# Tumbling out sickness...help please!



## BarbaraInCalif (Dec 26, 2009)

Trying to get this Celery Compound cleaned up and can't get rid of all the sickness.  It's been tumbling in 1200 (with some 1000 added too) for 6 days in glass beads.  The embossing was already somewhat rounded before the cleaning began, so I've been putting fingernail polish on the letters to help preserve what's left.  The bottle is now uniformly frosted, but the sickness won't budge.

 What do I do next?


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## cyberdigger (Dec 26, 2009)

That's a good one to experiment on, Barbara.. it's a pretty common bottle..  if you tumble it down to a slick, I'll send you a fresh one..! []


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## BarbaraInCalif (Dec 26, 2009)

Unfortunately most of my bottles fit into the "a good one to experiment on" category so I have little fear when it comes to cleaning them.    I'll just keep it rolling and see what happens....


> if you tumble it down to a slick, I'll send you a fresh one..!


 Is that a promise?

 Thanks,
 Barbara


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## cyberdigger (Dec 26, 2009)

It is ...but I will need to see a slick Paine's before I send it! []


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## BarbaraInCalif (Dec 26, 2009)

Actually my goal is to clean it up nicely so it wouldn't have to be replaced! 
 A fresh coat of fingernail polish has been applied and is drying, plus I'll add more 1000 SC to the canister.
 I'm starting to think that a more abrasive SC is needed with the glass beads.  Can anyone confirm that idea?


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## bottlediger (Dec 26, 2009)

Barb, you will run into that sometimes with glass beads. There are some stains out there that no matter what SC you use when tumbling with GBs you wont kill it. I had a drinking glass I tumbled with glass beads and 600 and it just wouldnt budge. Copper would take that right off though, its just more dense. So all in all you'll run into that every once in a while when just using GBs

 Good luck
 Digger Ry


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## BarbaraInCalif (Dec 27, 2009)

Yeah, I suspected that Ry.  I had a milk bottle tumbling for days with 600 and very little happened. I haven't been able to polish with 1500 SC either; my theory is that the beads aren't able to break the 1500 down into a polish.
 Thinking I'll let the 1000 run for a few days on this bottle, then transfer it up to the next size of canister to see if the weight of more beads will help.  If not, there always the copper from Doc.....

 Barbara


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## privvydigger (Dec 28, 2009)

I can't seem to grasp the thought of a Paines spinning for 6 days(electricity)
 and not coming out minty clean.  Everything so far in my experience is no bottle no matter how sick should not take more than 3 or 4 days to clean and polish.  
 Stop spinning with beeds, save on electricity, buy some copper
 my arsenal is made up of 600, 1200, 1500, 1800-2000 & Aluminum Oxide. 
 I use copper and it works.
 As far as getting copper I won't drive bye a garbage can and not pic out that piece of copper sticking out.


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## GuntherHess (Dec 28, 2009)

I'm thinking depleted uranium pelets should do a turbo tumble. Hey Ry can you hook me up with some raw material[]


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## cyberdigger (Dec 28, 2009)

You can also cut up your unwanted gold and silver jewelry.. platinum, too. []


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## GuntherHess (Dec 29, 2009)

gold would work great.


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## BarbaraInCalif (Dec 29, 2009)

Would gold be too soft (not that I have any!), or is it simply the weight of the media pushing the polishing/cutting compound against the glass?


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## cyberdigger (Dec 30, 2009)

Gold would wear out faster than copper, being a softer metal, but it has more "cleansing power" during it's lifespan in the tumbler, because it is heavier and would indeed augment the cutting and polishing effect. I used gold for all my tumbling until the price got out of control.. but I don't accept responsibility for that! []


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## BarbaraInCalif (Jan 3, 2010)

Time for an update!
 After the initial posting, this bottle was tumbled in GB media with 600 SC for 3 days in a 4 inch canister.
 Some sickness remains plus the corners were not getting frosted like they should:


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## BarbaraInCalif (Jan 3, 2010)

