# bottles getting stained in tumbling



## wedigforyou (Oct 18, 2008)

Help. Regardless of what oxide I use my bottles get stained. If I use just brasso with the copper and glass the bottles get stained golden brown. If I use the 1000 grit aluminum oxide they get stained dark grey. If I use the 1200 grit white aluminum oxide they get stained slightly white. I purchased the oxides from Rock shed. I'm filling the bottle 2/3 full with copper and glass beads, 1 teaspoon of oxide or a little squirt of brasso and enough water to cover the copper. Am I using too little water? We added rubber heater hose to our drive shaft which took up the RPMs to 85 versus 50 with just the O rings on the canister. Much louder - but we hoped to be able to get the job done faster. Bottles seem to be getting worse with higher RPMs Any help or suggestions appreciated.


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## bottlediger (Oct 18, 2008)

> ORIGINAL: wedigforyou
> 
> Help. Regardless of what oxide I use my bottles get stained. If I use just brasso with the copper and glass the bottles get stained golden brown. If I use the 1000 grit aluminum oxide they get stained dark grey. If I use the 1200 grit white aluminum oxide they get stained slightly white. I purchased the oxides from Rock shed. I'm filling the bottle 2/3 full with copper and glass beads, 1 teaspoon of oxide or a little squirt of brasso and enough water to cover the copper. Am I using too little water? We added rubber heater hose to our drive shaft which took up the RPMs to 85 versus 50 with just the O rings on the canister. Much louder - but we hoped to be able to get the job done faster. Bottles seem to be getting worse with higher RPMs Any help or suggestions appreciated.


 
 It takes a while to get the tumbling process down if you are just starting out. First off I have never used brasso while tumbling so that might be your problem. But it might not. The oxides you are using could be the problem, the gritt size is very important, I buy my stuff from jar doc directly. I know its more expensive but i know its the proper gritt size and works very well. Also you might be usaing to little water. You say you just cover the copper, you need to cover the copper and add an extra half inch of water above the copper. Using to little water or more oxide than you should will cause a dry run which will leave a heavy film on the glass. Now High RPM is bad for anything other than round bottles. For one it risks a higher chance of breakage, and two its to fast for good tumbling motion inside square or rectangle bottles.

 Ok so 
 start using more water with the correct amount of oxide
 try not using brasso
 lower your RPM for odd shapped bottles
 and you might want to invest in the propper oxides

 Good luck and take care

 Digger Ry


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## capsoda (Oct 18, 2008)

Brasso???? 



> Ok so
> start using more water with the correct amount of oxide
> try not using brasso
> lower your RPM for odd shapped bottles
> and you might want to invest in the propper oxides


 
 Ry hit the nail right on the head. If your slurry is to thick it will stain.


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## wedigforyou (Oct 18, 2008)

Thanks, I've used Brasso before and got great results. It does seem to leave a bizarre film and bothers my sinuses somethin awful! Sometimes it works other times it stains. It was recommended by another person on this board. I'll try adding more water and just using the polish oxide.

 Lack of water could also be why I'm not able to get rid of the scratches in the neck of the bottle.


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## bottlediger (Oct 18, 2008)

Scratches inside the neck would be from having to much or to little tumbling media.

 To much will clog the neck

 To little will not reach the neck

 fill the bottle so that when the bottle is on its side, the copper will go all the way up into the neck

 Digger Ry


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## buzzkutt033 (Oct 19, 2008)

a couple denture tabs w/ water overnight after tumbling does a world of good. a box of cheapo denture tabs less than $3. give it a whirl.

 Jim


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## LC (Oct 19, 2008)

> Now High RPM is bad for anything other than round bottles. For one it risks a higher chance of breakage, and two its to fast for good tumbling motion inside square or rectangle bottles.


 
*It is a fact that we all have done things that were outright stupid , costly, as well as sometimes dangerous , like trying to clean debris from around a pulley on a mowing deck with the blades running , I will go no further than that except to say ,,,, ALWAYS TURN THE STINKING BLADES OFF BEFORE REACHING IN THERE AND DOING SO !!!!!

 When Ryan mentioned high rmps not being a good idea , it reminded me of a stunt I pulled when trying to figure out a way to clean the inside of a bottle back in the seventies . I never heard of bottle machines back then , although there may have been some . Anyway , being the Jeckal & Hyde that I am at times , I went out into the wood shop , cut a round piece 3/4 wood , drilled four 3/8" holes around the perimeter of it , and glued 3/8" wood dowels into place . I drilled the holes where once the rods were glued in place ,a hutch or squat soda would fit into the center of them quite snugly . I rigged this apparatus to a 1/3 horse motor that turned at 1725 rmps.

 I put a hutch soda that I liked quite well that was stained pretty badly into my Frankenstein Machine , ran tape tightly around the outside of the rods to hold that sucker in there as tight as possible . I looked my creation over with pride thinking I was really set to go , and was going to be able to clean the inside of every bottle I had ! At this point in time , I found myself rubbing my hands together , and making laughing noises that did not sound all that human . I then gave the pulley a quick spin by hand thinking this would take the torque away from the initial start of the motor . NOT !! When the motor took off , the force of the torque and too many rpms caused the pulley I had created to come loose on the shaft of the motor , thus causing the apparatus to go into a wobbling frenzy , and thus causing one of my favorite hutches to come flying out of its holder like a rocket and took off flying through the air !! So here I am , a full grown man (or possibly a blooming idiot at that moment) , cussing like a sailor for being so stupid , running across the floor after one of my favorite hutches , trying to catch up to it before it hit the floor . Well needless to say , I did not catch up to it . It hit the concrete floor and broke into many pieces . Yes ,,, bottle tumbling has come a long way since then ..........*


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## bottlediger (Oct 19, 2008)

Now thats a funny story bro, sorry that happend to one of your good hutches though but I had to laugh

 Take care
 Ry


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## LC (Oct 19, 2008)

*True story all the way Ry , nothing added . Hard lesson learned  , sometime is is better to leave certain chores to those such as you who know what they are doing !*


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## wedigforyou (Oct 19, 2008)

*GOOD ONE*

That IS a funny story LC and I certainly hear what you're saying. My husband and son have done a great job with this tumbler and I feel like I've got to come up with the right recipe. I'm not doing so bad for well, just a woman! 

 Thanks Buzz! I'm trying peroxide and I'll try the denture cleaner. I've got much to learn and this is certainly a messy job. 

 Maybe we could have a photo contest entitled "This is why bottle tumblers get paid to tumble bottles!" Send in pics of that disgusting slurry that comes out of those canisters.


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## LC (Oct 19, 2008)

*RE: GOOD ONE*

I know of only one person in my area that tumbles bottles and he is a good twenty five miles away from me .


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## wedigforyou (Oct 20, 2008)

Looks as though peroxide and apple cider vinegar also do a great job to get rid of the stains.  Thanks again for your help.


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