Restoring Scratched Slabs, Version 2.1, New & Improved
BryceM
Posts: 11,820 ✭✭✭✭✭
2021 edition:
I first posted this in 2015, but the gentlemen at Photobucket took it on themselves to put their ugly watermark over everything. Here it is again, polished up and fixed, as well as I could manage:
I posted about this a while ago, but I refined the technique and took some photos of the process. Using this method, there aren't too many scratches, gouges, or abrasions that can't be fixed. Why bother? Rattlers, OGH, and rare holders are sometimes worth preserving. Copper and certain toners are often best left alone as the old holder suggests stability of the coin inside. Sending in coins for re-holdering is inconvenient, expensive, and slightly risky. Stickers are lost, and the coin is out of your possession while it's being fixed. Things do sometimes go missing in the mail.
I severely abused a slab to demonstrate the process. This 1922 Peace dollar is in a round-gasket, no-prongs, blue label, PCGS MS61 holder with the older plastic (the obverse is responsible for the assigned grade). The newer, more optically clear plastic is even easier to work with. Here's a before photo:
As you can see, the slab is in pretty good condition, with only a single scratch visible through the "O" in "OF". I then took my favorite gouging instrument to it, with particular attention paid to the area around the eagle's head.
The results are pretty nasty:
To repair deep damage, simple polishing with PlastX or another product like Novus would take an eternity, even using a buffing wheel or drill. To fix this one I turned to the big guns. I bought this hobby sanding film from a local variety store that sells model cars and airplanes. The film is plastic-backed, and can be washed with soap and water when it gets plugged up with debris.
The $4 package comes with 5 grades of film from Coarse 150 grit Dark Grey all the way down to Ultra fine 600 grit Red.
Starting with the Coarse film, and working in one direction, I got this after a few seconds. Don't panic.
If you look closely, you can still see some gouges around the eagle's head. A few more seconds of careful effort produced this:
Moving to progressively finer sanding films results in this progression:
Finally, after using the Ultra fine paper, it looks like this. The coin is starting to reappear:
At this point, the damage has been effectively removed and we're left with some fine scratches, which are relatively easy to remove.
My favorite polishing compound (which also worked very nicely on the hazed headlights of my daughter's car) is this stuff from Meguiar's. It's easy to find in auto stores.
After literally only a few seconds of rubbing this around with a cloth I had this, which is an improvement, but there is still a haze over everything obscuring detail and muting the luster:
Break out the big guns. This removes all the effort and cussing, unless you get careless and the slab gets thrown against the wall where it shatters, the coin falls to the concrete, and a huge rim gouge is produced. Be careful! There's a reason I'm practicing on a MS61 common-date Peace dollar.
With a little practice you'll find a technique that works well. Again, I like to polish in a single direction, alternating 90 degrees between methods. Use enough PlastX to keep things moving along. Be careful around holograms and stickers. It's pretty easy to mess them up with the power tools.
After a minute or two of this, things are looking up:
I gave this a final hand polish with a clean microfiber towel (also from the auto store) and a bit of PlastX. The final result isn't too bad:
My apologies to the re-slabbing department at our host's place. Hopefully the guys will find something else to do with their time.
I first posted this in 2015, but the gentlemen at Photobucket took it on themselves to put their ugly watermark over everything. Here it is again, polished up and fixed, as well as I could manage:
I posted about this a while ago, but I refined the technique and took some photos of the process. Using this method, there aren't too many scratches, gouges, or abrasions that can't be fixed. Why bother? Rattlers, OGH, and rare holders are sometimes worth preserving. Copper and certain toners are often best left alone as the old holder suggests stability of the coin inside. Sending in coins for re-holdering is inconvenient, expensive, and slightly risky. Stickers are lost, and the coin is out of your possession while it's being fixed. Things do sometimes go missing in the mail.
I severely abused a slab to demonstrate the process. This 1922 Peace dollar is in a round-gasket, no-prongs, blue label, PCGS MS61 holder with the older plastic (the obverse is responsible for the assigned grade). The newer, more optically clear plastic is even easier to work with. Here's a before photo:
As you can see, the slab is in pretty good condition, with only a single scratch visible through the "O" in "OF". I then took my favorite gouging instrument to it, with particular attention paid to the area around the eagle's head.
