Treasure Classifieds Forum

Before
After first round and light scrub with toothbrush.
I will be using this method of cleaning more from now on.
What do ya'll think? Do you use this method ? If so what solution (cleaning agent) do you use in the water for best results? Does it make a difference what metal you are cleaning as to what solution that's best to use? Thanks Biggredd

I've never used it so can't comment on that but it looks like you got a really good result!

ODF

Thanks Ed I've been toying with the idea for a while so I gave it a try great results and that's only about 3-4hrs or so.

I just tumble dirty clad but I sometimes hunt an old burn dump where the finds are terribly corroded and carry heavy charred accretions. Even wheats drop down into the zinc range and silver coins read just slightly higher because of the coating of burn residue and electrolysis is sometimes the only way to even get them clean enough to lift a date. Silver should work the best but being softer with a lower melting point there are often impurities melted into the surfaces that even electrolysis won't dislodge. Copper , brass and other metals clean well and usually clean very satisfactorily by light brushing with a stiff toothbrush , sometimes gently with a soft brass bristle brush to cut through the really bad stuff. There is a point where you have to trade off possibly damaging something in order to just tell what it is. If you can't get it clean enough to judge it , it probably isn't worth much anyway.
I use a stainless steel spoon as the sacrificial electrode and washing soda for an electrolyte--a little more cleansing action than baking soda and cheap at Wal Mart. Maybe a tablespoon in 16 ozs. of water a with a cell phone charger for a power source.
I think it's 500 mAmp.
It takes about 30 minutes to start loosening the crud and then I'll hit it with the nylon brush and resubmerge until I get it as clean as I feel is needed

Thanks Dusty I'm using a 9 volt d/c 450 mah transformer and have just used salt water so far didn't have any washing soda or baking soda so I just used what I had. I will pick some up to try when I get to the store.

Your button looks good but I never have cleaned any of the buttons that I found - I feel that they are too thin.

Use the baking soda to stop the electrosis process afterwards.
Good luck