# Stupid Question...



## epackage (Feb 11, 2013)

but I have to ask the experts. Is it possible for a bottle that just needs a polish on the inside to be done by hand with aluminum oxide? I'm only talking about adding about 1/4 bottles worth of the AO along with some cut copper and just swirling it around for a few minutes at a time for those of us without a tumbler or whose bottles don't warrant the cost of sending them out to be tumbled. If so would you add any liquid or just use the AO dry?

 I was thinking of buying a rock tumbler and using it just to do the insides of alot of my bottles that could just use some inside polishing to get them looking great, I look forward to hearing your thoughts...Jim


----------



## chosi (Feb 11, 2013)

I've never actually tried it, but my guess is that a few minutes of shaking by hand wouldn't make a noticable difference.  Maybe shaking by hand for 15 minutes a day, every day for a month would get noticable results?

 I often use a little bit of Bar Keepers Friend, along with water & cut copper, and shake it by hand.  But I usually get tired of shaking after a few minutes, and the results are nowhere near the same as when I let it spin in my tumbler for a few days.

 I would also think you would want to add water if you did this, but I must confess I've never tried a tumble without water.  The only reason I've always added water is because that's what the Jar Doctor's instructions said to do, and it never occured to me to try it without water.

 A rock tumbler might work fine, as long as you can get it to spin the bottle at a reasonable rate of somewhere in the neighborhood of 1 revolution per second (or a little slower for a square/rectangular bottle).  It might also take some mechanical ingenuity to make it so the bottle doesn't work it's way loose.


----------



## epackage (Feb 11, 2013)

I'd make a custom drum to hold bottles since I'd only be looking to do the inside of the bottles, thanks for your insights so far...Jim


----------



## FitSandTic (Feb 12, 2013)

Hey epackage I have a tumbler and I have tried to hand tumble the inside of a bottle before. It sounds stupid but I had a half gallon mineral water and I am sure you have seen it before, just a light white inside haze where the contents had dried up. I used copper, water and jewelers powder and shook it and turned it by hand. The final result was I should have just tumbled it. I do not know if you have been reading the thread about tumbling the inside and outside of bottles at the same time but, I am going to post some pictures of my tumbler tonight it might give you an idea on a way to build something to tumble your bottles on the inside. My tumbler does not need a canister to clean your bottles on the inside.


----------



## epackage (Feb 12, 2013)

OK gonna keep my eyes peeled for a cheap rock tumbler and see what I do with it, if not a tumbler will be built...


----------



## epackage (Feb 12, 2013)

Here's what I'm considering using to polish the insides of the bottles. I figure I can pack the bottles inside a 12" piece of 3" PVC with cell foam wrapped around the bottle to keep it in place and a cork in the bottle to keep the copper and polish inside. I can get a used one for $40-50 and if it doesn't work like I want it will be relisted right back on Ebay, no harm no foul...[]

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/54107024/lortone-33b-double-barrel-tumbler?utm_source=googleproduct&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=GPS&gclid=CNenqIC9sbUCFUZa4AodkiIAKw


----------



## druggistnut (Feb 12, 2013)

Jim,
 I have tried running a couple of bottles dry. It doesn't work. The first concern would be the heat/friction generated. Granted a thick blob or milk might be fine, but I would worry about any early glass.
 Secondly have you ever spent time sharpening knives? It works much better with oil or spit. The wet surfactant just works better.
 If you use a rock tumbler like the one pictured, you'd probably have to cut out the sides, as the tube would be too large. I don't know if it would handle the weight, either. Pillow blocks and sturdy rails handle the weight of the water, copper and bottles.
 Build a tumbler.  
 Bill


----------



## epackage (Feb 12, 2013)

Thanks Bill, I'm gonna use water for sure. This tumbler will handle 6 pounds and a 3" pvc will fit without altering the mahine, so doing bottles shouldn't be an issue...


----------



## acls (Feb 23, 2013)

Jim - I'm glad you made this post.  I have been thinking about buying a tumbler to tumble the insides of some of my sick ACL soda bottles.  I have thought about trying to make a Tumbler out of a rock tumbler too.  The biggest problem I am seeing is getting the correct number of RPMs.  I think rock Tumblers run at 65 RPMs which is kind of fast.  How fast should a bottle tumbler go?


----------



## chosi (Feb 24, 2013)

I got my tumbler from the Jar Doctor for tumbling beer/soda bottles, and the canister turns at a rate of 70 RPM.


----------



## GuntherHess (Feb 24, 2013)

if you ever want to use stopples to hold a bottle in a PVC tube you will find they add quite a lot of length to the tube. May make a rock tumbler impractical.
 Is you main problem with a bottle tumbler the cost or the size?


----------



## epackage (Feb 24, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  GuntherHess
> 
> if you ever want to use stopples to hold a bottle in a PVC tube you will find they add quite a lot of length to the tube. May make a rock tumbler impractical.
> Is you main problem with a bottle tumbler the cost or the size?


