# Copper Pellet Rust



## Asterx (Aug 25, 2012)

Does anyone have this issue where their copper bits rust in between cleanings? I end up getting a coating of rust inside my bottles after using the pellets that were sitting in a plastic tub overnight. They arent dry when i store them but I don't see the need to pat them to tell them they're doing a good job after it took hours of hard labor cutting them up. []


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## gotthefever (Aug 25, 2012)

Copper doesn't rust,maybe it's from your test plugs if your not using plastic ones.


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## epackage (Aug 25, 2012)

Sounds like your pellets aren't copper, they sound like steel with a copper coating that's wearing off, try cut copper wire for best results...


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## Asterx (Aug 25, 2012)

It is cut copper wire. it has an orange coat at times when it sits or after shaking in the bottle with The Works. It turns a greenish blue when shaking with BKF sometimes but this I attribute to the the copper. Hmm. It does seem like a chemical reaction sometimes. Maybe the residual BKF mixing with the Works? Sometimes it makes a funky smell too...


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## andy volkerts (Aug 25, 2012)

[8D] Geeez! ya gonna blow yourself up using some of those concoctions, just try using the copper with a little dish soap and water and a lot of shaka shaka shaka, its a bunch safer and works too.......... after you seriously clean those pellets to get rid of the gunk..


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## Asterx (Aug 25, 2012)

Lol Andy. I've thought of that too. When I inhale I think of Van Gogh and his paint eating driving him mad. But I'm mad already so I guess it equals out the crazy fumes [8D]. Thanks for the tip. I've thought of cleaning the copper thoroughly so as to get rid of any contaminant. I'll have to do that before I shake my Nat. Bitters! Thanks for the nudge in the right direction


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## Asterx (Aug 25, 2012)

Andy, do you think the dish soap works as well as The Works though when shaking? I agree wholly about giving the pellets a good cleaning


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## andy volkerts (Aug 25, 2012)

Hi J, I feel that if the dish soap and pellets dont work, than the bottle will need tumbling and thats another story, You could also try the oxalic acid and pellets by themselves, and see what happens, just remember any acid is a bit dangerous so be careful and wear rubber gloves and keep the stuff outta your eyes, I tumble bottles that dont respond to the shaka shaka and dish soap regiman, but you only tumble bottles as little as possible and they are usually the more expensive ones, you dont take the time and effort to tumble junk, unless you are getting your procedure down pat, it takes a bit of experience to do a good job. out here in Cali Lou Lambert is the man when cleaning bottles and I follow his example as closely as possible here is his website where he disscusses tumbling. www.oldwestbottles.com  ........Andy


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## tigue710 (Aug 25, 2012)

acid + copper, bad idea...  your getting a corrosion of the copper from the acid eating it away.  For a good cleaning I suggest Andy's idea, dish soap, I also use Ajax or bar keepers friend.  Regular old ammonia, or Windex works excellent too.  Just dont mix any of them!

 Personally I pretty much always use bar keepers friend now, it gets out calcium and hard to remove deposits that take a lot more shaking with other stuff.  if that doesn't do it then I might soak it in the works after.


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## Asterx (Aug 26, 2012)

Great resource andy, thanks. So corrosion is whats happening, that makes a lot of sense now tigue. Does this not happen with BKF though being an acid as well? And dont you use acids with the copper when tumbling? My copper is almost clean and shiny again after some scrubbing with ajax dish soap. what is in the ajax powder that helps with the deposits tigue?


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## Diggin4Togas (Aug 26, 2012)

I put the dirty copper back in the tube with soap and water, put it on fast and tumble(sorry Rick) spin for about 15 minutes and it cleans up nice. good luck, Randy


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## JarDoctor (Aug 29, 2012)

Copper doesn't rust at all and you don't need anything except water to clean the copper.  Just rinse it under water until the water runs clear and it is ready for the next tumble.
 And chemicals will react with copper and cause pressure inside your tubes so I advise to stay away from any chemical or cleaning compound on the copper.  They will also harden your copper and cause it to actually start scratching your glass
 One hint - if you are using cutting oxides, you might want to keep your copper for cutting separate from the copper used for polish.


