Going to tumble some coins need help

After doing some cleaning in the basement I found my tumbler. I wasnt looking for it but when I did I thought of some ancient coins I had to tumble. I have tumbled before but I haven't had to much luck with the turn out. Can you guys give me any hints on how to get some better outcomes?

 

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I'm not big into ancients but not tumbling at all leaps to mind.

 

I put them in olive oil and all other things your to do with them but I can't get them clean.

 

tumbling is NOT the way to go. It will do more damage than good.

Richard

 

Can you post some pics so we can see the type of crud you are up against?

 

Distilled water is equally as effective as olive oil and smells much better, so I prefer it. Dealers who have thousands of coins to clean and don't care if they lose a few hundred use tumblers. I have sorted these tumbler-cleaned coins by bulk and let me tell you, they look atrocious. It destroy many more coins than it actually cleans.

Put down the tumbler, pick up the toothbrush and dental pick.

 

I bought these coins uncleaned from. Just for fun paid about 1 each. its just some heavy dirt I had them in oil for about 6 months now and nothing. The thing I find about dirt is it showes detail easy. When I tumble it takes the dirt out of the coin and it doesn't show the detail easy. Its still there you just have to wet the coin or use your loop

 

Patience! 6mo is not really that long considering how long it took to make the crud stick that good.

 

OK then how long would you wait and how long have you waited?

 

I have coins in olive oil for a year or more LOL but one tool you can add to your armory is a fiberglass pen, they work wonders on removing crud and come in differing thicknesses so you can do fine work as well as the heavy duty stuff. Remember to use them in a well ventilated room though and to wear gloves as if you get a fiberglass splinter you will know about it

Check out your local metal detecting store

 

Start with water...if you need to move to oil...and manual cleaning (pick) is the best way...I must agree that tumbling is just one of the worst ways to go.

 

Ok then no tumbling the coins are back in oil. I have used tooth picks with smashed ends that seems to help. I never heard of the pen thing before I will look into that

 

i found the round end of a sewing needle worked rather well just have to be careful not to jap the pointed end into your finger lol but yeah the more time you let them sit in the oil the better

 

how much you wanna sell the tumbler for?

 

Tumbler not for sale.

Tumble bad oil good

Anyway i metal detect and i clean my clad coins before i put them in soda machines. Banks dont like dirty money.