Ultrasonic coin cleaner

[southfork]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bogue-cd-2800-Ultrasonic-Jewelry-Eyeglass-Cleaner-NEW-/230692752226?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b65c0b62

Anyone ever try these, I was talking to somone one at the coin show and they swear by them.

[Montecristo]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bogue-cd-2800-Ultrasonic-Jewelry-Eyeglass-Cleaner-NEW-/230692752226?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b65c0b62

Anyone ever try these, I was talking to somone one at the coin show and they swear by them.

Good topic.

I also would like to hear comments on this topic.

I cleaned a couple coins in an ultrasonic cleaner and they came out beautiful. I then sent them in to be graded and they came back with a grade of "improperly cleaned" from NGC.

This prompted a call to NGC from me and they politely and with much patience explained to me that one should NEVER put coins in an ultra sonic cleaner if said coins were to be sent for grading.

Consequently, I have never cleaned a coin in the ultra sonic again.

[southfork]

Good topic.

I also would like to hear comments on this topic.

I cleaned a couple coins in an ultrasonic cleaner and they came out beautiful. I then sent them in to be graded and they came back with a grade of "improperly cleaned" from NGC.

This prompted a call to NGC from me and they politely and with much patience explained to me that one should NEVER put coins in an ultra sonic cleaner if said coins were to be sent for grading.

Consequently, I have never cleaned a coin in the ultra sonic again.

Did they look polished? How long did you leave them in there

[Montecristo]

Did they look polished? How long did you leave them in there

No these coins were not polished. They just looked dull and dirty. I thought a little time in the ultrasonic would brighten them up- and it did. They came out clean and bright!

When I put them in the ultrasonic cleaner, according to NGC, I removed the patina on the coins that had developed over a 100 years or so, they said the patina is important and not to remove it when sending coins for grading in the future.

[bluesky99]

Good topic.

I also would like to hear comments on this topic.

I cleaned a couple coins in an ultrasonic cleaner and they came out beautiful. I then sent them in to be graded and they came back with a grade of "improperly cleaned" from NGC.

This prompted a call to NGC from me and they politely and with much patience explained to me that one should NEVER put coins in an ultra sonic cleaner if said coins were to be sent for grading.

Consequently, I have never cleaned a coin in the ultra sonic again.

I can see why NGC would make this statement.

While I have never cleaned coins in an ultrasonic cleaner, I did clean an expensive assembly of black-anodized machined aluminum parts once time in an ultrasonic cleaner.

I do admit operator error here, as I was in a hurry and did not read the cleaning solution directions that I was supposed to dilute the cleaning solution 10:1 with water before inserting into the cleaning tub. Plus I probably left the parts in too long also.

The result was that the ultrasonic cleaner actually ate away some of the black anodized coating, which is a fairly tough coating.

[Garyw]

Most silver bugs will not buy them if they have been cleaned. Other methods take off silver Dealers won't give you as much for them either if they have been cleaned first.

[JayDubya]

I'm assuming it would be safe but figured I would check with y'all first. Anyone have any experience using them for sterling silverware?

[cpthnsolo]

When I put them in the ultrasonic cleaner, according to NGC, I removed the patina on the coins that had developed over a 100 years or so, they said the patina is important and not to remove it when sending coins for grading in the future.

Phulease do NOT clean coins folks. Outside of an acetone/distilled water rinse I know of no other method to safely clean silver without removing the patina. Once a coin is cleaned most numi-guys don't want it and you never know what may be a numi-collectible in the future.

[Montecristo]

Phulease do NOT clean coins folks. Outside of an acetone/distilled water rinse I know of no other method to safely clean silver without removing the patina. Once a coin is cleaned most numi-guys don't want it and you never know what may be a numi-collectible in the future.

Yeah, the guy at NGC was pretty nice when explaining that to me, but I'm pretty sure when he got off the phone with me, he and his mates had a good laugh!:hahaha:

[southfork]

Yeah, the guy at NGC was pretty nice when explaining that to me, but I'm pretty sure when he got off the phone with me, he and his mates had a good laugh!:hahaha:

The graders want you to pay them to clean the coins, that's why they have the conservation service.

[cpthnsolo]

that's why they have the conservation service.

The NGC conservation service is a joke to most collectors from what I've read. There was a 500+ response post on the PCGS forums a while back regarding an uber-rare Morgan that NGC "restored". Most seemed to agree that they shaved off tens of thousands of dollars in value after "conserving" the coin.

:no_ma:

[bemac]

Phulease do NOT clean coins folks. Outside of an acetone/distilled water rinse I know of no other method to safely clean silver without removing the patina. Once a coin is cleaned most numi-guys don't want it and you never know what may be a numi-collectible in the future.

How can one tell that patina has been removed, if it's removed via a chemical reaction (warm water, aluminum foil, baking soda trick)?

[cpthnsolo]

How can one tell that patina has been removed, if it's removed via a chemical reaction (warm water, aluminum foil, baking soda trick)?

I'm certainly not a numi collector (I'm trying to learn though!), so hopefully one of them will speak up, but for starters the cartwheel effect will be missing or different:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePxp2dsZ2-Y
(About 40 seconds in to the video it shows you what I'm talking about).

The best way to see how the luster changes is to see it for yourself. Take several indentical bullion coins, something like 80's libertads would work, and then clean all but one using different methods. Clean one with baking soda & aluminium, another with some polishing rub or dip, and another with an ultrasonic cleaner if you have one, and then compare each of them to control specimen.

Come to think of it, surely someone else has done an experiment like this before and posted it on youtube, right?

[HistoryStudent]

I think PCGS went after a LOT of dealers on this as

":bird: COIN DOCTORS!"


:hahaha: LOL

[birddog]

I think PCGS went after a LOT of dealers on this as

":bird: COIN DOCTORS!"


:hahaha: LOL

I don't know if you all remember the 2 cent set I got. Most of those coins were dipped with something to clean them and they have residue on them. Since they were already improperly cleaned, I was going to send them through NCS to preserve them. They said they could get off most of the residue without hurtung the patina on the coins. It's worth a shot. It is rare to find a 100 year old copper cent that hasn't been improperly cleaned, I want these coins preserved for the future.....

[TomD]

I've got an ultrasonic that I bought to clean rifle brass before reloading; think I'll try that to clean some of my generic bullion. What did you use as a working fluid?