Zappers: Great Source For Carbon Rods

I have a wonderful source for carbon rods at a great price. Bob, owner of NAC Carbon Products, Inc, and I have become friends over the past few years and he has agreed to ship rods to my groups members at a wonderful price. He will actually lose money on these small sales but he wants to help us. Really a great guy with a beautiful Spirit.

If interested, please copy and keep the following information for your zapping files. First of all he asks that you use my name, Jerry Jones, for his purposes when making contact. He will ship four 3/4" X 12" carbon rods for 3.50 each plus shipping. The following is very important. The order will be for 4 (four) NAC 200 3/4" X 12" carbon rods. You will need to pay shipping.

Bob and I consider these to be replenishable rods and will erode over many zappings. I don't like to put a number on how many zappings one will get but I will say hundreds. There are several factors involved. These are the rods I use and the rods I recommend. I am really excited about our source and please thank Bob when you place an order and let him know how much we appreciate what he is doing. Bob's e-mail is as follows: bob.bennett@naccarbon.com

If you question the price and can find a better source or price please let us know. One other thing. I see no reason why two members can not order four rods together. I hope this helps and let me know what you think.. God Bless.. Jerry..

How Long Should I Zap A Crusty Coin?

"How long should I zap a crusty coin?" This is by far the most often asked question I receive. The length one zaps a coin depends entirely on how crusty the coin is. The photo above visually demonstrates the results one gets from differing zapping times.

The coin on the left was zapped for perhaps an hour or two and the coin on the left was zapped for less than an hour. Crusties are unpredictable and that is one reason I keep a close eye on each coin and prod the crust with my bamboo stick periodically.

I have had what appeared to be "concrete" encrusted coins open up and the deep crust fall away in minutes after starting the zap. Conversely, I have had what appeared to be a lightly encrusted coin take hours.

It is very apparent the coin on the left has a brighter patina than the coin on the right. The left coin was zapped much longer and I had to work and prod the surface area much more. The coin on the right came straight from the solution and has retained a natural patina. I am able to preserve the patina on about 95% of the coins I zap.

I like for new zappers to begin with practice culls. Most often, the new zapper will be somewhat intimidated by a potentially nice coin in which he/she has invested three dollars or so. Our expectations are much higher for a three dollar coin than for a 25 to 50 cent practice cull. Begin with the cull, follow our/my directions and zap until clean! Please allow me to reiterate. Zap until clean! Do not be concerned with the patina until you learn to clean coins properly then we will get to issue of saving the patina. Most of the coins I see by new zappers are profoundly under-zapped.

One other thing, if you are not a member of our zapping group, I strongly encourage you to join and ask all the questions you like. Please visit our site and take a look at the group of coins on the Home Page I have zapped. I think the picture speaks volumes and I will be happy to share other photos of my zapping results. You have a standing invitation to join CoinZappers. Simply say I invited you. The URL is as follows: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/coinzappers Thanks you for reading, please bookmark my site and allow us to help you.. God Bless.. Jerry..

Chuck: A Premiere Zapmeister

Chuck is a great friend and a wonderful member of our groups. I am amazed at his ability to understand electronics, design and any kind or mechanical devices. He is the Peyton Manning of mechanical engineering! I am fortunate to own three of his zappers and I am also very fortunate to be able to call Chuck my friend.

I recently sent him about 35 Muller alligator clips I am always encouraging you guys to buy. As an act of kindness, Chuck wanted to solder and prepare the copper “hanger” wire for me. I have attached a photograph of five of the clips he returned to me. Chuck is special in that he has the artistic and intuitive skill to turn the ordinary into something extraordinary.

After receiving the clips from Chuck I began to examine each clip and I was thoroughly impressed with the way he forms the wire and crimps each piece carefully before soldering to the wire. The clips and wire are actually miniature works of art. I am a bit hesitant to place them in solution! I almost feel that I should mat, frame and hang them on my gallery wall. Thanks Chuck and a great big thank you for being a member of our groups.. God Bless.. Jerry..

Zappers: A Couple Of Very Useful Tips

This article is directed specifically to those who zap coins. Zappers, it is wise to keep your zapping equipment clean. Be sure and drop your alligator clip(s) and hanging wire in white vinegar after each zapping session. The vinegar neutralizes the sodium carbonate and helps prevent SC buildup. Leave the clip(s) in the vinegar until all fizzing ceases.

Next, rinse the clips and dry with a paper towel or cloth. If non-copper clips are not dipped in the vinegar and rinsed the clips with erode over a period of time. I use solid copper clips and I use the vinegar rinse. The cleaning vinegar can be saved in a separate container and used until the vinegar loses its strength.

One other very important thing you should do is clean the surface of the cathode before zapping. A Dremel with a stainless or brass brush will do the job. In addition, always clean the hanging wire on your clip really well. The copper wire oxidizes and makes for very poor contact if not clean. I use my Dremel with a stainless rotary brush to clean the “crook” where the copper wire comes in contact with the cathode.

One can also use a fine grit sandpaper to lightly sand the area that is in contact with the cathode. A nifty little tip is to use a ¼ inch length of dowel and wrap with sandpaper and use to reach into the crook of the hanger. My tips are based on experience and I can assure you the tip I am sharing is one of the most important. Thank you for reading. Please bookmark my site and take a look from time to time.. God Bless.. Jerry..