Shotgun Stamp Heads - Before & After Tumbling

[Valley Ranger]

**CORRECTION** HEADSTAMPS, not STAMP HEADS (Sorry, some latent dyslexia was kickin' in.)

I recently bought a rock tumbler and have been tumbling some dug brass pieces in aquarium rock, water, dishwashing liquid and lemon juice non-stop since Friday evening. Here are the results. I also threw in some other brass pieces and they looked every bit as bad as the headstamps before tumbling. Rather striking, wouldn't you say? I'm putting them through one more run and then will "burnish" them with a dry tumble in walnut hulls which is supposed to really bring out the shine. Thanks much to the recent article in Western and Eastern Treasures by Larry Ehlinger about cleaning and displaying old brass. It was great inspiration for me to get off my butt and do something with all the old brass "junk" I've accumulated over the years. Call me weird, but I find the old stamp heads simply beautiful.

 

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[Loco-Digger]

Wow, they tumbled Friday, Saturday, Sunday and part of Monday? I have never tumbled anything for more than a couple hours. They did come out looking great though. Now take that Virginia tag out to the garage and flatten it out with a vice and 2 thin pieces of wood. Do you display your finds?

 

[Valley Ranger]

Wow, they tumbled Friday, Saturday, Sunday and part of Monday? I have never tumbled anything for more than a couple hours. They did come out looking great though. Now take that Virginia tag out to the garage and flatten it out with a vice and 2 thin pieces of wood. Do you display your finds?

Thanks LD! This is my first rodeo when it comes to tumbling, so I figure I've got some things to learn. I used some old aquarium gravel I already had, along with some dish detergent and lemon juice. The first 24 hours I barely saw any improvement on the headstamps. But I ordered some of Finch's Magic Tumble media that comes highly recommended for my next batch. Yes, I'll straigthen that tag and yes, I display my finds. What kinds of brew do you use for tumbling brass?

 

[Mudflap]

Came out really nice. Now ya gotta get them mounted!

 

[Valley Ranger]

Came out really nice. Now ya gotta get them mounted!

Thanks! Right! Also thought about making some bolo ties for my grandsons.

 

[Davers]

Great job , they look great.
I been brass brushing then blasting out the paper, dirt, powder. They do get readable but not shiny like yours, I just started saving my SGB in 2014.

I'm known to do things harder than smarter, currently I have about 2 diff, Gallon Baggies full of Scrubbed Hulls & a half of a Tidy Cat litter container of them soaking in water.

Funny thing is , I got a Harbor Fright '1 drum' tumbler last Christmas & still have not used it.

Have you tried tumbling any Iron yet ? I seen good results from another Member on his small Iron.

Also I know there are Ton's of them 'SGB' but as I can tell especially in my Area they are the only Old items one can consistently find along with 22 shells & bullets.

Again 'good job'.

 

[Loco-Digger]

Thanks LD! This is my first rodeo when it comes to tumbling, so I figure I've got some things to learn. I used some old aquarium gravel I already had, along with some dish detergent and lemon juice. The first 24 hours I barely saw any improvement on the headstamps. But I ordered some of Finch's Magic Tumble media that comes highly recommended for my next batch. Yes, I'll straigthen that tag and yes, I display my finds. What kinds of brew do you use for tumbling brass?

I do not tumble my brass for more than an hour to simply remove the dirt, but who knows I might have to give your method a try.

 

[Valley Ranger]

I do not tumble my brass for more than an hour to simply remove the dirt, but who knows I might have to give your method a try.

Well, like I said, this was my first attempt. I had already seen some great results in the video example below, and then the Western & Eastern Treasures article pushed me to go ahead and try it.

 

[Valley Ranger]

Great job , they look great.
I been brass brushing then blasting out the paper, dirt, powder. They do get readable but not shiny like yours, I just started saving my SGB in 2014.

I'm known to do things harder than smarter, currently I have about 2 diff, Gallon Baggies full of Scrubbed Hulls & a half of a Tidy Cat litter container of them soaking in water.

Funny thing is , I got a Harbor Fright '1 drum' tumbler last Christmas & still have not used it.

Have you tried tumbling any Iron yet ? I seen good results from another Member on his small Iron.

Also I know there are Ton's of them 'SGB' but as I can tell especially in my Area they are the only Old items one can consistently find along with 22 shells & bullets.

Again 'good job'.

No, I've not tumbled any iron but I'm going to try that soon as well. I too have seen good results.

 

[CaptainRobin]

Enjoyed the post, and the before/after photos. Good results. I've been tumbling a big pile of copper cents and badly discolored five cent pieces. As you, using gravel, Dawn, water. If the coins are in bad shape, I tumble all day, rinse them of, refill the barrel with fresh water and soap (gravel IS reusable and I'm frugal) and let 'em run all night. I've been very pleased with results, coins will return to natural color and not look 'cleaned'... they appear to have come from pocket change.

 

[seekerGH]

With brass and copper, try the baking soda/aluminum foil technique..

Boil a pot of water, add baking soda, then slightly crumpled aluminum foil, and drop the artifact in.

Works great on those copper tea/coffee pots as well...

works with silver and stainless as well...

seems like gravel would damage the artifact. Try plastic pellets and powdered dishwasher soap...ground walnut shells from sandblasting works really good as well.