Cleaning aluminum tokens

[Me]

I just ruined another aluminum token with electrolysis.

How do you clean these things?

 

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[BuckleBoy]

For the most part, unless the aluminum is starting to get eaten away by conditions underground, I just clean them by using a wooden toothpick to get the encrustation off. The wood will usually not scratch the aluminum. I use this method for old tokens and coal scrip. I think electrolysis in most cases is a horrible cleaning method for both coins and tokens. Usually you will end up with unidentifiable junk afterwards.

Regards,

Buckleboy

 

[daytondigger]

Better late than never, I soak 'em in lemon juice overnight if heavily encrusted and then clean with a tooth brush or tooth pick.

 

[cosmic]

aluminum mag and wheel cleaner and polish work pretty well..

 

[idahotokens]

The problem with the aluminum tokens is that they often suffer from the "aluminum blows" - when aluminum tokens are in the ground for very long, the chemicals attack the metal and you are left with various areas of aluminum oxide. Just as in iron, aluminum rusts (oxidizes) and the rust takes up more volume than the original metal. Unlike iron where the rust sometimes forms a protective surface over the metal, aluminum tends to oxidize in bubbles or worm-holes - that is the whitish stuff you see on your token.

Cleaning aluminum tokens with surface crud is as the others have indicated, but you can't really do much with ones with the whitish aluminum oxide. The aluminum oxide is not very soluble and it is generally not loose either. Besides it resides down in the worm holes and bubbles, making it tough to access. If you were to be able to get rid of all the aluminum oxide, you would be left with something that resembles Swiss cheese. So, in my opinion, aluminum tokens are generally best left alone.

John in ID

 

[BuckleBoy]

The problem with the aluminum tokens is that they often suffer from the "aluminum blows" - when aluminum tokens are in the ground for very long, the chemicals attack the metal and you are left with various areas of aluminum oxide. Just as in iron, aluminum rusts (oxidizes) and the rust takes up more volume than the original metal. Unlike iron where the rust sometimes forms a protective surface over the metal, aluminum tends to oxidize in bubbles or worm-holes - that is the whitish stuff you see on your token.

Cleaning aluminum tokens with surface crud is as the others have indicated, but you can't really do much with ones with the whitish aluminum oxide. The aluminum oxide is not very soluble and it is generally not loose either. Besides it resides down in the worm holes and bubbles, making it tough to access. If you were to be able to get rid of all the aluminum oxide, you would be left with something that resembles Swiss cheese. So, in my opinion, aluminum tokens are generally best left alone.

John in ID

Does this process of degradation continue even after the token is recovered and washed off?

 

[Jeff In North Georgia]

Here is a product you may want to try? It's aluminum jelly.

Here is a link:
http://www.loctiteproducts.com/repairs.asp?qfid=5&Product=170

It's available at most ACE hardware stores for $4 - 5.

Jeff