Tumbler question for cleaning coins

[dk dogs]

I am looking at a tumbler to clean some of the coins I have found. I am wondering if a vibration tumbler is better than a rotary tumbler and why? Seems that the price for a rotation tumbler is much more than a vibration tumbler. I have used the vibration tumbler in the past to clean my brass ammo which worked out great. Please let me know your thoughts. I was also wondering what type of media you would suggest for either tumbler
Thanks
Dave

 

[hershey1]

For coins I prefer the rotation tumbler. My son uses the larger vibration tumbler for larger civil war finds. HH

 

[dk dogs]

I was always told not to clean old coins because it takes away their value. I am not interested in selling them just keeping them in a collection for myself. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Fire Fighter 43]

I have never cleaned any coins with more than water and soap but I plan on tumbling my wheat's. I have had my wheat's in jars for over 34 years and I never look at them. I bought a coin book and I plan on trying to fill it with the wheat's I've found so I'm going to clean them up first. If I know which ones I need for the book it will be a little more exciting when I pull a wheat out of the ground.

 

[dewcon4414]

Let me just say you are talking coins out of the dirt.... rarely will they get graded professionally with a very high rating if at all. Most have scratches, pits, or some sort of magnified damage. So im not at all concerned about cleaning them. However, i do try and make them as natural as possible. Tho they may not sell to collectors/investors there is always someone willing to pay good prices for good coins. It must be a man thing but i can go to auctions and men just uh and ah over an old CC dollar. I take dont clean your coins with a grain of salt.... let get real these are dug coins. If its RARE have it professionally cleaned.... but it kind of makes me roll my eyes when i see someone write how should i clean my wheat pennies? Tumble them bad boys and put mineral oil on them to bring them back to their natural color.

Dew

 

[Larry (IL)]

I use a Lortone rotary and have been very pleased. This is what they looked like when done.

[attachment 184747 clad.jpg]

 

[surfman]

Where do you buy tumblers ? I've been interested in getting one for a while. Hobby shops maybe ?

 

[Larry (IL)]

They should have them but I would check out the Internet and Ebay. I have also heard Harbor Freight tumblers aren't bad for the price.

 

[surfman]

Thanks Larry.

 

[greedykind]

dreyer lint and just plain water and you will be amazed at the out come

 

[leroy1937]

silver needs no cleaning look good right out of ground

 

[dewcon4414]

I have both Larry... a harbor freight and Loratone. I like the double Loratone best. I got my Loratone at an auction for $5.... what a deal. The double lets me do the dimes and quarters separate. If you dont, they have a copper or dark tone. I use fish tank gravel.... it can be used over and over.

Dew

 

[Larry (IL)]

I don't separate the dimes and quarters, but i [size=large]DO[/size] seperate the pennies from the rest for the same reason.

 

[RLOH]

Dave, I have used a Loratone dual pot tumbler for nine years. I paid a considerable sum of money for it, but it is the best available. I have tumbled over 40,000 coins and I have never replaced a belt. I have experimented with every conceivable mixture of cleaning agents and here is what I have found to work. Aquarium gravel from Walmart. Dawn dish soap. 1/4 cup of water. 1 tablespoon of cleanser(ajax or any kind) Separate pennies. Separate dimes and quarters, separate nickles. Tumble for three hours or so and then rinse. I am sure there will be people to give other opinions and I am sure they will work as well as my mixture, but what I recommend is cheap and effective. Harbor Freight sells a Loratone knockoff, but I have heard that the drive belts do not last. I can attest to the build quality of the Loratone. R.L.

 

[dk dogs]

Thanks for all the info.. Can you please tell me what size and how course of gravel to purchase?

 

[dk dogs]

From Harbor Freight's website they don't offer the Loratone tumbler any longer.

 

[jmaryt]

ANY coin with even "a CHANCE" to be worth MORE than "face value" should
NEVER be cleaned!..ever!..just rinse it off as it comes out of the ground,and of course,
'air dry" it!..that's it!..all other coins worth just FACE value clean 'em as much as you want!
it IS possible to "clean" numismatically valuable coins in a "olive oil" soak and then "air dry!"
that is ALL i would do!..NOTHING else!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

 

[RLOH]

DK. I think the gravel only comes one way. Also, the only coins I tumble are clad.

 

[dewcon4414]

jmaryt.... if you are cleaning them in olive oil you really need to soak them briefly in water with baking soda after to stop the acid process. There was a time when coins prior to 1984 were worth more than face value just based on their metal content. If you get into coin collecting.... its a huge amount of information to absorb, what with error coins, varieties, grading, red book vs blue book and the list goes on. I hunt with people that goes nuts when i put my silver coins in the same pouch as my other coins lol. It comes down to personal value.

Dew

 

[jmaryt]

yes dew!..it certainly does!...i have to admit i have never experienced "issues"
with any of the coins i have "dunked" in olive oil!..it "does" work to some degree,however it has been MY experience
that copper coins being in the ground for a very long time,.ie: (200) years ,or so,that even "soaking" in olive oil leaves "plenty" to be desired
in terms of the final "result!"..that said,i DON'T go any further than that!..the olive oil DOES help some,but they are pretty much "gone"
i don't care,as i love to dig 'em anyway!

(h.h.!)
j.t.