rock tumbler

Do any of you guys tumble coins AND rocks??? I bought my 7 year old a Harbor Freight tumbler, and he loves doing ricks. I need to do a batch or 2 of clad, but don't want to ruin the tumbler barrel. Can I go back and forth between coins and rocks?

You're worried that coins will damage the tumbler, but rocks won't?

You can go back and forth just fine. In fact, for modern clad, you might consider running both at the same time, pull the clad after a few hours, then run the rocks to finish.
 
I have a Lortone tumbler I bought 10 years ago. Currently in the process of cleaning last years clad. Once I get every thing done I will post a thread start to finish. I discard bent, rotted or other damaged coins so they won't mess up the banks sorting machine. Cashed in 108 dollars this morning, still have a couple hundred more to go.

Tumbling clad takes about 30 minutes, pennies 15 with my process. Every thing comes out shiny and clean.

Would like to hear more about this process :yes: :) And if you're starting out with beach clad or dirt clad. I read a lot on the forum, and youtube for the secret ingredients, some seem sensible, some seem like overkill.

I recently purchased the HF Dual Tumbler. Started with generic "oxy clean" and aquarium gravel, and green beach clad. Did OK after 2 hrs, water change and another 2 hrs. But still have some that won't get the brown/green off. Maybe I started with too many coins. Tried the lime away/CLR trick last night for 3 hrs only did marginally better. I've been taking out the good coins after each water change but still have about 40% of the coins still in the tumblers. :no::?:

They are physically clean enough to go into a coin machine, but since we don't have any on the Islands then I've got to get them a bit cleaner to spend :roll:
 
Would like to hear more about this process :yes: :) And if you're starting out with beach clad or dirt clad. I read a lot on the forum, and youtube for the secret ingredients, some seem sensible, some seem like overkill.

I recently purchased the HF Dual Tumbler. Started with generic "oxy clean" and aquarium gravel, and green beach clad. Did OK after 2 hrs, water change and another 2 hrs. But still have some that won't get the brown/green off. Maybe I started with too many coins. Tried the lime away/CLR trick last night for 3 hrs only did marginally better. I've been taking out the good coins after each water change but still have about 40% of the coins still in the tumblers. :no::?:

They are physically clean enough to go into a coin machine, but since we don't have any on the Islands then I've got to get them a bit cleaner to spend :roll:

Those little HF tumblers are fine but you can't do many coins at one time. I have an extreme tumbler which is more expensive but it can handle a big load of coins. Plus it doesn't take near as long either. With the HF tumbler, you either need to clean coins on a regular basis or wait until winter to clean your year's total. This can give a person something to do on those cold winter days.
 
excellent, i'll give it a try. thank you!

will this stuff work? it's a cheap add-on currently but am curious if whatever makes them flourescent will cause issues in the tumble...

https://www.amazon.com/GloFish-Aqua...id=1527020018&sr=1-4&keywords=aquarium+gravel

I bought this exact product for use tumbling coins. I don't think it's coated with fluorescence, I just think the colors complement the "GloFish" products that DO glow under blacklight, like the various "plants" and other decorations. If you look at their product line, they seem to try to be pretty clear about whether something glows. I'll let you know how it goes. Like you, I was interested because it was cheap and convenient.
 
Just found this in the Q&A for the product, answers straight from the manufacturer rep:

"Thank you for your question, Jack! No, this product does not glow in the dark. It is intended as a bright accent to aquariums. Let me know if you have any other questions!"

"Hi Elana! This line of gravel has neon colored pebbles as accents only. They do not "glow" per se, but are simply brightly neon colored. They can be used on their own."

"No, Josh, they don't glow in the dark. GloFish is the brand name representative of products designed specifically to show off the species, glofish. Some of our products do glow when under certain blue or black lights, but this gravel is not one of them."

"Hi Ashly, thanks for asking! This gravel does not glow, even under a blue light. It's purpose is to intensify the colors of the actual glofish …"

So there you go. The white gravel is just white gravel.
 
Those little HF tumblers are fine but you can't do many coins at one time. I have an extreme tumbler which is more expensive but it can handle a big load of coins. Plus it doesn't take near as long either. With the HF tumbler, you either need to clean coins on a regular basis or wait until winter to clean your year's total. This can give a person something to do on those cold winter days.

Thanks. I loaded it half way with coins. Up to 3/4 with rocks, water just to cover. I would think as I reduce the coin load after each wash..that the cleaning would get better :)
 
I hear of people tumbling coins all the time, but I've never had a problem tossing the coins in a 5 gallon bucket (or colander in the sink), adding some dishsoap, and swirling by hand or broom handle (in the bucket) for 3 minutes or so to get the dirt off, then drying them... then taking them to coinstar.

As long as the coins are clean, it doesn't matter if they're shiny to the Coinstar machine. Heck of a lot faster (with no investment), than a tumbler.

Skippy
 
Just found this in the Q&A for the product, answers straight from the manufacturer rep:

"Thank you for your question, Jack! No, this product does not glow in the dark. It is intended as a bright accent to aquariums. Let me know if you have any other questions!"

"Hi Elana! This line of gravel has neon colored pebbles as accents only. They do not "glow" per se, but are simply brightly neon colored. They can be used on their own."

"No, Josh, they don't glow in the dark. GloFish is the brand name representative of products designed specifically to show off the species, glofish. Some of our products do glow when under certain blue or black lights, but this gravel is not one of them."

"Hi Ashly, thanks for asking! This gravel does not glow, even under a blue light. It's purpose is to intensify the colors of the actual glofish …"

So there you go. The white gravel is just white gravel.

interesting, thanks!
 
