Cleaning clad

[Viking22]

Does anybody have some advice. Will I need to buy a
Rock tumbler? Thanks

 

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[Jason in Enid]

depends on how clean you want it and how much you have. I have found that a tumbler works excellent for cleaning large amounts of clad at once (like at the end of the year). Don't waste time or money trying to make your dug clad look shiny and new. Clean it enough to get all the dirt and crap off it, then dump it through a coin counter.

 

[SWFLA]

I'm gonna clean out a peanut butter jar (plastic) and put dish soap water and some aquarium gravel and put clad in and let kids roll it down driveway, then off to the counter.

 

[Loco-Digger]

I use a rock tumbler, at first I used small gravel that I sifted out of my driveway with a cap full of "Mr Clean". The someone posted a recommendation to use lemon juice with a little salt (no gravel necessary). This is how I clean my coins now. I also take the ones that did not clean up good and fish vending machines for silver coins. I roll my coins at the end of the year and deposit them into my hobby account. The pennies, both zinc and copper are the only ones I run through the coin star machine.

 

[TommyB]

most of my clad comes from the beach. I just use vinegar to soak them in for a couple of hours.

 

[Viking22]

Thanks, have tried things I have seen on youtube. I have found about 75.00 dollars worth and
a tumbler costs about 55. Will try some of these ideas.

 

[gldnbrew]

depends on how clean you want it and how much you have. I have found that a tumbler works excellent for cleaning large amounts of clad at once (like at the end of the year). Don't waste time or money trying to make your dug clad look shiny and new. Clean it enough to get all the dirt and crap off it, then dump it through a coin counter.

Do the silver ones separate from the pennies or they all will be copper color, How do I know this

 

[Kansas_Jayhawk]

I've used an inexpensive tumbler from Harbor Freight on sale for as low as $30 use fish rank rock and some Borax

Issue watch it for a little time the barrel can swell just pop top off squeeze out air

Now HF has a stand up detector for $60 that is good

 

[Papalittle]

Here's what I do. Fill rock tumbler with coins and 1/2 full warm water , add a squirt of Dawn dish soap. tumbler for 1 hours then drain and rinse. Put coins back in tumbler with 2 tablespoons salt, 1/4 cup CLR and water to cover the coins, tumble 1 hour and rinse . amazing how clean they get.

 

[Kansas_Jayhawk]

Here's what I do. Fill rock tumbler with coins and 1/2 full warm water , add a squirt of Dawn dish soap. tumbler for 1 hours then drain and rinse. Put coins back in tumbler with 2 tablespoons salt, 1/4 cup CLR and water to cover the coins, tumble 1 hour and rinse . amazing how clean they get.

What kind of tumbler do you have?

Mine would blow up with Dawn


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[Dr. Witty]

Loco-Digger has it right, HF Rock Tumbler, Lemon juice (from Dollar Store,) and some salt. 1 hour later they're ready for the coin star. You don't need them sparkling clean, just clean enough for the coin star.

 

[No gold in NY]

I use a Chicago Electric #67631 from Amazon. Works very well. I crush my own quartz from prospecting for abrasive with a little Tide detergent. For clad and pennies.

 

[Detecto]

Loco-Digger has it right, HF Rock Tumbler, Lemon juice (from Dollar Store,) and some salt. 1 hour later they're ready for the coin star. You don't need them sparkling clean, just clean enough for the coin star.

I used lemon juice one, and 2 hours later the lid blew off.

I would think an acid in combination with exposed zinc would cause the creation of gas. Could be wrong.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Now HF has a stand up detector for $60 that is good

I bought that double drum of theirs, like it a lot! I tumbled last year's clad, cents in one drum and clad in the other.

I clearly need that to be a learning experience. I'd read somewhere about tumbling with vinegar and salt. I didn't like the way that worked at all.

So, I went to Wal-Mart and picked up a bag of aquarium grave, Put the coins in, took water level go just below the top of the coins, gave a very very quick spurt of dish washing liquid, tumbled them for an hour. Them coins are spendable. I'll hit a coin star, a real excuse to look in the reject tray.

That Tumbler did two hours. The first with the vinegar salt, and the second the gravel, water and a tad bit of the soap/detergent.

Both times it just kept on tumbling swinging a load, about half full each drum. That got kinda heavy.

I do expect to use it a lot

 

[SusanMN]

There is absolutely no need to clean your clad other than removing loose dirt. You can run it through a coin counting machine like a coin star or one at your bank without clogging the machine. I have been cashing in a couple hundred dollars worth a year for eleven years and never had a machine issue with my clad.

 

[Rawhide]

Here's what I do. Fill rock tumbler with coins and 1/2 full warm water , add a squirt of Dawn dish soap. tumbler for 1 hours then drain and rinse. Put coins back in tumbler with 2 tablespoons salt, 1/4 cup CLR and water to cover the coins, tumble 1 hour and rinse . amazing how clean they get.

I have found this is the best way too. I just pulled a wheatie out of my clad, so check for dates and such.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

White vinegar and a little salt in a plastic jar with a lid, shake it a few times it cleans them enough to pass thru coin star. Rinse with water after. Don't leave them in too long.
Useful T Net info.

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[dirtwizard]

if you do the rock tumbler thing with any kind of lemon juice or cleaner separate out your pennies and do them separate. I did a mixed load and some of the coins came out pink.

 

[Dr. Witty]

I used lemon juice one, and 2 hours later the lid blew off.

I would think an acid in combination with exposed zinc would cause the creation of gas. Could be wrong.

The lid only blows off on the zinc pennies in my experience. I've gotten in the habit of tossing all my zinc pennies if they show even the slightest signs of pitting. I also like the idea of putting the zinc pennies in Prescription pill bottles and burying them in the woods, but I have yet to do that. Does that sound wrong?

 

[Viking22]

Thanks again for all the information.