# Copper alternative?



## Marko (Sep 11, 2006)

I read somewhere here that there was an alternative to copper when cleaning bottles. I thought it was PET pellets. Has anyone had a good experience with a copper substitute? I have been looking at options and copper is too much right now.


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## longneck (Sep 11, 2006)

hey marko     welcome to the site            i use glass beads and my friend shagnasty use aluminum wire pices   other then that i'm not to sure what to use      i to am new to cleaning bottles but that seems to work for us       thats the best advice i can give hope you find what works for you        good digging and welcome to the site again hope to see some of your finds            
                                                      later


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## tombstone (Sep 11, 2006)

DON'T USE COPPER COATED BB'S.

 I'm using plastic bb's, you can get them at wal-mart in sporting goods.  Since i've never used copper i can't give you a side by side comparison but it normally takes three to four weeks to get the results i want.  I've only used this for sickness and stains and i'm satisfied. But you don't need to take my word for it.  You can pick up 6,500 plastic bb's for under ten bucks.  that's more than enough to do the inside of a bottle, try it and draw your own conclusions.


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## Marko (Sep 11, 2006)

I might try to start out with the BB's. Do you use the same amount as copper?
 Is it safe to assume that 500' of 12 gauge will give me about 10 lbs of copper?

 Thanks


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## Marko (Sep 12, 2006)

Hey tombstone, do these float? How many do you use in the bottle (when bottle is horizontal, half way to the mouth?) Sure sounds like it beats copper prices. Cheapest I've found is $7/lb bare solid or 500' for $61 at home depot (9.88 lbs).


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## cowseatmaize (Sep 12, 2006)

I remembered this post. Copper wire gets thown out at construction sites all the time too.
https://www.antique-bottles.net/forum/m_5467/mpage_2/key_copper/tm.htm#38767


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## tombstone (Sep 12, 2006)

The plastic bbs don't float, but being lighter than copper some of them tend to cling to the sides of the bottle.  This can sometimes result in rings of uncleaned sickness or stains inside the bottle if you don't leave them in the tumbler long enough.  I use the plastic bb's exactly the same way you would use copper.


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## tombstone (Sep 12, 2006)

most places also have a recycling center when you can get used copper much cheaper than from a hardware store.  If you're lucky you might even catch a recycler on their way in and get an even bigger discount, everyone's happy.  But you might want to make sure you can cut the copper before you invest a bunch of money on something you won't be able to use.  I got about thirty pounds of wire right now that i still can't get cut, even with the drill press set up from another thread


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## Marko (Sep 13, 2006)

tombstone,

 Found a piece of steel and drilled a 3/8" hole down the middle, 2 perpendicular 3/8" holes through the side into the main hole, then a 1/8" to feed the wire opposite the 2 back holes. Played with the speed settings and found that about 1500 rpm was about the ideal setting. Only problem now is containing it all. I will work on a shroud tomorrow. The main problem is it flying out the back and dropping through the bottom. It is definitely the way to go though. It seemed the faster (harder) I pushed it in I got into that 1/8" - 3/8" size and it eats it up faster than you can feed it. If you feed it too slow you get shavings. I can take some pics for you if it will help. Sure hate to see 30# of copper go to waste. I bet it would cut your tumbling time dramatically using copper. I think the key is to have a place for the copper to drop not only out the back, but underneath as well.


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## stinger haut (Sep 14, 2006)

Hi Marko,
 I have been tumblng bottles for around 10 years now.
 I use plastic pellets on bottles that have bubbles that are close to the surface because they're lighter than copper. It makes it so the bubbles won't pop because their lighter.
 In general, they do take longer(sometimes 3 times as long) to get the same results as copper, but I have yet to have a bubble burst on me with the plastic pellets.
 Load your bottle and canister the same as with using copper. The heavier the pellet, the shorter it'll take to finish the bottle. They do tend to stick to everything and are harder to handle(especially when wet).Don't forget to rinse them when your finished tumbling.
 Depending on the location of the bubble, you can use copper on either the inside or outside in conjuction with plastic pellets(example, bubble on the inside, use plastic pellets on inside, copper on the outside). Just don't get the two mixed up or you'll have one heck of a time separating them.
 Jar Doctor sells the pellets
 Stinger


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## Marko (Sep 14, 2006)

Thanks Stinger haut. Being new, I never thought of too much weight causing a problem with bubbles. I am working on getting my copper cut now and was going to try some plastic pellets as well. Thanks for the advise, you saved me from learning the hard way. The bottles I bought to practice on are bubble free, but hope to get out and start finding my own here soon.


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## stinger haut (Sep 14, 2006)

Hi Marko,
 I forgot to mention some other very important items with tumbling in regards to RPM's of your machine.
 Normally,a soda bottle can easliy be run at 60 RPMs when you don't have a critical situation as with a shallow bubble. If you have a critical situation such as a bubble, you may want to slow your RPM's down to around 30 to 40 max. The RPM's have a direct effect on how the pellets or copper are being forced against your bottle.
 Other types of bottles usaully require a slower RPM(generally 30 to 40 RPM's is standard) anyway because at higher rates you could easliy damage thinner walled or differently shaped bottles.
 Also, having the right tumbling equipment such as the right size canister, best base stopple for the type or shape of bottle your going to be tumbling.
 One more thing is to be able to know if a dug bottle(usually very dirty) has bubbles, potstones, etc before you choose your cleaning program. Scrub, use Mr. Clean's eraser, use a bleach or diluted muratic acid solution, just make it so that you know what your dealing first before starting the tumbling process.
 Good luck and if something comes up, just email and ask.
 Stinger


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