Cleaning coins, nuts, bolts & other small metal items

Advice and guidance on repair and restoration techniques.
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coppinpr
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Ultra Sonic Cleaners

Post by coppinpr »

Topic merged - Site Admin.

Have we ever discussed ultra sonic cleaners on the forum? I don't think so. Sure someone will correct me. Anyway, my wife has been a jeweller all her working life and uses ultra sonic cleaners to spruce up all kinds of precious metal, plus watches, and some gems. I've often thought it might be of use to us in our hobby.
This week the Aldi supermarket chain have ultra sonic cleaners for sale for just £23... so I bought one (my wife having said they look to be OK). The Aristo Nevada I've just bought arrived with about 50 6d coins stuck to the bottom of the cash tray and covered in hard green mildew, so I put about 25 in the tray and switched it on. I must say it works a treat cleaning coins. These were unusable, now they are fine (see before and after photo). (I merged the photos, so don't say it's shrunk BP).

Feeling full of fun I put a slide and spring from the same machine into the tray and boy did that come up like new. I'm not saying this is the answer to all cleaning problems but it does get the crap off the things I've tried so far. It cleans the threads on screws and bolts a treat. Just put 20 or so in the tray and switch on for 4 mins - no hassle at all.
The box says also good for watches (water tight ones) spectacles and CDs.
sixpences.jpg


slide.jpg

widget2k4
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Re: Ultra Sonic Cleaners

Post by widget2k4 »

Did you only use water in the cleaner Paul or did you use a cleaning solution ?
I used to use a cleaning solution for doing motorcycle carbs and bits and pieces and they came out like brand new.
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badpenny
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Re: Ultra Sonic Cleaners

Post by badpenny »

Impressive, do you have to buy expensive chemicals as well?
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coppinpr
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Re: Ultra Sonic Cleaners

Post by coppinpr »

Just water and a little washing up liquid if the stuff is real bad.
Here is a photo of the cleaner. It has a built in timer and light.
ultra sonic.jpg

cheeky
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Decrapinating only pennies - how to clean 1ds?

Post by cheeky »

Topic merged - site Admin.

Okay, so I literally have thousands of them but some are really filthy and clogged with grime. What is the best way to keep them nice and shiny? The pennies I mean. Coin collectors please look away.... !OMFG!
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coppinpr
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Re: Cleaning coins

Post by coppinpr »

Have you looked at my post on ultra sonic cleaners? Available from Lidl, Audi or Maplin for about £25. Would do about 20 coins at a time. Makes a very good job with no hard work.
cheeky
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Re: Cleaning coins

Post by cheeky »

Ha ha. No I hadn't seen the post or the subject as I started a new thread. Honestly, you couldn't make it up. Two people raising the same subject at the same time? I think something spooky is going on!

:shock:
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smidsy
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Re: Cleaning coins

Post by smidsy »

I think there is a big difference in cleaning copper coins and cupro nickel ones.
I bought one of the Aldi ultra sonic cleaners, and tried to clean heavily tarnished sixpences, but with little success.
I have used washing up liquid, bleach, vanish, vinegar and soda crystals in the ultra sonic cleaner. It does clean
small amounts of verdigris and general dirt, but nothing seems to really work on badly tarnished tanners.

Is there an acid that's safe to use in a sonic cleaner !PUZZLED!

I found that soaking old pennies in vinegar or lemon juice works well.

Cheers..
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slotalot
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Re: Cleaning coins

Post by slotalot »

Why not try a rock tumbler with some DRY sand, you could even make your own. :cool:
aristomatic
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Re: Cleaning coins

Post by aristomatic »

I posted earlier on this merged thread that options included selling current dirty coins and then buying uncirculated clean coins or investing in a vibrating tumbler.

There are many types of tumbler available, mine has a large capacity so is great for dumping large amounts of dirty coins and small trim pieces and assorted nuts bolts and screw etc. However, they are an expense, so think whether you are actually going to use it sufficiently to warrant the purchase price (and include shipping cost).

It may financially be better to sell current coins and buy uncirculated to replace?
If you do decide to purchase a tumbler, check whether its 120 or 240 volts. Lots of machines from lots of suppliers are on 120 volts. I bought mine from a well known UK pinball supplier dealer who was selling the tumbler I wanted with UK mains plug and on 240v with media at a great price. Ask the supplier to throw your first media in with the deal for the machine, as it will probably not cost the supplier any more to ship with the tumbler.

GP
pennymachines
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Re: Cleaning coins, nuts, bolts and other small metal items

Post by pennymachines »

If you're doing a lot of restoration, a tumbler is also great for making machine screws and other fastening hardware (which you may be unable to replace) nice and shiny again.

If you have the equipment, bead blasting or (less brutally) soda blasting might be a quick way to brighten up a load of coins. I haven't felt the need to try it though...
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Re: Cleaning coins, nuts, bolts & other small metal items

Post by marktol »

I have a bead/shot blaster at home with a tank and I can tell you it's a horrible, slow, noisy job. I've used it to strip the old paint off some small bits of trim etc in the past and a whole trade stimulator. Took forever and even with the tank and a mask etc you still get covered in the stuff. I'm sure there is a technique but I found it slow work - but effective.

Needless to say I've been in no hurry to use it again....
pennymachines
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Re: Cleaning coins, nuts, bolts & other small metal items

Post by pennymachines »

Yep, you do need a fairly massive compressor and tank, plus a blasting cabinet for this.
How to size an air compressor for sandblasting.
glittering-prize67
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Re: Cleaning coins, nuts, bolts & other small metal items

Post by glittering-prize67 »

Buying new coins sounds best, but you could get a Dremmel type hand held polisher, apply polish to the small bobbin, and run over the coin with light pressure. Wipe away surplus polish with WD-40 then wash or sonic clean to finish.
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coppinpr
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Re: Cleaning coins, nuts, bolts & other small metal items

Post by coppinpr »

Soda blasting would be best, almost no damage at all that way and enviro friendly. We have a thread somewhere on soda blasting I know.
chris rideout
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Re: Cleaning Sixpences

Post by chris rideout »

wembleylion wrote:Some sixpences were real silver and they tarnish to black so something like Silverdip might do the job. An old jeweller friend of mine used to clean jewellery by lightly simmering it in Bold washing powder for about five minutes.
John
Silver coins were "sterling silver" with 92.5% silver content. In 1920, it was changed to 50% with the rest being cupro nickel, I think. Silver disappeared from coins in 1947 when they became 100% cupro nickel. Years later, banks had sorting machines that would weed out pre 1947 coins because their silver content value was much more than the face value.

Jewellers in the early 1970s started offering 4 times face value on pre 1947 coins and 8 times face value on pre 1920 coins. There was a collecting race between the two factions.
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Re: Cleaning coins, nuts, bolts & other small metal items

Post by raj »

I use Xylene thinners/paint brush cleaner in a small container. Put coins or screws etc in and shake for a while. It takes all the grease and gunge off them without damage. Ps, never sell coins to an 'x times face value dealer'. They rob you blind. Get a small kitchen digital scale, split between pre 1920 and pre '47 coins and get the scrap weight. There are plenty of dealers who will give you a price per gram, or use ebay.
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