Questions about tumbling coins

[LuckLarry]

I already own a Vibratory tumbler that I have been using for my brass reloading. I tried my coins in it an I have discovered that Walnut shells are just not even going to make a dent in my coins.

I have played with the idea of buying a drum style tumbler, if I do it will probably be a dual drum 3lb. model, so I can do copper on one side and Clad, silver and gold on the other.

Has anyone out there had any experience using a vibratory tumbler though. It would be great if I did not have to drop another hundred dollars just before Christmas. I am also wondering about tumbler media. I have heard of aquarium gravel being used, but I wonder what that might do to a valuable coin. Not that I would purposefully tumble a valuable coin, but hey, you know some of them need tumbled just to see what they are!

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Monte]

Too often in posts about "tumbling" coins I have read with amazement how many people have used a vibratory tumbler, but the 'ingredients' posted for use with barrel tumblers or rock tumblers.

First, the vibratory tumbler is fine to use for your brass, and I used to use it sometimes to 'finish-up' my already cleaned coins. Not necessary, but if they had been cleaned for a while they could sometimes develop a slight film that dulled them. I am selling my vibratory tumbler with all my reloading stuff as I just don't use it.

Second, you don't have to spend a hundred dollars to get a two-barrel tumbler. I use a Lortone two barrel unit, but Harbor Freight and some other sources do carry a lower-cost unit that will work okay. A few weeks ago I posted my coin cleaning methods on one of the forums and if you can find it, it will explain how I was a "pre-clean" my coins before tumbling. That is the secret to getting them tumbled clean in a hurry w/o all the dark-colored dimes and quarters and nickels. Pennies, too, for that matter.

Personally, I clean ALL the coins I find unless they have a real collector value. Most of the very common wheatbacks I just tumble and throw in with all the other pennies, but I always make sure I check any potential older coins first to see if they really have a 'value'. I don't use the goofy Blue Book or Red Book, either. The best one to go by is the Black Book of US Coins. Matter of fact, it's time for me to get a 2006 edition!

If I happen across a collector coin, and since I am not a coin collector, I usually sell them. Almost everything I keep to put in my coin albums I clean, and many of them I tumble for the 30

 

[boxtopp]

A rock tumbler at Harbor Freight cost around $20-
I have cleaned several $1000.00 worth of coins with it.
Chicago Rotary Tumbler

 

[shawnv(or)]

n/t

 

[shawnv(or)]

I used my reloading tumbler with walnut media for several years and it worked just fine. I have even added quartz sand and turbo brite to the walnut shells. And you can add aquarium gravel to that mixture. When your done with coin tumbling pour contents through a lagre gold classifier on top of a 14" GOLD PAN AND gently shake. Pour the mixture into a coffee can and store till next time. Some coins will be stained but clean. I don't clean any old coins I find just the clad. My Bank has a coin counter and my daughter and I take a paint bucket ( usually half full) of coins in a couple of times a year. They have never said a word to me about the coins. My wife has even talked one of the tellers and her husband into joining our club. The barrel tumblers with the different recipes found on the forum clean coins better(shinier) but it is also more involved. I would still be using my case tumbler if it wasn't for the $20 barrel tumbler and the fact that I stepped up production of my handgun loads and my wife likes them shiny.
Happy Hunting
Shawnv (or)

 

[Rick(ND)]

I use it on my Wheaties that I want to look good, but not too clean. It also will not work on crusted Wheaties either and find the drum type I will use for my common coins I want to spend or take to the bank.
With the Vibratory tumbler I put my Wheaties in it with aquarium gravel and add my water and some cleaner ( I use some Awesome I get at the dollar store) so the coins will be in a rotating action. I leave it run for around 8 hours and drain and rinse off to dry, the after they are dry I put them in crushed walnut shells for another 4 or 5 hours and separate and then just put the pennies in plain water and run for another half hour to hour to get the dust off of them. Most look good when done and never been in the ground and yet not too clean as the drum style tumblers do.
.Now on the clad and memorial pennies I just separate and run the aquarium gravel, water and real lemon juice in the drum tumbler. The pennies about a hour and the clad 3-5 hours. Works good and cheap to do.