Clad Clean-Up

SeabeeRon

"Can Do" Moderator
Super Mod
Forum Supporter
Joined
Jul 5, 2007
Messages
25,369
Location
Santa Cruz, CA.
Any tips of the best way to clean CLAD coins? :?: :?: Most of mine are from salt water beach areas.
 
After letting them soak in water for awhile, and clean off the excess dirt, then Tumble them, a taste of ammonia (1 cap), taste of soap (little squirt), hand full of sand from the beach. Tumble for about a half an hour. Cleans em right up (before and after). Any tumbler will work if you can do it outside, but if your going to do it in doors, I suggest a tumbler with rubber tubs. Hope this helps, Rick
 

Attachments

  • B4NAFTR.jpg
    B4NAFTR.jpg
    189.2 KB · Views: 4,044
After letting them soak in water for awhile, and clean off the excess dirt, then Tumble them, a taste of ammonia (1 cap), taste of soap (little squirt), hand full of sand from the beach. Tumble for about a half an hour. Cleans em right up (before and after). Any tumbler will work if you can do it outside, but if your going to do it in doors, I suggest a tumbler with rubber tubs. Hope this helps, Rick

Good post with pictures even. I usually just let mine clean themselves. That doesn't seem to work as well as your method though.:no: ;) :lol:
 
Yes tumblers do have their uses, the cleaning of modern spendable coins being one of them.
Just don't use it to clean anything which might be of value.
 
tumbling finds

Try and stay away from anything made with plastic.:( can you say noisey?:shock:
A decent unit with thick rubber tub will cost around 65 bucks. The kind folks who help support our forum stock quality machines. When you order include spare belts......case you get greedy and try to tumble to much at a time....:roll: ...Gil

P.S. dont tumble copper with silver. Heed well my friends or you will end up with copper colored silver
 
I have a small metal lathe. It is variable speed so it can go very slow.

Could I make a PVC pipe based container to put on the lathe?

SpookyDad
 
Great idea Spookydad

Go for it! A lesson of ingenuity for your little hunting partner as well. 5 inch pvc with sealable removable end caps. It cannot turn to fast, it needs to develop a slurry out of the pebbles, coins, cleaning agent, and water. I use a drip of ammonia, and a drab of simple green, with aquarium pebbles churning slowly for several hours. Change the juice at least once per batch of coins. I drain the coins and filter out the pebbles for reuse with my beach scoop over a plastic bucket. One quick rinse, dry and roll em up. Let us know how you make out.....pictures of the process from start to finish would be nice. Since you have a good power source a double ender would be great. You can tumble your pennies and the silver clad in one fell swoop.....Gil...;)
 
I will go ahead and try that. A two segment container would be a good idea. I have most of the other supplies on hand. Of course I will have to find enough clad to make it worthwhile!

SpookyDad
 
Tumbler

After a little research on the Kelly Co site I am thinking of buying the single Barrell Heavy Duty for $69.95. It has the rubber barrell and fan cooled motor. Anyone have one of those? It is nice to have found enough coins to buy one because all the hand methods I have tried are a pain and don't seem to do much to clean the coins.:lol:
 
I clean my clad coins by dumping them into a plastic peanut butter jar with vinegar and salt. I shake the jar for about 5 minutes, and then rinse well. I think this is the cheapest and easiest way to clean up clad. The coins come out looking like normal circulated coins. Just remember to clean the pennies seperately from the other coins.
 
how much salt and vinegar do you use. i might try it on my clad
Paul

I put enough coins in the jar to fill it about 1/3 - 1/2. I then add enough vinegar to fill it to about 1/4. Then I dump in a few tablespoons worth of salt. Shake for a while... maybe 5 minutes depending on how dirty they are. Then dump and rinse very well. If you don't rinse enough a green powder will form on the coins.

My coins finds are all from parks and schools; but I assume this will work with beach coins as well? Won't hurt to try it once anyway.

I like to pour the dirty vinegar out at the end of my driveway; it turns the pavement bright green...
 
I clean my clad coins by dumping them into a plastic peanut butter jar with vinegar and salt. I shake the jar for about 5 minutes, and then rinse well. I think this is the cheapest and easiest way to clean up clad. The coins come out looking like normal circulated coins. Just remember to clean the pennies seperately from the other coins.

Don't forget to remove the peanut butter!
 
pennies in socks

tie your pennies loosely in an athletic sock and throw in washing machine. Will also clean clad, but leaves them still dark. But will nonetheless clean the crud off for the getgo.
 
I use a Lortone 6 Pound Tumbler with success.
The Harbor Freight Twin 3 Pound had belt problems for me.

Using a Fiber "O" Ring might last longer than the Vinyl Belt.
I sent it back before ever trying them out.

MDer Dealers or Rock Shops for Drum Tumblers
Reloading Suppliers for a Vibratory Tumblers.

I like watching people look at my Shiney Money.
Is'nt it our Civic Duty to Restore the Coinage we Find.
 
I just tried this and it works great.

Thanks for the tip.

I put enough coins in the jar to fill it about 1/3 - 1/2. I then add enough vinegar to fill it to about 1/4. Then I dump in a few tablespoons worth of salt. Shake for a while... maybe 5 minutes depending on how dirty they are. Then dump and rinse very well. If you don't rinse enough a green powder will form on the coins.

My coins finds are all from parks and schools; but I assume this will work with beach coins as well? Won't hurt to try it once anyway.

I like to pour the dirty vinegar out at the end of my driveway; it turns the pavement bright green...
 
Back
Top Bottom