# Acid instead of tumbling?



## Bottleman (Aug 18, 2006)

Check out this site I found. Has anyone ever tried this method before? What are the results compared to tumbling. This idea seams a lost faster than tumbling but more dangerous to you and the bottle. 

 ~~Tom


http://www.geocities.com/bottleman100/index.htm


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## Bottle tumbler (Aug 18, 2006)

Very intresting to say the least..... But I may be wrong, but mixing acids can or may explode, I dont know but if i remember right, your not to mix acids. plus it sure sounds like they had or have an axe to grind with tumblers. 
  If you use acid and it eats the scratchs and dings off it will also eat the lettering it is raised, and there is no telling by what was said if it was an even removeal oe spotty. 

  I have a real problem with stories that dont give pictures or the excate way of doing it. just a very little info to inject doubt or couriosity, plus they did say thousands of bottles later, just think of the cost of acids and pails. if they use a metal can it would be gone in one or two days and all them acids would just, well you get the picture, 
  it's just a bunch of hillbillies with nothing better to do i guess, hey vern lets see what happens to the cat iffing we throwest it inst the pail of acids?? [][][]
  dang vern it just plum done gonst away[]


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## Bottleman (Aug 19, 2006)

Thanks Bottle Tumbler for your advice. When I first read it, it sounded like an amazing miracle for cleaning bottles but the old saying goes, â€œif itâ€™s too good to be true it probably isâ€. I would guess it will work pretty good for cleaning bottles but if it was that easy, everyone would be using that instead of a tumbler which is much more expensive. I know some acids will eat glass and that is how they acid etch bottles but I would be scared to put a valuable bottle in that acid mixture. Itâ€™s hard to believe that you will get a â€œlike newâ€ polish off of acid too.  

 ~~tom


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## GuntherHess (Aug 19, 2006)

Don't know if it would work but it would be very dangerous. Hydroflouric and sulfuric acids are not to be fooled with lightly. 
 I dont think anyone has been killed tumbling bottles yet. i'll stick to that method.


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## tazmainiendigger (Aug 19, 2006)

Sounds like it would work to me , but it would generate lotsa excess acid to get rid of....If it was set up in a industrial type setting, more power to it, but not in my back yard ![X(] Taz


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## capsoda (Aug 20, 2006)

I have usd Hydrofloric Acid to clean the haze from the inside of bottles and it is pretty safe and easy to use but Sulfuric is dangerous stuff.

  You would need plenty of baking soda dissolved in water, cleanwater and a large box of baking soda on hand.

 I may check into this futher.[8|]


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## Mike O (Aug 20, 2006)

I have used muriautic acid it works well on gunk but it won't touch  "SICK" glass

 I am just curious enough to try this method I am going to think about it!


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## GuntherHess (Aug 20, 2006)

May want to browse some medical sites before fooling with the hydrofluoric...it can be nasty stuff.
http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic804.htm


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## downeastdigger (Aug 21, 2006)

HI Bottleman
 It is my belief that using acids ( I use miuriatic acid ) works very well on bottles from the turn of the century and newer best.  It is great on rust especially. I use it on my cheaper bottles that would take a long time to wash, and they wound up sitting in crates otherwise.
 Older bottles, ( 120 yrs + ),  that are "sick" have been buried longer, often times in ash and mineral soil, and it has damaged the surface of the glass on a microscopic level.  If you soak these in acid, you can soak and soak, but it won't get rid of sickness, and may eventually cause "pitting' on the glass which is even worse.
 Tumbling these bottles, wears off the surface off the glass and creates a new surface, then it is polished in the second phase of tumbling.  So it isn't actually "cleaning" the bottle, but rather giving it a new surface.
 I may be wrong, but thats what I believe to be true.  I dont follow directions well, so I usually fail using both methods, so maybe dont listen to me!  
 Bram


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## Bottleman (Aug 21, 2006)

Bram, I sometimes use miuriatic acid to clean medicine and rust stains out of bottles but I know it wonâ€™t take white haze out. His idea is similar to tumbling because it takes a layer of glass off too but I just donâ€™t get how it will make it shinny and not etch it like the process of â€œacid etchingâ€. 

 ~~Tom


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## capsoda (Aug 21, 2006)

I beleave the acid breaks down the damaged layers of glass but takes longer to break down the undamaged glass underneath. Washing the bottle after the damaged layer is loose should leave a shiny layer.

 Both these acids are very hazardous and can kill. I would not handle them unless I were very familiar with the handling, dangers and disposal of them and I sure would not use them if I had children still living with me.

 As I said I have used hydrofloric acid to take the haze out of the inside of bottles but it will etch the crap out of the outside.I guess it is an exposure thing.


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## Bottle tumbler (Aug 22, 2006)

acid makes sence if your removing rust and tough dirt, but to get a shinny surface? well thats impossible, if you disagree with me, then explain acid etching, why don't you get a shinny surface from that?

  rick


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## capsoda (Aug 22, 2006)

When using acid to etch you are using acid mixed a certian way and it is washed off with water after a certian amount of time. If you wipe the glass it can produce a shine.

 I have access to the acids necessary to try it but I am doutbful that it will produce the desired results and thats why I tumble my bottles. If i do try it I don't know that I would post the results. As Matt and I have stated the acid mixture that would be used can cause serious injury and death.


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## downeastdigger (Aug 23, 2006)

Thanks for the info Cap, and others.  It's interesting stuff.  I'll stick with my diluted  Meuriatic acid, and / or tumbling for my better stuff.

 bram


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## stinger haut (Aug 30, 2006)

This idea of using a combination of highly dangerous acids is very dangerous for anyone that isn't experienced in handling them. The proper disposal of these products would be very difficult at best.
 Lets see some pictures of bottles that have been cleaned using this method.
 It may take longer to cut and clean a bottle the old fashion way, but tumbling is a proven, safer method.
 It sounds like a half baked idea without any proof.
 Stinger Haut


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