If you are a metal detecting enthusiast, then you may have collected a number of old coins on your metal detecting trips. You may find that the coins need a bit of cleaning. If you have clad coins, then you have to clean them. After I tried unsuccessfully to cash the coins into a bank, but they would not take them. So the only thing I could use the coins for was vending machines. So, I had no choice but to research how to clean the clad coins I had found. I figured out a great cleaning routine after doing quite a bit of looking online and not being satisfied with what others said to do.
First, I picked up a rock tumbler from my neighborhood hardware store. I took the rock tumbler and placed aquarium gravel in it roughly halfway full. Then I took an 8 ounce plastic cup and filled it with coins. Then I poured them on top of the gravel inside the rock tumbler. The water rose about a quarter of an inch above the coins. Finally, I pour in about a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid. Then I close the tumbler and turn it on. I turn the tumbler on and run it for about twelve hours.
I made a basket out of a piece of chicken wire (approximately a square foot) - do what works for you.
After Tumbling for Twelve Hours
#1. Place a strainer over a plastic bowl to make sure that you don't lose gravel down the drain. Then pour your water, gravel, and coins into the strainer. The Second Step. Remove all the dirty residue from the coins by running them under water. Next step 3. Your homemade wire basket now goes onto a good sized cooking sheet. The Fourth Step. The gravel you pour from the strainer will shake out through the holes in the basket leaving only the coins inside. Next step 5. Place the basket holding the coins to the side. Next step 6. The gravel can be taken off the cooking sheet and put back into the rock tumbler. You can reuse your gravel repeatedly. Replace the gravel when it doesn't clean the coins any longer - a good clue is when the rocks become smooth.)
The Seventh Step. On your cookie sheet, place two clean paper towels on the cookies sheet. Then take the coins and put them on the paper towel so they can dry off.
Please be advised that the coins seen in the demonstration were run in in the tumbler for twelve continuous hours. If your coins aren't as soiled, then you may not have to run them as long. If you find that the coins were not cleaned sufficiently the first time, you can repeat the process again using clean water and soap.
First, I picked up a rock tumbler from my neighborhood hardware store. I took the rock tumbler and placed aquarium gravel in it roughly halfway full. Then I took an 8 ounce plastic cup and filled it with coins. Then I poured them on top of the gravel inside the rock tumbler. The water rose about a quarter of an inch above the coins. Finally, I pour in about a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid. Then I close the tumbler and turn it on. I turn the tumbler on and run it for about twelve hours.
I made a basket out of a piece of chicken wire (approximately a square foot) - do what works for you.
After Tumbling for Twelve Hours
#1. Place a strainer over a plastic bowl to make sure that you don't lose gravel down the drain. Then pour your water, gravel, and coins into the strainer. The Second Step. Remove all the dirty residue from the coins by running them under water. Next step 3. Your homemade wire basket now goes onto a good sized cooking sheet. The Fourth Step. The gravel you pour from the strainer will shake out through the holes in the basket leaving only the coins inside. Next step 5. Place the basket holding the coins to the side. Next step 6. The gravel can be taken off the cooking sheet and put back into the rock tumbler. You can reuse your gravel repeatedly. Replace the gravel when it doesn't clean the coins any longer - a good clue is when the rocks become smooth.)
The Seventh Step. On your cookie sheet, place two clean paper towels on the cookies sheet. Then take the coins and put them on the paper towel so they can dry off.
Please be advised that the coins seen in the demonstration were run in in the tumbler for twelve continuous hours. If your coins aren't as soiled, then you may not have to run them as long. If you find that the coins were not cleaned sufficiently the first time, you can repeat the process again using clean water and soap.
About the Author:
Daniel Akinson has been detecting nearly his whole life. Visit MetalDetectorsOnline.net to learn more about Metal Detecting Finds and White Metal Detectors today.
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