Cleaning Clad coins

Early in my MDing career I purchased, from harbor freight, one of those tumblers. I also bought some aquarium gravel. The last time I cleaned my clad, I pitched ALL currencies in there together. Along with a bit of dawn soap. Everything came out looking gray. Will someone give me simple to understand instruction. Pennies first? And then Nickels alone? And then dimes and quarters alone? Should I add an acid based cleaner (just a bit) to any of the coins?
Believe it or not, since acquiring me Etrac, I have filled a butter bowl plumb full of clad coins!!!!! I want to clean them up and add them to my pocket change jug.
Here a helpful tip to you coin shooters, and everyone else: The quarters with the Eagle on the back are worth 29 cents according to my numistic chart that I have favorited. I have taken to separating them, and keeping them in a separate butter bowl, and saving them. I'm not talking about the silver ones.....THEY go in my silver collection (it's growing too since getting an Etrac). I am talking about 1965 and up until they started replacing them with those State quarters. Might be a good idea to start hoarding those Eagle quarters!!! Just a heads up.

Run pennies separately from everything else. I use some undyed aquarium gravel and some white vinegar. Everything comes out looking good. Rinse out gravel in between pennies and other clad.

Thanks sailorman!!! You are a good man. I will do just that. Starting tonite.

I bought a harbor freight tumbler, on another forum guy uses soap and cream of tarter(?) tryed it seems to work well.Could'nt believe how well the zincs cleaned up! MAKE SURE you remove all pennies from your dimes,as is easy to let one slip in and all your dimes will be stained. happy tumbling P.S. anyone have tip to clean stained dimes?

I was in Harbor Freight today......;o) I had a coupon for 25% off any single item. I even looked at those tumblers ( but didnt get another one). I have one and the rubber band thing broke on it. I need to get it repaired I guess.

I use a stuff brass wire wheel on my grinder. I grab each coin with a pliers, safety glasses, and zip they are done. It even takes the dates off clad dimes. Heck, its only clad. I do not clean anything of value this way. Cleans up everything to almost original look. The bank doen't care if the dates are gone, lol.

wjs Wrote:
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> I was in Harbor Freight today......;o) I had a
> coupon for 25% off any single item. I even looked
> at those tumblers ( but didnt get another one). I
> have one and the rubber band thing broke on it. I
> need to get it repaired I guess.


Mine came with some extry rubber bands. Need one?? Mine is the single drum unit. I don't know if that makes a difference or not.

Coinstar or similiar takes a high percentage but I just soak mine in dishwater detergent which removes most of the dirt and thats what I use.

On the other hand winters are long and cleaning coins can help with the cabin fever....so your call....

When your band breaks on your Harbor Freight tumbler, those rubber bands that come on Broccoli work well as replacements.

Eat more Broccoli

HH
Mike

>Mine came with some extry rubber bands. Need one?? Mine is the single drum unit. I don't know if that makes a difference or not.

Mine is the single drum too. If you want to send me one I would glady take it and and pay you something for it and the shipping.

I just tumbled mine in my HF tumbler; last year used soap and water with the aquarium gravel; this year tried white vinegar and it worked out fine. Zincs cleaned up REALLY nice (though a nice, shiny zinc with corrosion holes in it looks a little strange... )

Steve

Keeping pennies separated from other coins when tumbling, especially when using vinegar is a must. Aquarium gravel works find with dish washing liquid. Rinsing the gravel after each use also helps. Nickels, dimes, and quarters usually come out shiny.

The badly stained nickels, dimes, and quarters (greenies and reddish brownies) usually require a salt-vinegar solution bath for several hours, but make sure there are no pennies mixed in. Shortly after the bath, a good rinsing should reveal clean, but pale looking coins. Tumbling shortly after the rinse using dishwashing liquid usually produces shiny results.

Detecting since Feb, 2010
E-trac with 18"x15" SEF, 13" Ultimate coil, Pro coil, Minelab 8" coil, 4.5"x7" SEF, Sunray target probe
CTX3030 with 17"x13" DD coil, 11" DD coil

Heck, if I remember right I got several. I'll toss one in envelope and head it your way. I'll do it tomorrow am. I've got my tumbler running right now with quarters, dimes, a few nickels. I was looking though my pennies and found 5 wheaties and an Indian head that I didn't know i found!!! Of course, wheatiesm and Indian heads around here always have at least one side that is rough and corroded. You could file your fingernails on em. Since none, but one of my Indian heads (maybe two) has no numismatic value due to corrosion, I may pitch them in the tumbler. At least they'll be pretty to look at. Right now, most are just corroded discs. They aren't even G4's are whatever the lowest grade is.

Kevin,
Just be careful when using the white vinegar with soap and gravel as if you let it go for hours it can build up pressure in the rubber drum. Others mention the vinegar can degrade the rubber. Another thing that works is soap, water, gravel and adding a small wad of steel wool. I use both methods at times with good results as long as I limit the amount of coins. Too many and they stick together cleaning only one side.

Local banks don't take mine...but vending machines at work don't care if they are dirty or stained haha

wjs Wrote:
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> I was in Harbor Freight today\
You were in Harbor freight and didn't ask for a replacement rubber band for your harbor frieght tumbler?? Shame shame! Anyway, I'll put one of mine in the mail that came extra with my Harbor F. tumbler. Just ribbing ya. Not serious at all.

I use the same rotary drum for years and get my clad shining like new or better. Just put in a third to almost half full of uncolored aquarium rock your coins separated like pennies only. Your Quarters,dimes and nickels can all go in the same batch. Add enough water to cover the rocks just over the rocks and coins. Throw in some dishwater detergent and a Brillo pad. Rotate for about 3 hours and check if it may need a little longer. I guarantee they will come out in mint condition.

I'm bad, I put my clad thru Coinstar, they take 9%, so they can clean them and fix the machine when I jam it, I have 3 Coinstars in my town and there are 5 more in surrounding towns, they work for there money, guys I don't put the coins I find on the beach thru, I save those in a mason jar and have reburied a few of them over the years, I use the jars with the metal lids

The Coinstar at Wal Mart in my town will reject quarters, dimes, and nickels that are dark looking. They must have a little shine to them. Last night I pitched a 0000 steel wool into the cup with the coins along with gravel and that helped. But I can see where a Brillo pad would be better since it is likely coarser than 0000 steel wool plus a brillo pad is infused with detergent paste of some variety. Thanks for all the replies guys. I got some good idears from you un's.

Come-on Kevin your not suporta talk like that!!!