# metal removal



## odditysteve (Jan 28, 2011)

I have a nice aqua blue soda bottle that when i cleaned up, i found that it wasnt a glob of gunk in the bottom it was a 2.5 inch long  1 inch wide chunk of rusted iron or other ferric metal. any ideas on how to remove without destroying the bottle.


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## JOETHECROW (Jan 28, 2011)

Muriatic acid? Some of the other forum members that use acid more than I, can probably confirm, (or reccomend) the correct acid that would eat the metal, but not the glass.


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## cowseatmaize (Jan 28, 2011)

Dumb question maybe, but is it a hutch? Maybe it's the stopper and just really encrusted.


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## buriedtreasuretime (Jan 28, 2011)

Hi: Odditysteve.  Obviously this metal strip had to originally go into the bottle but it is now probably very brittle and rigid.  It would have had to flex to cup itself  and clear the neck of the bottle but now it is probably not going to flex so you may have to press on it inside the bottle with a dowell or something like that to bend or break it into more malleable pieces that you could fish out in some fashion.  Patients is a virtue (probably spelled it wrong here, but the kind of Patients where time is not such a big thing, not the doctor and patients thing) Anyway, give it time and you will succeed.  There are a number of corrosives that you could use but I would probably stay away from that unless your familiar with those chemicals.  Best of luck: Tim


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## odditysteve (Jan 29, 2011)

Thank you Joe, It looks like you might be in the same neck of the woods as me, where did you get the acid? might not be too far for me to go pick some up.


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## odditysteve (Jan 29, 2011)

Cowseatmaize, its not a hutch, although i wish it was. its a late 1800's crown top. pretty typical bottle, i think what happened is some screws or nails, other small iron pieces fuzed together in the bottom.


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## cowseatmaize (Jan 29, 2011)

> Thank you Joe, It looks like you might be in the same neck of the woods as me, where did you get the acid?


Just about any hardware store has it. They also make an enviro friendly mix. I never tried that. 
 With muratic be sure to use it in a well ventilated area. The stuff will toast your lungs.


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## odditysteve (Jan 29, 2011)

cool, i have a good sized garage to use for that. not really a fan of working in this cold but what the heck, bottles dont clean themselves.


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## epackage (Jan 30, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  odditysteve
> 
> cool, i have a good sized garage to use for that. not really a fan of working in this cold but what the heck, bottles dont clean themselves.


 I'd put some Muriatic acid in it in a bucket and set it outside the garage with a lid made of plywood and a weight on top, don't leave it in the garage if you can help it, make sure to use rubber gloves and have a bucket of water to put the bottle in after you let the acid do it's work. Be careful on disposing the acid afterwards...Jim


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## cowseatmaize (Jan 30, 2011)

PS: depending on temperature and concentration of the acid you may have to wait for warmer weather.


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## odditysteve (Jan 31, 2011)

I'm ok with waiting too. whchever works best.


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