers in both ends, and a paddle that runs the entire length of the barrel chamber. (about a foot) The mechanism is built along the lines of the Harbor Freight barrel tumbler and made with rods, belts and motors salvaged from an old line printer.
It will hold between 3 and 4 pounds of coins per batch and let tumble for 6 or 8 house and then and put in another batch. Can clean up a whole years worth of coin finds in just a few days with it. I do not try to get fancy and make the coins all shinny like I used to. I just clean them good enough so the coin machine at the bank takes them.
Jerry
Leslie(nova scotia)
Well-known member
n/t
[size=large]i do like Dave400. i use the hf single barrell. a little soap and water and three hours on the pennies and the are good to go. the other coins take hours and some still don't look as good as i expected. good enough for the bank machine though. haven't lost a belt yet but wonder if large o'rings can be used?
HH [/size]
HH [/size]
I use Walnut stuff, I load it up and I guess the wieght dosen't make it to loud, a half filled barrel is loud. My coins are mostly dirty from parks and play fields. I just tried the walnuts, my buddy gave me a bag they use for his work. I use to use plastice play jewelry pieces and coins, that was loud. I put it in my basement and let it go for a few hours. Some of the pennies are to corroded to do anything with.
I use the Harbor Freight single drum tumbler. I use about 6 to 8 drops of Dawn dish soap (don't use a lot). You can get fish tank gravel at Walmart. About 2" of gravel is about right. Add water just to cover the gravel. Put in enough coins to bring the total weight, includeing the drum, to a little less than 3lbs. Over weight is the main cause of all the belts being broken. I have cleaned a lot of coins and I have not had a belt break yet. Run your first batch for about 3 hours. Dump the whole load into a screen sifter and rinse. If you are satisfied with the result, fine. If not put it all back in and give them more time. You will learn what suits you. You can use the same gravel over and over. I dump mine in a pie pan to dry. This a little long winded but I hope it helps get you started. Gene
I bought a single drum from HF one year ago and have yet to replace the belt.
It's been a good little machine.
I use fine gravel from Pets Mart fish and Aquarium dept. You can use the same gravel over and over. It works just fine.
I use vinegar because the acidity eats the dirt off the coins really well. Just one drop of dish soap. JUST ONE or your
drum will explode. Do not ad ammonia or anything else. It also tends to explode. Stick with one drop of dish
soap and vinegar. Pour into drum until it JUST COVERS the gravel and coins. Your set to go. I usually let mu machine
run 8 to 10 hours to get them really clean. The banks out this way sometimes refuse to take the money if its not cleaned
well. They don't like giving their customers dirty money.
Salida
It's been a good little machine.
I use fine gravel from Pets Mart fish and Aquarium dept. You can use the same gravel over and over. It works just fine.
I use vinegar because the acidity eats the dirt off the coins really well. Just one drop of dish soap. JUST ONE or your
drum will explode. Do not ad ammonia or anything else. It also tends to explode. Stick with one drop of dish
soap and vinegar. Pour into drum until it JUST COVERS the gravel and coins. Your set to go. I usually let mu machine
run 8 to 10 hours to get them really clean. The banks out this way sometimes refuse to take the money if its not cleaned
well. They don't like giving their customers dirty money.
Salida