Tumbled Finds From 2018

ANTIQUARIAN

Gold Member
Apr 24, 2010
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XP Deus, Lesche Piranha 35 Shovel & 'Garrett Carrot'
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting

Last week I decided to tumble some of my more interesting non-ferrous finds from 2018.
This week I’m hoping to start tumbling some of my more interesting iron relics. :thumbsup:
I think its part of the responsibility we have as detectorists to either reuse, re-purpose or recycle the items we find!


I start by tumbling the items in ¾” aquarium gravel, a ½ cup of beach sand and liquid dish soap. I let this tumble for 24 — 36hrs, I then rinse it out, refill the tumbler with the same mixture and let it tumble for another 2 days. After a couple of days, I’ll then empty the tumbler, rinse off the items and re-tumble for another 2 — 3 days with just the gravel and the dish soap. There’s no need to seal the metal, as brass will start to ‘dull down’ again after just a couple of days exposure to the air. Sometimes I’ll brush on a light coat of mineral oil and bees wax, which can be washed off later with soap & water if desired. I started tumbling in 2012 with a small Loretone Model 45C tumbler, but I soon realized that I needed a larger capacity tumbler. In 2016 I bought a Loretone QT12, which allows me to tumbler larger items and more items at once. I quickly found that the more I detected, the more I found and want to keep.

Relic Tumbling
•Next time you go to the beach, gather some small ¾” – 1” pebbles and sand.
•Put your relics in the tumbler, add the pebbles, and about 2 tablespoons of the sand to make the tumbler about 3/4 full. Fill with water (to a little below the top of the pebbles) and add a touch of liquid detergent. Put the lid on and shake it to distribute the relics and pebbles evenly.
•Let it tumble for about 2 - 4 hours. Open it up and drain off the dirty water. Refill with clean water, add a touch of liquid detergent more sand if desired and tumble for another couple of hours or overnight.
•Open it up and pour into a strainer or screen that has holes large enough to let your pebbles and sand fall through, but not your coins. Rinse the relics well then spread them out on newspaper or on a towel to dry. I tumble brass and copper things that have corrosion on them too, like buckles and buttons and keys, etc. I prefer to separate the copper, brass, iron and silver items when they tumble. I have tried it both ways, and if you decide to tumble them together or let them tumble too long, your brass & copper will turn a brown colour. This is easily removed with another tumbling with more sand and gravel.

DO NOT MIX THE DIFFERENT METAL GROUPS!
•In a tumbler barrel, (remember not to mix the metal groups), then add aquarium gravel to a little less than ⅔ to ¾ full. Cover the mixture with water (do NOT over fill); add 1 SMALL squirt of liquid dish soap.
•After 1 - 2 of tumbling, pour out the tumbler of relics and gravel into a strainer. Rinse it all well while 'stirring' or turning it over so that beach sand washes out leaving only the aquarium gravel. Once all the aquarium gravel has been separated from the metal, rinse the metal with hot water. This helps increase the drying time.
•Pour the rinsed relics onto a towel on a counter top and allow them to dry. Continue with the next batch of metal to be tumbled. Once all relics are completely dry, they can be stored or put on display.

Thanks very much for looking,
Dave
 

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diggingthe1

Silver Member
Feb 11, 2015
2,508
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Victor, CO...City of Mines
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Minelab EQ800, Ex2
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All Treasure Hunting
I like the information about the mineral oil and beeswax keeping the items shiny. I have had trouble with the brown or reddish color. Thanks for the information it’s very helpful. I use a vibrasonic vibrating tumbler which is fast! I sure like the way things turn out.
 

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ANTIQUARIAN

ANTIQUARIAN

Gold Member
Apr 24, 2010
12,841
27,384
Upper Canada 🇨🇦
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Lesche Piranha 35 Shovel & 'Garrett Carrot'
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
I like the information about the mineral oil and beeswax keeping the items shiny. I have had trouble with the brown or reddish color. Thanks for the information it’s very helpful. I use a vibrasonic vibrating tumbler which is fast! I sure like the way things turn out.
Thanks very much for your post and for your suggestions my friend! :occasion14:
The mineral oil and beeswax actually evens out the color on the surface and depends the final result.
Not all brass comes out looking shiny, I'll sometimes rub some Brasso on the piece after it's cleaned of the heavier corrosion.