So, next in this experiment was to try a larger canister.
 After 3 days of 600 SC with GB in a 5 inch canister it looks perfectly clean and frosted to me:


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## BarbaraInCalif (Jan 3, 2010)

The theory I'm using when doing trials with glass beads is that the rules of cutting compound grits used with copper do not apply.  This bottle was tumbled for 12 hours in 220 SC with glass beads and a 4 inch canister. It was cleaned up, but not enough, and the embossing has not been affected:


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## BarbaraInCalif (Jan 3, 2010)

...and here is what that one originally looked like:


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## GuntherHess (Jan 3, 2010)

I would expect glass beads to operate much different than the higher density copper. 
 Experimenting is the right thing to do.
 My biggest fear with glass beads is using it on soft glass and having the beads become the cutting media. So far havent encountered that.


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## BarbaraInCalif (Jan 3, 2010)

Thank you for the words of encouragement!
 Here is the 2nd bottle after another 10 hours, for 22 hours total in 220 SC.
 The exterior looks done (to me); what do you think?


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## BarbaraInCalif (Jan 3, 2010)

While the interior still needs to be worked on...


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## BarbaraInCalif (Jan 3, 2010)

Oh Aaron.....your PM box is full!


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## suzanne (Jan 4, 2010)

Please don't think I am disrespecting your endeavor, but they looked better before you tumbled them. That's just my opinion though.   I don't tumble bottles but maybe there are some books about it out there that could help.


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## GuntherHess (Jan 4, 2010)

> ORIGINAL:  BarbaraInCalif
> 
> Thank you for the words of encouragement!
> Here is the 2nd bottle after another 10 hours, for 22 hours total in 220 SC.
> The exterior looks done (to me); what do you think?





> Thank you for the words of encouragement!
> Here is the 2nd bottle after another 10 hours, for 22 hours total in 220 SC.
> The exterior looks done (to me); what do you think?


 
 Looks good to me


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## BarbaraInCalif (Jan 4, 2010)

Just wait untill they are out of the polisher before making that declaration Suzanne!


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## suzanne (Jan 4, 2010)

I apologize.


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## jarhead jim (Jan 4, 2010)

Barbara, why don't you use copper? Or are you just experimenting with the glass beads to see the results that are possible to obtain without diving into the expense of buying copper? 

 I'm not chastising you, just wondering.

 Jim


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## BarbaraInCalif (Jan 4, 2010)

> Barbara, why don't you use copper? Or are you just experimenting with the glass beads to see the results that are possible to obtain without diving into the expense of buying copper?


 
 The politely asked question is appreciated Jim!
 Mostly it's the mess (closely followed by the cost) of copper that I hate.  So yes, in these trials with glass beads I'm hoping to have similar results as those using copper.

 In previous threads there looked to be many using the beads...will you please share your techniques?!


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## BarbaraInCalif (Jan 5, 2010)

Here is the Celery Compound after 3 days in Al polish.  Not shiney enough yet, so it will go back in for a couple of days.  The interior is still wet (so it looks good) but I expect it to need additional interior polishing after the exterior is done....


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## BarbaraInCalif (Jan 5, 2010)

The whole bottle:


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## bottlechaser62 (Jan 6, 2010)

Barbara, 
 Are you in the business of tumbling out sickness? If so, i wanted to send a pic of a poison bottle ( not worth a ton of money but means alot to me). its a sick bottle, and as a teenage, I sprayed something on it to make it shiny( maybe some type of acrylic). I am going to get that off first and use a paint thinner. Let me know if you have a service and I'll send a pic.


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## Lordbud (Jan 6, 2010)

So philosophical question - are you tumbling/cleaning to increase a bottle's value or eye appeal or a combo of the two?[]


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## BarbaraInCalif (Jan 6, 2010)

No bottlechaser, just playing with my new tumbler.  
 My husband RETIRED on Monday, Jan 4. We each allowed ourselves one last toy before "fixed income" set in: he got a car lift to fit even more cr@p in his shop and I bought a tumbler from the Doc to keep  busy cleaning my cr@ppy bottles!

