Seeking advice on cleaning...

Hello all...
I am not a collector, but a tile contractor from New Jersey. I have a request from a customer to install a powder room floor consisting of pennies she has supplied varying in dates from 1940"s to present. Most are quite soiled from use in circulation. We'd like to clean them all so they're as shiny as possible. Then I plan on setting them and coating the entire floor with a thick epoxy (perhaps up to 3/4" to 1" thick) such as seen in bar tops. I plan to use a cement based black grout between all the pennies.

How can I best achieve a shiny, clean result? I have about 7000 pennies to clean. Is there a solution I can submerse them all in?
Will contact with portland cement based grout (alkaline) affect them? Once coated with the epoxy, they will not be in contact with any air, so will that protect them from oxidizing?

I know very little about coins or how different metals will react to different building materials. I would greatly appreciate any advice you all could give me.

In light of recent economic events, who knows? This may be the best way to save our pennies!

 

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That is a lot of coins to clean. There are solutions that will do it, but on that scale (7000) it would be very expensive. I'm trying to think of a cheap solution that will do what you want for the quanity you have. A lot of things that will clean the cent wind up making it have a pinkish tent to it rather than the coppery look your customer probably want. As far a the gout and epoxy reaction I would suggest you take a couple and do a test run on them. Someone will come along here today or this evening that will give you better advice than this. I am curious though, a cent floor in a powder room?

 

Does it have to be these certain coins, or could you substitute newer ones? You could cash these coins in and get 3 $25 boxes of 2008/2009 pennies from a bank, that would give you 7500 coins. You might have to search banks for newer rolls, but they are out there ( maybe not 2009"s yet )

 

I thought about that also, but I thought maybe for someone to do something like this in the first place they want definitely want their "penny jar" coins used.

 

Then I would give it to them, Warts and all!

 

Before I get started, let me say that I don't recommend this for anyone except this particular individual. We're talking about coins worth 1-3 cents each here, and given that they'll be encased in epoxy, we're not going to lower their value any further.

That being said...

If they're doing something like this, I'm guessing cost isn't an issue.

I would think that a couple of gallons of copper cleaner would do the trick for 7,000 coins. You can buy it in bulk. I know Brent Krueger sells both e-Z-est and SpeeDip by the gallon:

http://www.brent-krueger.com/cleaners.html

You're going to want to make sure to use this outside, especially with that volume of coins. I would keep them out of the sunlight after they've been dipped. The best way to do it is probably in small batches. The dip will take the tarnish off in 1-2 seconds, and if you leave the coins in longer than that, they will be eaten away to nothingness in pretty short order. As you remove each batch from the dip, rinse the coins very thoroughly with fresh water (preferably distilled, if you don't mind spending the extra cash.) Then, keep them away from air, as they will darken again rather quickly. [After they've been thoroughly rinsed, you might even want to have a second container full of fresh water that you can store them in -- that way they won't come into contact with the air. Then, you can dry them quickly immediately before laying them down in the floor.]

Naturally, before you do this in bulk, I would suggest that you do it with just a few cents so you can get a feel for what this stuff will do.

Avoid inhaling fumes, and always wear protective gloves, especially with the quantity you're working with. I also strongly recommend protective goggles.

Good luck! Please let us know how it turns out. If you can post pictures here, that would be especially nice!!!

 

Oh, I also might add that you will want to soak the cents in warm water, and then dry them, before dipping them. This will remove surface dirt. The dip is only meant to remove the tarnish/surface oxidation.

Also, once you've tested your couple of cents (before doing the whole batch), you might want to encase your samples in epoxy for a couple of days. I have no idea what this will do to them. I don't think it would react (especially in the absence of oxygen), but it's hard to say.

Good luck!

 

I think it would be better to talk to the customer more on their ideas the thing that raises a red flag for me is this even non-sanded grout is going to scratch these pennies. plus throughout the process they will be stepped on prior to having the epoxy process completed.

So in light of that if the customer wants them shiny the grout will do the trick why polish the backs no one will ever see them. I think I would be more concerned with introducing them to water in the setting process and the grouting process they will be subjected to a lot of water. Sealing these pennies prior to setting in my opinion would be a wasted step as well due to the fact previously mentioned the sand in the grout will remove the sealer.

As a contractor your best bet would be to have the customer sign a waiver so that you are not liable for anything she could construe as damage. Hope this helps and good luck.

 

I think I would toss the lot in a small cement mixer along with very fine sand. In a bit all should be bright and shinny. scratched as hell but pretty at a distence. Just a thought.

 

Haven't you heard? You are talking about sacrelige. Coins are only for worshiping, not touching. Besides, noone cleans coins...just ask.

 

sounds kinda crazy to me

 

Make sure you come back and shpw us a pic of the completee floor.
BTW, do you have to lay the pennies in a uniformed pattern and wilth all the same side down?

 

Years ago, I can't even remember who told me, someone swore that letting them sit in coke (that's right, coca-cola) put a brand new like shine to them. I have never done this, but it would probably be a pretty cheap way to go if it works. If so, please let us know, and I'd love to see a completed pic.
John

 

oh hell, if they are certain there is no real value to any of them, grab some copper spray paint and have a fun.

 

Not much help on the cleaning question..but this is not the first time pennies have been used as "flooring" in a powder room.

If you search the internet you might find this other installation. I'd do it for you, but it's getting a little late here..

 

another thought might be to buy a roll of copper looking tin and have the obverses pressed in. once done, just get it rolled and walla, paste and tack to the floor

 

try this link http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/...-ideas-for-the-penny-tiled-powder-room-073000 I don't think the brown ones look bad at all. Gives it character.

 

thats pretty cool, throw in a laminate of Genl Lee's surrender document, Lincolns gettysburgh address , emancipation proclamation, assassination news......eh i don't know.

 

Muric acid will do the trick 10 to 20 seconds and they will be nice and shiny. Just do it outside and have a big pot of water to put them in. Make sure you wear gloves no matter the method you use. Wipe them dry with a towel and away you go. Muric acid you can get at major home store pretty cheap. Ice

 

do you mean Muratic acid-used in pools?