I agree with Skippy in that I wouldn't go out and buy a rock tumbler for this purpose. I'd probably do what Skippy does or, even lazier, put a bunch of coins, dish soap, and gravel into a tightly sealed container and drive around with it for a few days. (John Steinbeck used a bucket in this way to do laundry on the road in Travels with Charlie.)

But, we have kids, they like rocks … so we already have a Lortone tumbler sitting mostly idle in the craft closet.
 
I hear of people tumbling coins all the time, but I've never had a problem tossing the coins in a 5 gallon bucket (or colander in the sink), adding some dishsoap, and swirling by hand or broom handle (in the bucket) for 3 minutes or so to get the dirt off, then drying them... then taking them to coinstar.

As long as the coins are clean, it doesn't matter if they're shiny to the Coinstar machine. Heck of a lot faster (with no investment), than a tumbler.

Skippy

Depends on whether its beach clad or dirt clad in my opinion. Crusty green beach clad will just roll around a colander laughing :)

Not my pic but same idea.

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If a person finds lots of clad, then a tumbler is a justifiable purchase. If all you dig is about 20-30 dollars in clad a year, then it isn't really worth it. But if you dig 100+ in clad a year, then a tumbler will get it's use. My wife and I have dug around 145 dollars in clad so far this year. By the end of the year, I hope we have 300+ in clad. A good tumbler makes cleaning those coins a lot easier and faster. I don't clean coins to new looking condition, but to clean them plenty good to put back into circulation.

Since the temps are getting hot outside, my wife and I will hit the creeks and rivers and see if we can find some jewelry. Otherwise, we would have even more clad to clean.
 
If a person finds lots of clad, then a tumbler is a justifiable purchase. If all you dig is about 20-30 dollars in clad a year, then it isn't really worth it. But if you dig 100+ in clad a year, then a tumbler will get it's use. My wife and I have dug around 145 dollars in clad so far this year. By the end of the year, I hope we have 300+ in clad. A good tumbler makes cleaning those coins a lot easier and faster. I don't clean coins to new looking condition, but to clean them plenty good to put back into circulation.

Since the temps are getting hot outside, my wife and I will hit the creeks and rivers and see if we can find some jewelry. Otherwise, we would have even more clad to clean.

Yea I waited a few years before getting a tumbler :roll: so I have a couple trays of greenies :) Just have to get the secret ingredients and coin to gravel ratio buttoned down :yes:
 
Yea I waited a few years before getting a tumbler :roll: so I have a couple trays of greenies :) Just have to get the secret ingredients and coin to gravel ratio buttoned down :yes:

The coins themselves act like gravel so one doesn't need to have a lot of gravel. I use 50/50 white vinegar and a couple tablespoons of salt. I have a big tumbler but if I had a small one like the HF, I would just use one tablespoon of salt. This solution is strong and it doesn't take long to clean the coins. So keep a close eye on it if you use this solution.
 
My favorite way to clean coins is also very fun,,, simply load them in a container with screw on lid mix with cracked walnut shells and dish soap, make sure lid is on tight, strap to my Jeep and go wheeling, rinse and repeat as needed (or wanted) Works great
 
The coins themselves act like gravel so one doesn't need to have a lot of gravel. I use 50/50 white vinegar and a couple tablespoons of salt. I have a big tumbler but if I had a small one like the HF, I would just use one tablespoon of salt. This solution is strong and it doesn't take long to clean the coins. So keep a close eye on it if you use this solution.

I second this ☝🏼. Vinegar and salt work really well. Just keep your pennies separate. Coins clean up really well using this solution. I feel that if your digging any amount of clad, and you plan on cashing it in. A tumbler is a must have and wide investment.
 
My favorite way to clean coins is also very fun,,, simply load them in a container with screw on lid mix with cracked walnut shells and dish soap, make sure lid is on tight, strap to my Jeep and go wheeling, rinse and repeat as needed (or wanted) Works great

After I read your comment, I knew you were from Missouri before I even looked. :D
 
Tried the salt and vinegar in the tumbler. Did well to clean, tried it before in a plastic bottle. But I still got the copper coloring on a lot of coins. I think with the beach clad, the rims of the dimes and quarters are chewed down past the reeded edge exposing more copper than usual. I think this led to copper bleeding.

Good news is, another baking soda tumbler gets rid of the pink and almost puts a fake patina on them that is pretty nice looking. I tried brasso and water in the other drum after the vinegar pinkness and they came out nice and silver. Saved the brasso water for the next batch.
 
I don't understand how anyone can get along without a tumbler.
Sure, I have run way over $1000 through mine and got them clean enough to where the bank will accept them, loose and not rolled.
I would have hated to lose $100 to coinstar so my $35 double barreled HF tumbler paid for itself a few times over just there.
I have also used it to clean the crud off of many things like really crusty tokens, steel war cents, some really old wheats, nickels and foreign coins and so much more over time.
Then there are a few really cool brass targets I ran through mine that cleaned them up better than I ever could have scrubbing them by hand for a million years.
Just two cool ones below in the pics, a brass and copper high tank toilet fill valve and a 100+ year old hose nozzle.

These things are way, way more useful than just using them to clean clad.
I bought my tumbler with just some of the coins I dug up my first year, since then over the years it turned out to be one of the more important time and energy saving accessories I have ever bought for this hobby.
 

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I use a cheap tumbler from harbor freight.
Without it I would have rolled up a standing liberty.
Tumbling made it stand out from the rest.
I found it night hunting on a beach and thought it was just a crusty quarter.
Makes the pennies look good.

X2 - been using the same cheap tumbler for years..... 100's of $$$ in clad were cleaned rolled and spent....

The best coin I discovered mixed in with dirty clad was a pristine 1959 cent - the first year after the wheaties....nothing super great but it's worth upwards of $30 ……..
 
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