# A tumbling question.



## Screwtop (Nov 25, 2018)

I am seriously considering buy a dual barrel rock tumbler and modifying it to clean bottles. I can do this easily. The problem is, that I am the biggest cheapskate east of the Mississippi. I really, really, really don't want to shell out the money to pay for copper shavings, so is there anything else that would work? Even if it takes a week or two longer, will anything else work?

I want to do this, because my grandmother in PA just informed me that there was a large dump on the backside of her property. She said that years ago, she walked around the area, and found many shards of embossed glass, and a whole med bottle. Then, we found an 1890s trash pit near her house, and the creek running in front of her house is loaded with 1900s soda bottles! Then in the town next to her, a creek runs right by where a mining camp, an old tavern, and a bottling works! Bottle Heaven up there! I will show ya'll what me and my dad have found so far just near the surface. We probably won't be heading up there until next summer though.


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## Screwtop (Nov 28, 2018)

I guess we don't have a lot of tumblers on here.


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## hemihampton (Nov 28, 2018)

I tumble, for a cheap alternative try copper bb's. LEON.


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## Screwtop (Nov 29, 2018)

hemihampton said:


> I tumble, for a cheap alternative try copper bb's. LEON.




Now that I can do. I got tons of those.


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## Screwtop (Nov 30, 2018)

Now that I have the copper settled, what is cutter? I hear the term cutter, and jar doctor used a lot. What are they?


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## hemihampton (Dec 1, 2018)

Abrasive compounds in powder form used to clean bottle. usually on the course side like 1200-1500 grit. usually Silicone Carbide. After using that you use a Polish which is finer then the cutter & usually 1800+ grit. Usually Aluminum Oxide. LEON.


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## Huntindog (Dec 5, 2018)

If you use BB's they will all line up and leave rings on your bottles.
Talk to an electrician and see if you can score some leftover trimmings in 12 or 14 gage.
Strip the insulation and get a pair of cutters and cut the small 1/4" pieces while you watch TV.
It doesn't take long to have enough to do a bottle.


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## American (Dec 5, 2018)

You may want to go ahead and take the plunge and buy the pre cut copper.  I did it 15 years ago and I am still using the same copper.  The silicon carbide is not that expensive and a small bag lasts for years since you only use about a 1/4 teaspoon per bottle.


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## Screwtop (Dec 5, 2018)

Huntindog said:


> If you use BB's they will all line up and leave rings on your bottles.
> Talk to an electrician and see if you can score some leftover trimmings in 12 or 14 gage.
> Strip the insulation and get a pair of cutters and cut the small 1/4" pieces while you watch TV.
> It doesn't take long to have enough to do a bottle.




Thank you very much. I never would have though of that.


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## historic-antiques (Dec 5, 2018)

Bring me along!!!!


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