Gen. Breckinridge
Jr. Member
- Feb 26, 2007
- 94
- 1
- Detector(s) used
- White's MXT SunRay DX-1 Garrett ACE 250, Fisher VLF-555D Pro, Fisher VLF-552D
Recently I received a catalog from Harbor Freight that had their single barrel tumbler on sale for $19.95 
so I ordered it along with a few other things. The part number for the tumbler is 46376-3YVA if you would like to order one. I came in earlier this week, including an extra belt and I decided to give it a try on the clad quarters and dimes I have dug over the last week as a test. The only grit I had was some aquarium gravel but I figured what the heck, it will probably work. I think the gravel came from Wal-Mart.
I loaded the drum to 2/3 full with the gravel, coins and water to the top of the grave. A couple of drops of liquid soap was added to the mix and the lid was closed. After two hours I dumped and washed the coins and gravel and about 60% of them came out nice but the rest were still very dark. I reloaded the drum with the coins that still looked black and started the tumbler again. This time I let it run for five hours. I was a bit concerned that it would rub the detail off the coins but at the end of five hours they came out looking great. Only a few still had a black tint to the metal.
I am very satisfied with the results. Now I'm going to start cleaning the pile of clads I have sitting here so I can turn them into battery and gas money. I am including a few pictures to show the tumbler and the coins before and after. I hope this helps some of you who were considering the HF tumbler as a way of cleaning clads.
so I ordered it along with a few other things. The part number for the tumbler is 46376-3YVA if you would like to order one. I came in earlier this week, including an extra belt and I decided to give it a try on the clad quarters and dimes I have dug over the last week as a test. The only grit I had was some aquarium gravel but I figured what the heck, it will probably work. I think the gravel came from Wal-Mart. I loaded the drum to 2/3 full with the gravel, coins and water to the top of the grave. A couple of drops of liquid soap was added to the mix and the lid was closed. After two hours I dumped and washed the coins and gravel and about 60% of them came out nice but the rest were still very dark. I reloaded the drum with the coins that still looked black and started the tumbler again. This time I let it run for five hours. I was a bit concerned that it would rub the detail off the coins but at the end of five hours they came out looking great. Only a few still had a black tint to the metal.
I am very satisfied with the results. Now I'm going to start cleaning the pile of clads I have sitting here so I can turn them into battery and gas money. I am including a few pictures to show the tumbler and the coins before and after. I hope this helps some of you who were considering the HF tumbler as a way of cleaning clads.
