Tumbler for headstamps???

TwistedT · Feb 7, 2015

Hey All,
Have a tumber i use for my coins.
was wondering if it would be ok to use on headstamps? does anyone do this?
some of them can be fragile - was wondering if it would hurt them at all.

Some without some type of cleaning you can't make out what brand it is.

Any ideas? anyone

hoser · Feb 7, 2015

Don't know much about headstamps, but if you say they are quite fragile, I think I would refrain from the tumbler. Now a vibrating tumbler might be a better choice as the media is things like walnut shells, or made from corn cobs. As it vibrates the item just slowly circulates in the media that does more to polish the metal without banging it around in small stones. JMHO

MDLand · Feb 7, 2015

just use a toothbrush and water. then highlight the faint lettering with chalk. That's all I have done. If it is a common headstamp, you can try the tumbler, rare ones I would not clean them like that though. By all means, if you are just going to junk them, go ahead and give it a try! good luck

turtlefoot · Feb 7, 2015

In my opinion there is not yes or no answer to this question. It will be a headstamp by headstamp decision. Yes, some will be solid enough to tumble. I have some beautiful ones that were tumbled and sent to me. I also have some that have all indications of being rare, but the tumbler destroyed the headstamp itself.

MDLand has given good advice. I usually start with a dry toothbrush and work up from there.

Doug

Seven · Feb 8, 2015

I tumble mine in a Loretone 33B rock tumbler with aquarium gravel, water, and a few drops of dishwashing liquid. I have cleaned hundreds and send my rare ones to Turtlefoot. Just be sure and add enough water so it is an inch above the gravel. This way it cleans and is not that abrasive. I usually humble mine overnight and that cleans them but also leave adequate patina. I have found a few that a toothbrush will do the job, but most of mine require tumbling. Some are so eat up by fertilizer that they never clean up good. Hope this helps.

TwistedT · Feb 8, 2015

thanks for the help guys!!!

TwistedT · Feb 8, 2015

Seven said:
I tumble mine in a Loretone 33B rock tumbler with aquarium gravel, water, and a few drops of dishwashing liquid. I have cleaned hundreds and send my rare ones to Turtlefoot. Just be sure and add enough water so it is an inch above the gravel. This way it cleans and is not that abrasive. I usually humble mine overnight and that cleans them but also leave adequate patina. I have found a few that a toothbrush will do the job, but most of mine require tumbling. Some are so eat up by fertilizer that they never clean up good. Hope this helps.

helps immensely seven
thanks

DirtyRob · Feb 9, 2015

XP Digger tumbled a bunch of headstamps and they came out great!

TwistedT · Feb 9, 2015

DirtyRob said:
XP Digger tumbled a bunch of headstamps and they came out great!

thanks

Paper · Feb 9, 2015

Not sure how relevant this is but when I dig up shells they are usually covered in a kind of grimy layer. Sometimes it's so thick that you can't tell anything about the writing. When I clean shells I soak them in water and then use a caprisun straw (the slanty poky end) to scrape off the gunk. I do this under running water. Because the end is flat and the stamp is flat it does a pretty good job of scraping the gunk off while leaving some color in the grooves of the writing.
Here's a pic of some shells right after I cleaned them, you can make the image pretty big to see the detail:
oi57.tinypic.com/6puk2x.jpg

Tumbler for headstamps???

TwistedT

Elite Member

hoser

MDLand

Full Member

turtlefoot

Headstamp Addict

Seven

TwistedT

Elite Member

TwistedT

Elite Member

DirtyRob

TwistedT

Elite Member

Paper

Elite Member

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