I'll have to look into vibrasonic vibrating tumbler, I'm only aware of small units that jewelers use to clean small pieces of jewelry. :icon_scratch:

Dave
 

diggingthe1

Silver Member
Feb 11, 2015
2,508
5,841
Victor, CO...City of Mines
Detector(s) used
Minelab EQ800, Ex2
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All Treasure Hunting
Thanks for even more great information. I am sure I will have better results now. I have not tried sand or pebbles, that will help. The vibrasonic tumblers are expensive, I found one in a garage clean out free!! They cut the time in half, but I don’t think it would be worth it. It doesn’t take that long. I tumble in a cold garage and just add some antifreeze. Here is a picture of one of those tumblers. Cliff D4C2643F-2FEF-4473-8D36-B310807E9E7E.jpeg
 

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ANTIQUARIAN

ANTIQUARIAN

Gold Member
Apr 24, 2010
12,841
27,384
Upper Canada 🇨🇦
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Lesche Piranha 35 Shovel & 'Garrett Carrot'
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Thanks for even more great information. I am sure I will have better results now. I have not tried sand or pebbles, that will help. The vibrasonic tumblers are expensive, I found one in a garage clean out free!! They cut the time in half, but I don’t think it would be worth it. It doesn’t take that long. I tumble in a cold garage and just add some antifreeze. Here is a picture of one of those tumblers. Cliff

I do all of my tumbling in my basement workshop, the only drawback of the tumbling process is the noise.
It irritates my wife to no end... which is actually a bonus! :laughing7:

Thanks again for your post and best of luck to you Sir!
Dave
 

A2coins

Gold Member
Dec 20, 2015
33,807
42,606
Ann Arbor
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3
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Equinox 800
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All Treasure Hunting
Those turned out great I have some spoons I'll try in my tumbler I'm not much into electrolysis
 

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ANTIQUARIAN

ANTIQUARIAN

Gold Member
Apr 24, 2010
12,841
27,384
Upper Canada 🇨🇦
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Lesche Piranha 35 Shovel & 'Garrett Carrot'
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Those turned out great I have some spoons I'll try in my tumbler I'm not much into electrolysis

Thanks Tommy. :icon_thumright:
I realize these pieces have little to no value, but at least now they're presentable.
Dave
 

invent4hir

Bronze Member
Aug 1, 2017
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Dave, thanks for the detailed instructions and great "after" pictures. Will consider tumbling as an option. Property owners have a hard time believing me when I tell them that the field work (i.e. finding artifacts) is the easy part. Cleaning, preserving, identifying and estimating the age is more time consuming. But if I get results like yours, it is worth it, especially since most artifacts are donated to local history societies for educational purposes.
 

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ANTIQUARIAN

ANTIQUARIAN

Gold Member
Apr 24, 2010
12,841
27,384
Upper Canada 🇨🇦
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Lesche Piranha 35 Shovel & 'Garrett Carrot'
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Dave, thanks for the detailed instructions and great "after" pictures. Will consider tumbling as an option. Property owners have a hard time believing me when I tell them that the field work (i.e. finding artifacts) is the easy part. Cleaning, preserving, identifying and estimating the age is more time consuming. But if I get results like yours, it is worth it, especially since most artifacts are donated to local history societies for educational purposes.

Thanks for your post and for sharing your thoughts invent4hir. :thumbsup:
You're exactly right, recovering these items is the fun part of detecting, but then what do we do with the items.

I find that tumbling the more interesting items, keeps them from ending up in the scrap metal pail to go to the recycler.
The thing is... I have boxes and boxes of these relics, now what do I do with them? :dontknow:

Dave
 

invent4hir

Bronze Member
Aug 1, 2017
1,654
2,498
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Whites V3i & DFX
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks for your post and for sharing your thoughts invent4hir. :thumbsup:
You're exactly right, recovering these items is the fun part of detecting, but then what do we do with the items.

I find that tumbling the more interesting items, keeps them from ending up in the scrap metal pail to go to the recycler.
The thing is... I have boxes and boxes of these relics, now what do I do with them? :dontknow:

Dave

Dave, a lot of people, not just metal detectorists, are in your position - having boxes and boxes of "stuff". The idea of donating artifacts to historical societies is one way to resolve. If you foster a good relationship with the organization, they may have some members with property that you can detect in the future. :hello2: If historical societies are not an option for you or they don't want the artifacts, take a small percentage of the best artifacts, and make a few display cases for yourself. Currently I have 8 that I rotate in any 4 at a given time in a curio cabinet. Then take 3 empty boxes (label "keep", "Goodwill" and "Scrap to sell", respectively) and a garbage can begin sorting through what is left. Depending on your choices, this may reduce the number of boxes you keep considerably. You'll probably need to do this every few months in the beginning to really narrow down what you want to keep and prevent the "keep" boxes from becoming overwhelmed with this season's finds. Good luck!
 

