Whats The Deal With Tumblers?

[Ricardo_NY1]

What's The Deal With Tumblers?

I ask this because as far as I know, they don't actually bring back the coin's (Dime/Quarter) original color or anything. I'm not the cheapest of b%ast@rds, but I'd be hard pressed to fork over $50 or more for something that I can do myself. I simply take all my day's clad, throw it in a plastic juice bottle, add some water and soap and shake the crap out of it. Cleans the coins just fine. I notice that the more you shake/grind the coins, the more you eat into them sort of say and more of that rusty stuff develops so I stop when I see that all the surface dirt is gone. Can anyone give me the reasons why they use a tumbler?

A little pic of my not tumbled by machine clad, most of it anyways....

 

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[Farmercal]

Re: What's The Deal With Tumblers?

I use a tumbler because they make the coins look almost like they did when they were put into circulation without a lot of fuss on my part. The tumbler does all the work while I relax and wait it out. I just don't like putting dirty coins back into circulation. I also buy my tumblers second-hand, it's cheaper that way.

 

[bedpanmoneyman]

Re: What's The Deal With Tumblers?

I got my tumbler new at Hobby Lobby for only $20. It cleans the coins while I go off and do something else, like roll the coins already cleaned.

BPMM

 

[robert roy]

Re: What's The Deal With Tumblers?

If your not getting your coins clean then you must be doing something wrong.
It might be the materials you use and abrasive ot your just not letting tumble long enough.
Robert R

 

[RaptorSE]

Re: What's The Deal With Tumblers?

Remember never to tumble copper cents with the rest. It will turn all your
silvercolored clad reddish.

But ya, a little dish soap and some aquarium gravel or similar, and let them go
for a a buncha hours. Some do it overnight. Gets it nice and clean again.

As for pitting etc.. if you just using soap and gravel, any pitting the coins show after,
was already there, just not as noticeable. ( old wheats etc ).

Ive done the shake it in a container before too. It works , just way slower.

Harbor Freight always has the Chicago Electric cheaper tumblers for things like this. $30
and you can tumble till your hearts content. You can polish rocks and stuff in the
off time

 

[EDDE]

Re: What's The Deal With Tumblers?

a empty one gallon jug with a handle (milk works)
fill 1/2 with coins
top off to the coin level with HOT water
top off about 6 inchs below the top with ammonia
screw on the cap
hold the cap
shake for a minute
repeat3 or 4 times
the coins clean themselves by bouncing around and rubbing each other
or just hold it by the handle with your thumb on a cap and just rock it around
they wont look perfect but spendable

 

[Wetgreenie]

Re: What's The Deal With Tumblers?

I wonder what Cat litter would do?

Used cat litter would have plenty of ammonia.

 

[RON (PA)]

Re: What's The Deal With Tumblers?

I have a tumbler (single barrel from Harbor Freight) and it does a great job. I put in sand (fine sand that you can buy in a craft store) instead of gravel and the coins have a sand blasted appearance. They are clean though. It was my first time to tumble and I was anxious to get it going. Know better know. Ammonia I have found will discolor them. Hope it helps.