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## GuntherHess (Aug 29, 2012)

good advice jardoctor.
 with all the cleaning discussions on here we need to hear from you more than once every 8 years[]


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## tigue710 (Aug 30, 2012)

bar keepers friend is a mild acid solution, but its to mild to cause much noticeable damage to the copper.  Acids eat away lime, calcium and rust deposits, but I've found something very mild like BKF and a little patience the easiest and safest way to go myself.  I'm very happy with the results I get.

 I do not use or have a tumbler though, and can not give any sound advice on how to use one.  I am talking about taking some copper and the cleaning solution and putting it in a bottle to swirl by hand.

 I'd listen to the jar Doctor, hes got a good grasp on these things to say the least!


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## RICKJJ59W (Aug 30, 2012)

Did someome say TUmblIng!!!??[]


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## Penn Digger (Aug 31, 2012)

> ORIGINAL:  asterisk80
> 
> Lol Andy. I've thought of that too. When I inhale I think of Van Gogh and his paint eating driving him mad. But I'm mad already so I guess it equals out the crazy fumes [8D]. Thanks for the tip. I've thought of cleaning the copper thoroughly so as to get rid of any contaminant. I'll have to do that before I shake my Nat. Bitters! Thanks for the nudge in the right direction


 

 You really think that's what drove old Vince mad?  He had a lot of other problems.  I am a big fan of one of the fathers of Impressionism.  Please advise.

 PD


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## Penn Digger (Aug 31, 2012)

> ORIGINAL:  RICKJJ59W
> 
> Did someome say TUmblIng!!!??[]


 

 I once knew a guy who sent one of his most prized bottles to a supposedly reputable tumbler.  After many months and many lies, the bottle came back broke!  I would be careful of who anyone may send bottles to be tumbled to.  The bottle owner was so mad that I feared for the crack tumbler's safety!  Oh, and the crack tumbler also sent broken promises in return.  One of the most beautiful bottles I have ever seen and the crack tumbler is still in business.  Go figure?  

 PD


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## RICKJJ59W (Aug 31, 2012)

> ORIGINAL:  Penn Digger
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 Yeah. I think I have heard. Of the guy.  Wasn"t the owner of the. Bottle a goodlookin guy in his early 50s ?? . 
  The "crack tumblers" name was. Rick Lease I think


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## Penn Digger (Sep 1, 2012)

You think?


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## The Can Kid (Oct 9, 2012)

Rick Lease, you say? Does he have a website or something for me to avoid?


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## AuSmith (Oct 31, 2012)

*RE: Copper Pellet Rust and barkeeper's friend*


 Barkeeper's friend contains - among other things- Oxalic acid- the same stuff that used to  be sold in granular form to clean radiators.It was packaged in foil covered  paper canisters because  with a bit of humidity the acid reacting with southern air would eat through a can of an alloy of iron in a heartbeat. Bar keeper's friend is intended for cleaning with abrasive action of stainless steel  only. It should NEVER be used with aluminum or aluminum alloys or  zinc alloys ( anything  soldered contains zinc.It will eat the solder seam and you will  have a leak if  enough is added to say a 5 gallon bucket of liquid in a 20 gallon barrel type  tumbler. Oxalic acid removes iron oxides ( rust) from quartz crystals, and rusty glass. You should keep some  ordinary baking soda nearby when  using any acid to neutralize spills or splashes on surfaces or clothing.If it gets in  your eyes- flush with sterile BUFFERED saline solution and if it's more than a drop, and after a good 20 minutes of flushing with even water ( cold) it still burns go to the emergency room so they can deal with it..unless  of  course your vision isn't all that important to you! Sort of  like when the dentist says  only floss the teeth  you want to keep! same principal...


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## Relicsnstuff (Nov 5, 2012)

*RE: Copper Pellet Rust and barkeeper's friend*

I have been tumbling for many years, if you are having a rust issue it could be from your water supply or even from the stopple bolts, it will coat the copper, this will cause your foam to look yellow, the best way i found to clean the copper is to put it back in a tube, add some 1200 cut, and fresh water,run it about 3hrs and flush your copper with fresh water and it will be clean, this works with just dirty copper as well, lastly i take news paper and spead out my copper on it and let it dry, just don't try to pick up the copper and news paper at the same time unless the news paper is dry, this has worked well for me and you don't need fool around with any acids.

 Joe.


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