The results are pretty nasty:
To repair deep damage, simple polishing with PlastX or another product like Novus would take an eternity, even using a buffing wheel or drill. To fix this one I turned to the big guns. I bought this hobby sanding film from a local variety store that sells model cars and airplanes. The film is plastic-backed, and can be washed with soap and water when it gets plugged up with debris.
The $4 package comes with 5 grades of film from Coarse 150 grit Dark Grey all the way down to Ultra fine 600 grit Red.
Starting with the Coarse film, and working in one direction, I got this after a few seconds. Don't panic.
If you look closely, you can still see some gouges around the eagle's head. A few more seconds of careful effort produced this:
Moving to progressively finer sanding films results in this progression:
Finally, after using the Ultra fine paper, it looks like this. The coin is starting to reappear:
At this point, the damage has been effectively removed and we're left with some fine scratches, which are relatively easy to remove.
My favorite polishing compound (which also worked very nicely on the hazed headlights of my daughter's car) is this stuff from Meguiar's. It's easy to find in auto stores.
After literally only a few seconds of rubbing this around with a cloth I had this, which is an improvement, but there is still a haze over everything obscuring detail and muting the luster:
Break out the big guns. This removes all the effort and cussing, unless you get careless and the slab gets thrown against the wall where it shatters, the coin falls to the concrete, and a huge rim gouge is produced. Be careful! There's a reason I'm practicing on a MS61 common-date Peace dollar.
With a little practice you'll find a technique that works well. Again, I like to polish in a single direction, alternating 90 degrees between methods. Use enough PlastX to keep things moving along. Be careful around holograms and stickers. It's pretty easy to mess them up with the power tools.After a minute or two of this, things are looking up:
I gave this a final hand polish with a clean microfiber towel (also from the auto store) and a bit of PlastX. The final result isn't too bad:
My apologies to the re-slabbing department at our host's place. Hopefully the guys will find something else to do with their time.
20
Comments
Like to drill and buffer.
This poor slab showed a horrible patch of abrasions around the left side of the buffalo's mound. There's no way it would photograph well.
The final product is pretty nice, I think:
What attachment is on the drill? Any specifics you can share with that? Or an specific things you have tried to use to hold the slab in place while polishing with the power tools? Thanks!
Oh and by the way, I agree, PlastX is awesome one headlights!
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
kudos to your effort, results and presentation.
.
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
peacockcoins
Tell us more about the power tool and attachment. Once it's used with PlastX do you have to wash the cotton wheel before it can be used again? I'm always careful to use a clean part of a colored t-shirt because the stuff dries hard and will scratch the slab if reused.
Lance.
edit: here's a before and after of mild scratches removed by hand with just PlastX and a t-shirt.
<< <i>Those polishing papers actually go all the way 4,000 grit or so. >>
Good to know. I think around 1000 would be idea for setting up the PlastX.
<< <i>Tell us more about the power tool and attachment. Once it's used with PlastX do you have to wash the cotton wheel before it can be used again? I'm always careful to use a clean part of a colored t-shirt because the stuff dries hard and will scratch the slab if reused. >>
This particular buffing wheel came in the Maguier's Headlight kit. I just wash it out with soap & water and let it air dry. I still do a little finish polish with a clean microfiber cloth for the final step. The drill & buffer seem to leave a few scratches no matter what you do. You can get small buffing wheels on eBay for reasonable prices.
bob
<< <i>
<< <i>Those polishing papers actually go all the way 4,000 grit or so. >>
Good to know. I think around 1000 would be idea for setting up the PlastX.
<< <i>Tell us more about the power tool and attachment. Once it's used with PlastX do you have to wash the cotton wheel before it can be used again? I'm always careful to use a clean part of a colored t-shirt because the stuff dries hard and will scratch the slab if reused. >>
This particular buffing wheel came in the Maguier's Headlight kit. I just wash it out with soap & water and let it air dry. I still do a little finish polish with a clean microfiber cloth for the final step. The drill & buffer seem to leave a few scratches no matter what you do. You can get small buffing wheels on eBay for reasonable prices. >>
I think you'll find that 1000 grit will leave some micro scratches visible to the naked eye. I did a thread on this a few years ago. I start with 800 grit automotive paper used on clear coat finishes. Advance to 1500 and then to 2000 before polishing with a wheel and buffing compound or your PlastX. Got the best results doing this. Nice write up and thanks for posting.
