Re: cleaning bottles

If wanting to buy  a machine it can be a large investment and is only
NORMALLY used to clean bottles of GOOD or better value because of the cost
of machine as well as the materials used to do the job well and right. IF
you buy the machine I suggest NOT starting with a valuable bottle first.
Start with something worthless first to get the hang of it.  It is also only
normally used to remove the opaque white stain found on the inside or
outside if other methods don't work.Inside stain is caused by contents and
minerals or rain water seeping in with minerals around the bottle from other
objects or in the soil, and the outside from the minerals buried with as
well found in the soil itself. If you find the investment is too large, you
can find the service on the same site for about $15.00 US last I looked, but
if you take some copper wire and sit down and strip and cut in small pieces
to fill bottle about 1/4 to 1/2 full and add some baking soda with a little
water and shake it back and forth INSIDE bottle( it takes very little time
if not "in" the glass,longer for heavy staining) you will remove a good
amount if not most of the staining.   I personally have a homemade machine I
rarely use, but I do use the copper and oxides I bought for it regularly for
those medicines and odd shaped bottles that don't fit well in canister for
machine. Have thought many times that I would need to tumble a bottle that
came very clean using this method.  To remove the stubborn dirt I use 50/50
water and muriatic acid from local home improvement store in pool chemicals
area, and brushes bought at Wal-Mart with soap and water before that.  The
longer you leave in acid the more you remove or you could use full strength
acid which is a little faster but becomes more expensive for the amount of
acid you need to do it on several bottles at once. USE PROPER PROTECTIVE
GLOVES at least if not face guard too, as well as common sense when using
the acid!!! it can burn or blind you if even a drop gets on you.It is
re-usable but if it turns a solid yellow and dirty start with new batch.
BOTLNUTZ
"Michael Zierdt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Check out http://www.antiquebottles.com/cleaning.html
>
> -- 
> Thanks,
>
> Mike
> "doughboy hehe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Hello,
> >  I'm new to digging bottles and need some info on a bottle tumbler.
> > Anyone have any ideas?
> >
>
>