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ANTIQUARIAN

ANTIQUARIAN

Gold Member
Apr 24, 2010
12,841
27,384
Upper Canada 🇨🇦
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Lesche Piranha 35 Shovel & 'Garrett Carrot'
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
small[/I] percentage of the best artifacts, and make a few display cases for yourself. Currently I have 8 that I rotate in any 4 at a given time in a curio cabinet. Then take 3 empty boxes (label "keep", "Goodwill" and "Scrap to sell", respectively) and a garbage can begin sorting through what is left. Depending on your choices, this may reduce the number of boxes you keep considerably. You'll probably need to do this every few months in the beginning to really narrow down what you want to keep and prevent the "keep" boxes from becoming overwhelmed with this season's finds. Good luck!
Sorry for the late reply to your post buddy. :hello:
Thanks very much for the great advice on 're-purposing' my finds. Currently, I only have a few of my better finds displayed around our house, I'm not a big showcase person.

I also only detect alone, I don't belong to any clubs and I rarely share my sites with anyone.
This is primarily because I do all my own research and I get the permissions.

I realize this might sound selfish to some guys, but that's just the way it is with me. :laughing7:

Best of luck to you!
Dave
 

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invent4hir

Bronze Member
Aug 1, 2017
1,654
2,498
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Whites V3i & DFX
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Sorry for the late reply to your post buddy. :hello:
Thanks very much for the great advice on 're-purposing' my finds. Currently, I only have a few of my better finds displayed around our house, I'm not a big showcase person.

I also only detect alone, I don't belong to any clubs and I rarely share my sites with anyone.
This is primarily because I do all my own research and I get the permissions.

I realize this might sound selfish to some guys, but that's just the way it is with me. :laughing7:

Best of luck to you!
Dave

Dave, like you I detect alone for the same reasons. I've spent years earning a good reputation which I don't want to jeopardize because it helps on getting future permissions.

Whatever steps you take to de-clutter I'm sure will be thoughtful.
 

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ANTIQUARIAN

ANTIQUARIAN

Gold Member
Apr 24, 2010
12,841
27,384
Upper Canada 🇨🇦
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Lesche Piranha 35 Shovel & 'Garrett Carrot'
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Dave, like you I detect alone for the same reasons. I've spent years earning a good reputation which I don't want to jeopardize because it helps on getting future permissions.

Whatever steps you take to de-clutter I'm sure will be thoughtful.

Thanks very much for sharing your thoughts, I apologize for the late reply. :thumbsup:
One of the main reasons I detect alone is that I'm able to clear my head on these sites and just zone out.

Detecting is a real distraction from life and this is something I think we all need periodically.
Some folks go for a run, read a book or take a walk in the woods... but my happy place is alone in the middle of a farm field surround by the ghosts of those who came before us. :laughing7:

Best of luck to you Sir,
Dave
 

Hawks88

Gold Member
Aug 26, 2012
7,878
11,840
Niagara falls
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Equinox 800
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All Treasure Hunting
I think we all know by now that you are a serious and dedicated detectorist. You show that in the way you research, find, and display your finds. Great job and I always look forward to reading your posts. Keep at it and thanks for sharing.
 

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ANTIQUARIAN

ANTIQUARIAN

Gold Member
Apr 24, 2010
12,841
27,384
Upper Canada 🇨🇦
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Lesche Piranha 35 Shovel & 'Garrett Carrot'
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
I think we all know by now that you are a serious and dedicated detectorist. You show that in the way you research, find, and display your finds. Great job and I always look forward to reading your posts. Keep at it and thanks for sharing.

Thank you so much for your kind words Hawks. :thumbsup:
You and I really should try and meet up for a the next time I'm in your area.
Maybe a hunt in the Niagara-on-the-Lake or St. Catherines area?
Dave
 

Hawks88

Gold Member
Aug 26, 2012
7,878
11,840
Niagara falls
Detector(s) used
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting

Thank you so much for your kind words Hawks. :thumbsup:
You and I really should try and meet up for a the next time I'm in your area.
Maybe a hunt in the Niagara-on-the-Lake or St. Catherines area?
Dave
I’m available anytime you are. Thanks Dave.
 

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