You know, prior to sending in.
I just received a PCGS coin from an Ebay auction. The reverse over the center of the coin has some light abrasions from likely rubbing against another slab. I'm really scared to do all the scratching steps. Is it acceptable to go straight to the PlastX step first just to see if it cleans up the abrasion?
Try it. If it doesn't work you can always resort to the big guns.
For me, it's pretty rare to get a slab in the mail that doesn't require at least a little touch-up before photography. This is sometimes even true of new slabs that are shipped directly from our host.
BTW, I recently did a threat ATS about NGC slabs. They're harder to work with, but can be repaired in the same way. The link is here.
I knew it would happen.
Slab had scratches and a scuffed patch. Took less than 5 minutes and not much elbow grease and the slab looked great. The paper is reusable, even when wet sanding, many times. One pack would probably last you many years.
This is one of the more useful threads that I've read in a long time. Very cool. Thanks for the writeup!!
+1
POTD . . bookmarked . .
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
I posted this a while ago and then I messed it up by trying to edit it on the new forum software with my smartphone. All the photo links went **poof**.
I've fixed it all and it's here again for reference if anyone needs it.
Only if you want a "PL" designation. LOL
https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Polishing-3000-5000-7000/dp/B013W44ESY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1527465661&sr=8-4&keywords=sand+paper+glass
Great old thread... well worth resurrecting... Cheers, RickO
So, just for fun I went back and removed the original links to Photobucket and changed them to my links at Imgur. I couldn't find the images for the buff nickel slab, but at least I was able to find some of it.
I hope it helps someone. With the expense of re-holdering, the risks of shipping, needing to resubmit for stickers and such, it seems better to take a few minutes and do it yourself. PCGS slabs are easy. NGC slabs are the devil. I did a writeup for those and the link is somewhere a few posts above this one if you're crazy enough to want to try it.
I know JA has said that sometimes slabs are so badly damaged that he doesn't give otherwise perfectly nice coins a sticker - it's just too easy to miss something.
This is a bookmark.
Yolo
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/collectors-showcase/date-sets/hashtags-prefect-coin-grading-service-1879/album/7621
Thanks 🌞> @BryceM said:
Mr_Spud
Before you try it on a GSA, get some experience with some cheapies. It would be a shame to ruin one of those.
Great post!
Thank you for bringing it back as my retirement gift to myself coin/slab is in need of this attention and I had recently been pondering it. The timing couldn’t have been better- for my case anyways. :-)
Happy, humble, honored and proud recipient of the “You Suck” award 10/22/2014
Just for reference, Ace Hardware stores carry wet or dry sandpaper down to 3000 grit. I sometimes needed ultrafine grit when polishing out a weapon I was restoring.
Don't use sandpaper on a slab. You'll ruin it.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Thanks Mr. Wizard. I am a big fan of simichrome. Peace Roy
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Isn't the polishing papers just an ultra high grit sandpaper? Someone suggested that 1000 grit would be perfect, and I use 3000 grit wet or dry on special projects. Will have to get some polishing papers and evaluate the difference since both are wet or dry!
Nice post though and will remember it!
.
i reiterate for 2021.
tyvm @BryceM
Doesn't anyone believe in reholdering ?
Waste of money when you can get great results with a bit of elbow grease.
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
VERY glad to see this one bumped. there are a few good ones like this floating around too.
Sure, when it doesn't mean service fees, shipping fees, wait times, and the possibility that something will go missing in the mail.
Sometimes a slab is so far gone that there isn't any other option. As long as I can see the coin clearly and the coin is protected, who cares what the rest of the slab looks like? I've seen the Mona Lisa 4 or 5 times. I have no idea what its frame looks like.
Wood frame, rectangular with three concentric layers of decoration, painted with gold and soup.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Excellent information. I usually use a Maguire's product and a microfiber cloth which is enough for most minor issues. Also have a number of low value PCGS coins with schmutz on the front which may be sticker residue. Some people use WD40 for that.