 I don't have a concern about stopples Matt, I can get hutches and short blobs into a piece of 3" PVC in under 12". It's the fact that paying $15 a bottle to have a bunch of locals worth $10 doesn't make sense. Plus many just need to insides done to make me happy.


----------



## epackage (Feb 24, 2013)

I can also get regular size blobs done in a cylinder under 12" by using furnco caps instead of stopples...[]


----------



## acls (Feb 25, 2013)

Jim - I don't think a 12" piece of PVC will fit in the slot.  Each of the barrel drums is around 4 inches and some change.


----------



## epackage (Feb 25, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  acls
> 
> Jim - I don't think a 12" piece of PVC will fit in the slot.  Each of the barrel drums is around 4 inches and some change.


 It's actually big enough for a 11" piece of PVC, gonna get a used one off of Ebay for sure. I also think it could be modified so that area is even larger. I'm gonna get one and bring it to my buddies machine shop, I'm sure we can make it bigger...[]


----------



## acls (Feb 26, 2013)

This seems like it should work.  Let me know how it turns out.  Really would like to know if a standard looking 12 ounce machine made soda bottle would fit on the machine without modifications.  If it will I will probably give this a shot myself.


----------



## deenodean (Feb 26, 2013)

Where would a feller buy aluminum oxide?


----------



## andy volkerts (Feb 26, 2013)

rock and gemstone shop should have it, also maybe try a drug supply co..........


----------



## andy volkerts (Feb 26, 2013)

Hey Jim. for what you want to do why use the pvc at all, just use masking tape on the outside of the bottle and put it directly onto the rock tumbler. wouldnt that work?? or use some flat small bubble wrap taped to the bottle for traction also.........


----------



## epackage (Feb 26, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  andy volkerts
> 
> Hey Jim. for what you want to do why use the pvc at all, just use masking tape on the outside of the bottle and put it directly onto the rock tumbler. wouldnt that work?? or use some flat small bubble wrap taped to the bottle for traction also.........


 The rollers are too far apart for that and I figure the pvc gives me a nice even surface Andy...[]


----------



## bamabottles (Apr 8, 2013)

hey epackage, I tumble the inside of all my bottles before doing the whole bottle just because I found out the hard way that outsides get overtumbled while trying to get the inside clean.  Insides are always more heavily stained.

 Here is what I found works.  Go to home depot or lowes and pick up 3 inch white drain pipe, not the schedule 40 stuff,but the cheaper stuff for drain pipes.  Also get some rubber corks, i want to say mine are 5/8 inch at the small end.  Get some duct tape and rubber bands if you don't have any. AND get some of what they call a "knockout test cap" for 3 inch pvc.  Here is the link to one so you know what you are looking for...
 http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/100122751?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=3+inch+pvc+cap&storeId=10051&N=5yc1v&R=100122751#.UWNh6ZOG2So

 Anyway, those "knockout"  caps snap into the end of a pvc pipe and can be pried out with a screwdriver.  Best of all, they take up almost no space in the pipe, unlike traditional stopples.

 So, take the bottle and fill with concoction of your choice along with copper.  For insides, i have found 1200 grit for 4 days is best all around, then you can do another 3 days with aluminum oxide.  If not too bad, then 5 or 6 days with 1500 will work.  Anyway, after filling and putting in water to within 2 inches of top, take the rubber cork and put in mouth, making sure it is secure by giving a twist.  Then for safety, i always take a strip of duct tape and secure the cork.  Nothing makes more of a mess than a cork that comes loose.  Then, I take 3 wide rubber bands adn put on body of bottle to keep it from slipping in the hand towel, which the bottle is rolled into... then i take and put 3 wide rubber bands on outside of hand towel to keep it from slipping inside the tube, then slide it into tube and place the knockout cap on the end....  works great for me.


----------



## bamabottles (May 20, 2013)

Hey epackage, how did your inside tumbling work out?


----------



## epackage (May 20, 2013)

I never found a rock tumbler big enough and cheap enough to try it Bama, even the beatup ones get good money on Ebay. I'm going to be trying the latest method with the automotive rubbing compound and a cordless drill with a shammie on a fiberglass rod...


----------



## hemihampton (May 23, 2013)

How'd the cordless drill method work? LEON.


----------



## bamabottles (May 26, 2013)

epackage, i know it is a pain to do, but very feasible to build your own tumbler at a pretty reasonable price.  I have one that was hand built myself.  i can post pics.  I am more than willing to help if you decide to tackle it.  You just need to find a few parts, most of which are easily found on ebay or other sites.  And that way you could do both inside and outside.  I would suggest a 2 canister machine at the very least.  You can put 2 of the 4 inch canisters on bottom and one 3 inch for inside only in the center on top of the other two.  If you build it long enough, you can have each of the 4 inchers as double canisters, which would give you a 4 bottle capacity.


----------



## epackage (May 26, 2013)

Thanks bama, I actually have a list of the needed components and a detailed breakdown on building one. I haven't yet decided I want to go that route, but I may...


----------