  I was hoping to be deluged with advice and tips on using the tumbler, but for what ever reason there are lots of folks looking, but not many joining in. Since there are a bunch of before and after pictures on the forum, but not many that show the progression of a bottle as it is being cleaned, I decided to just keep posting.  

 It's because of Privvydigger's friendly challenge of:


> Stop spinning with [beads], save on electricity, buy some copper


 that I'm determined to follow through!

 Barbara


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## California Dream N (Jan 6, 2010)

Barbara..I know nothing about the tumbling process but I think you are on the right track. Quite a noticible difference. Keep experimenting....Looking good...Norene


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## jarhead jim (Jan 7, 2010)

Barbara, I'll give it a try. hopefully these pictures come through. I'm new at this tumbling stuff too. I made my own machine but bought the tube and ends from jar Doctor. I also bought his ingredients/copper, alum oxide etc. 

 Jim


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## jarhead jim (Jan 7, 2010)

Before and after.

 Jim


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## suzanne (Jan 7, 2010)

You did a beautiful job.  I love the way you cleaned the bottle without losing glass texture.


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## jarhead jim (Jan 7, 2010)

I'll have to post the after picture when the sun comes up.

 Jim


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## jarhead jim (Jan 7, 2010)

I tried to take a quick picture in the house. It sucks but I'll post it anyways.

 Jim


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## jarhead jim (Jan 7, 2010)

Here's a picture of some of my whiskeys I cleaned with the copper. With the really crappy ones I cut it first with 600 for 12 hours, reversed the motor for another 12 then dumped. Next put in 1200 for 4 days and then alum oxide for 4 days, reversing the rotation every 24 hours. I also collect shot glasses for each of the whiskey bottles I have that I can find.

 Jim


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## cobaltbot (Jan 7, 2010)

Nice display!


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## justanolddigger (Jan 7, 2010)

> ORIGINAL: BarbaraInCalif
> 
> I was hoping to be deluged with advice and tips on using the tumbler, but for what ever reason there are lots of folks looking, but not many joining in.


 Barbara
 [/quote] 

 Hi Barbara, I am one of those watching, but I didn't really see where you were asking questions that needed to be answered. I have been tumbling for about 12 years now, but have never used the glass beads, so I was following the thread to try to gain some knowledge. It looks to me like you are doing very well in your first attempts. If I would offer any advice, it would to be more patient and let the bottles tumble longer without checking them. It is way too much work to load and reload constantly, just give them a little more tumble time. I know there are a lot more knowledgable people out there, and each has his own ways, so I hesitate to offer advice, but here goes. I pretty much use a three step process after I prep the bottle to tumble. #1 is inside and outside with a light cutting grit like 1200.  #2  is to readjust the bottle to remove those nasty prong marks, I use polish or 1200 on the outside (depending on the amount of stain remaining), and polish on the inside in this step. #3, I polish the interior only, this last step gets the neck more evenly and reaches inside the neck that was blocked by my stopper during the tumble. I can usually pack 4 to 6 bottles in a tube during this last step. I generally tumble about 3 days in each step, but #2 could be shorter if desired. It is a long drawn out process, but the bottle will be really worth it, no neck haze, no prong marks, you shouldn't have to go back and work on it more later....good luck....Bill


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## BarbaraInCalif (Jan 10, 2010)

Pulled the Celery Compound bottle out of the polish a couple of days ago.  The exterior looks great, but the interior neck was still shockingly filthy.  Hoping to get some good advice off of jarhead jim's question on Cleaning inside of neck area

 Made couple of changes in my tumbling technique; less water in the canisters and increased the tumbling speed.
 Excess water in the canisters helped make the tumbling media flow better, but perhaps too much reduces the efficacy of the cutting/polishing compound?
 The pulley belt was adjusted from low to high speed...that was scary...but a compromise to reconfigure the pulleys to a 1:1 middle speed is working out well.

 The most surprising discovery is that 220 SC with glass bead media works similar to 1200 SC in copper.   

 Thanks for the help!


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