Rock tumbler kit under the tree Help ??????

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Kids got me a rock tumbler kit lortone to clean thousands of dirty coins to take to the bank I get the mixture ect but I have the blue stones for silver bronze copper I don't have the red for silver nickel gold I want to clean all my clad quarters and dimes what color rocks do I use rrrrr I can call Monday but was hoping someone could tell me sooner Thanks and Merry Christmas all!!!!
 

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A lot of folks just buy aquarium gravel and use it along with some dish soap. Lots of advice on here somewhere. I have no clue.
 

Don't think it matters what color the stones are ,just don't mix copper and clad together.tumble your clad and nickels together,when you are done put the stones in a container and label it for clad. Same for copper
 

Thanks for the help I just keep the blue if that's what I use for quarters nickles dimes separate for only those..Then pennies use red or blue as long as I keep those separate also just for pennies.. Thanks for the help Merry Christmas
 

Thanks scuba Merry Christmas to you, and happy new year !!!!!! Every year will be better than the last!!!!!
 

I use fish grave fill tumble half way. put in 1/2 cup or a little bit more of clad everything except the pennies. fill with water just above the coins add a few drops of dawn dish soap tighten lid down. Then run for about 2 hours the coins should be good to go to the bank.....Matt
 

Thanks Matt do you do the same with the pennies. Also I'm guessing people use aquarium rocks because they must be much heaper than the ones that come with the rock tumbler??? Merry Christmas are you also snowed in???
 

I stumbled into a double drum tumbler, but haven't used it yet.

I read on a post here about tumbling for a half hour in a solution of distilled white vinegar and table salt, clad & copper separate. I may try that tonight and will certainly report my experience here.
 

You can use natural colored aquarium gravel, small pea gravels you get at the hardware store or even sand.
 

My Harbor Freight double drum's instructions said DO NOT USE SAND......
 

Excellent advice! I use aquarium gravel for the first round and if I feel fancy, I'll swap the gravel out with a few ounces of bb's and some WD40...SHINEEEYYY...Lol. But I usually just do that with my clad silver...Merry Christmas All!!...ddf
 

I used some sand for some glass that needed a dusty look to it. I prefer the larger gravels myself, but didn't tumble any this year.
 

Just use aquarium gravel. Very cheap. For pennies I use dishwashing soap and a little scouring powder[not on good pennies, just zincolns and newer pennies. For the clad and nickels I use dish washing soap, scouring powder, and some cream of tartar. They turn out great. I let a batch run for 8 or 10 hours to turn out really nice.
 

Wow I guess you can use almost anything abraisive Ill, stick with the red and blue rocks for my first try one for clad and ione for pennies it does say you can use for silver but I am only using for my dirty clad coins my silver and wheats and stuff I clean with soap water rinse no scrubbing and put in holders I'm saving for the minelab 3030 and have tons of clad and junk pennies Thanks all I'm not to worried as long as I don't deface the coins just get the Michigan darkness out of them My silver coins come out of the ground like they were just dropped
 

i do what I heard on here
just pour lemon juice to cover the coins and add 3 spoons of salt that's all folks
 

When I began to use the tumbler I used small gravel but learned that barely covering your coins with lemon juice and 3 table spoons of salt does better and in less time. Do not clean your coppers and zincs with your clad. Run your clad 1st and reuse the concoction on your copper and zincs. I run my tumbler for about 45 minutes. Make sure you rinse the coins well after you pull them out. If your wife is like mine, I was forced to buy my own strainer. A buck at the dollar store and you are in business.
 

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WalMart aquarium gravel.......any color. Depending on the denomination, I usually tumble 2 or 3 coins more than will fit into a coin wrapper. The formula (courtesy of Loco-Digger) is 4 to 5 ozs. of lemon juice or vinegar with 2 tblspns, of salt..........30 minutes later, clean coins with tap water, dry and wrap. Re-use the juice from the first batch of coins to clean Zincolns (also courtsey of Loco-Digger)............you may want to tumble the Zincolns a bit longer than 30 minutes.........
 

Natural color Aquarium rock works great. I use dish soap and a little Pine sol. Tumble over night. Get two gold classifiers. Get a 1/2 " and a 1/8 inch. Take the tumbled coins outside and dump them into the 1/8 inch classifier. Rinse them off to get all the dirty water out then place the 1/2 inch classifier on top of a 5 gallon bucket and dump the coins and rock into that. Move it all around and the rock will fall into the bucket. Fast and efficient.

strick

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