# Crazy question.



## Jstorm (Jul 13, 2022)

I have a cheap tumbler and I want to try to learn how to tumble. I know the video's are out there but is it true you can crush up old bottles and use them to tumble your bottles? Yes I am cheap and trying to experiment a little instead of buying the copper. Thanks


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## Roy (Jul 13, 2022)

Jstorm said:


> I have a cheap tumbler and I want to try to learn how to tumble. I know the video's are out there but is it true you can crush up old bottles and use them to tumble your bottles? Yes I am cheap and trying to experiment a little instead of buying the copper. Thanks


Wow!!!   I would wish you well with that. 
I doubt you will have the results you are looking for.                                        Roy


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## Jstorm (Jul 13, 2022)

Roy said:


> Wow!!!   I would wish you well with that.
> I doubt you will have the results you are looking for.                                        Roy


That's why I asked!


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## hemihampton (Jul 13, 2022)

Never heard of that, But have heard of at least 10 other mediums used to tumble & truth is nothing works better then the copper & not copper coated steel BB'S.  LEON.


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## Dogo (Jul 13, 2022)

Copper will not scratch the inside of the bottle. Can't say that about other substances.


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## willong (Jul 13, 2022)

Checking in to see what opinion others have voiced, I don't see what I wrote this morning. I must have neglected to click on the "Post reply" button. (One more hazard of advancing years.)

So, here goes again. Since particles of ground up bottles are not much different than the sand the glass was made of, other than having sharper edges, I suspect that if you tumble with such material you will end up with a "sandblasted" appearance on your tumbled bottles. The effect should be similar to that produced on the surface of a bottle that has tumbled in the surf on a sandy beach for a long time, though achieved faster with the sharper glass particles.

I would not suggest trying the process unless you desire a matt finish. Of course, you could always tumble a low-value or otherwise worthless bottle as an experiment. A matte-finished and wide-mouthed blue, green or amber bottle might make an attractive bud vase or a pencil holder for your desk and thus not be a total waste of time  !

Let us know the results--photo preferred.

WL


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## Len (Jul 13, 2022)

Ok J-Storm,

Here is another 411. The place where many new tumblers get their start, Harbor Freight, sells inexpensive finely ground glass, 40/70 grit, 5lbs., for about $6. Used dry its like they say--a slow process for marginal returns in most cases. However, used wet like in a slurry with a probe and wad the results are quicker and much better. The prior steps in cleaning and type of stain will also dictate use... Good to see you on site again. "Go White Sox!" ...Btw, the question wasn't crazy,  rooting for the 'Sox de blanco might be. "Aren't we all?" said the TX Rangers fan.


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## Jstorm (Jul 14, 2022)

willong said:


> Checking in to see what opinion others have voiced, I don't see what I wrote this morning. I must have neglected to click on the "Post reply" button. (One more hazard of advancing years.)
> 
> So, here goes again. Since particles of ground up bottles are not much different than the sand the glass was made of, other than having sharper edges, I suspect that if you tumble with such material you will end up with a "sandblasted" appearance on your tumbled bottles. The effect should be similar to that produced on the surface of a bottle that has tumbled in the surf on a sandy beach for a long time, though achieved faster with the sharper glass particles.
> 
> ...


Thanks for that info


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## Jstorm (Jul 14, 2022)

Len said:


> Ok J-Storm,
> 
> Here is another 411. The place where many new tumblers get their start, Harbor Freight, sells inexpensive finely ground glass, 40/70 grit, 5lbs., for about $6. Used dry its like they say--a slow process for marginal returns in most cases. However, used wet like in a slurry with a probe and wad the results are quicker and much better. The prior steps in cleaning and type of stain will also dictate use... Good to see you on site again. "Go White Sox!" ...Btw, the question wasn't crazy,  rooting for the 'Sox de blanco might be. "Aren't we all?" said the TX Rangers fan.


Thanks Len for that. I will send you an email!


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## Digger 57 (Jul 14, 2022)

Please go to the jar doctors web site .he has every thing you need .I have been using his products for years .they work


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## Jstorm (Jul 14, 2022)

Digger 57 said:


> Please go to the jar doctors web site .he has every thing you need .I have been using his products for years .they work


Yes I appreciate that. I know the copper will work but trying to determine how many pounds to buy for a cheap harbor freight tumbler. I have 2 normal canisters mended together about 10 inches long. I know he can calculate the pounds but would you have any idea. Thanks


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## Len (Jul 15, 2022)

J-Storm,

Please resend if you don't get a reply in the usual time frame. --Thx.


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## Bohdan (Jul 20, 2022)

Jstorm said:


> I have a cheap tumbler and I want to try to learn how to tumble. I know the video's are out there but is it true you can crush up old bottles and use them to tumble your bottles? Yes I am cheap and trying to experiment a little instead of buying the copper. Thanks


Always worth a try.


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## Jstorm (Jul 20, 2022)

Bohdan said:


> Always worth a try.


Think i will buy the set up next spring from the jar doctor. I called them and she told me about $700 for the whole kit. Smart way to go. Thanks


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## forro (Jul 21, 2022)

hello, im new to the site. I grew up in savannah and dug bottles there for about 40 years. I have an extensive collection but I have never tumbled anything.   Each person has their own taste, and some will pay more for a well tumbled bottle, but I prefer the natural patina on the old bottles. To me old bottles should look old.  Sure a shinney clean and clear look will display nicely.   If they come out of the ground with little or no haze or staining I loved it, but I would not want to strip away the historical natural surface that years of being under the ground have applied to a bottle.  A historical bottle is what it is, and any doctoring other than a good cleaning takes away from it in my not so humble thought.


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## Roy (Jul 21, 2022)

forro said:


> hello, im new to the site. I grew up in savannah and dug bottles there for about 40 years. I have an extensive collection but I have never tumbled anything.   Each person has their own taste, and some will pay more for a well tumbled bottle, but I prefer the natural patina on the old bottles. To me old bottles should look old.  Sure a shinney clean and clear look will display nicely.   If they come out of the ground with little or no haze or staining I loved it, but I would not want to strip away the historical natural surface that years of being under the ground have applied to a bottle.  A historical bottle is what it is, and any doctoring other than a good cleaning takes away from it in my not so humble thought.


Welcome forgot,

I can certainly appreciate your view of keeping the bottles the way they were found. To each their own. I guess in my case, I would consider a light tumble just a good cleaning then.                              Roy


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## Digger 57 (Jul 21, 2022)

forro said:


> hello, im new to the site. I grew up in savannah and dug bottles there for about 40 years. I have an extensive collection but I have never tumbled anything.   Each person has their own taste, and some will pay more for a well tumbled bottle, but I prefer the natural patina on the old bottles. To me old bottles should look old.  Sure a shinney clean and clear look will display nicely.   If they come out of the ground with little or no haze or staining I loved it, but I would not want to strip away the historical natural surface that years of being under the ground have applied to a bottle.  A historical bottle is what it is, and any doctoring other than a good cleaning takes away from it in my not so humble thought.


I can appreciate that .But I prefer them to look like they did when they were used.Dirt an stains do not look good no matter what you call it.Glass was made to be clear an colorful .


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## willong (Jul 21, 2022)

forro said:


> hello, im new to the site. I grew up in savannah and dug bottles there for about 40 years. I have an extensive collection but I have never tumbled anything.   Each person has their own taste, and some will pay more for a well tumbled bottle, but I prefer the natural patina on the old bottles. To me old bottles should look old.  Sure a shinney clean and clear look will display nicely.   If they come out of the ground with little or no haze or staining I loved it, but I would not want to strip away the historical natural surface that years of being under the ground have applied to a bottle.  A historical bottle is what it is, and any doctoring other than a good cleaning takes away from it in my not so humble thought.


Welcome to the site.

In general, I agree with your preference. I'd rather have an as-dug example of a nice historical bottle than one that has been tumbled so long that it is unnaturally glossy with the edges of the embossing features noticeably rounded compared to other examples. However, if a bottle is so stained, crusted or sick that it appreciably detracts from my enjoyment I can certainly see the attraction of "...a light tumble just [as] a good cleaning..." as *Roy* opined. Perhaps the title of a Moody Blues album is apropos here; it is "A Question of Balance" after all.

Pictured below is a bottle that I dug, which I think could benefit from "...a light tumble." However, before resorting to that remedy, I mean to try an acid soak first in case that haze is due to a deposit of lime on the surface of the glass rather than an etching of the glass itself.


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## Roy (Jul 21, 2022)

Roy said:


> Welcome forro,
> 
> I can certainly appreciate your view of keeping the bottles the way they were found. To each their own. I guess in my case, I would consider a light tumble just a good cleaning then.                              Roy


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## forro (Jul 21, 2022)

As I said before , each person has his own taste.  One other thing I like about mine untumbled is that I can recognize each one by its own unique pattern of oxygenation.  Its always great to pick one up and remember the hole it came out of and who I was with to recapture the nostalgic moment in the glory days. I don't know if I may ever get a place to dig again but reliving some past victories is always fun.


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## Newtothiss (Jul 21, 2022)

I have yet to use one of my DIY tumblers for bottles, but for cleaning the insides I use tiny(less than 1/8"-1/4") pieces (a LOT) of solid copper wire (10ga-14ga).

Leaves no marks or scratches!

There is probably better medium out there, but I too am a frugal motherfucker lol.


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