building a tumbler

[lblackvelvet]

Hello Bamabottles, I can tumble 2 soda bottles inside and outside with copper, 2 inside and outside with ceramic pellets, and two inside only with copper. That is the limit without straining the motor and reducing the speed of the tumbler. I can tumble 7 bottles if just inside only. Going to be placing order soon for more copper wire also. Thanks, Kevin...

 

[Stoneylaneman]

What did you use to make your stopples? I am currently building a tumbler to clean my milk bottles. I don't plan on turning any other type of bottles at this time and would like to know where to get the parts to make the stopples. Also, I am looking for some clear PVC. This post has been great in giving me some ideas for putting my tumbler together.

 

[lblackvelvet]

Hello, I used 4'' drain test plugs, you will need at least a 6'' if not an 8 '' to hold a quart milk bottle. I have never tumbled a milk bottle but I would think the stopple design I made would work on a larger scale. I used a steel 2.5'' washer and welded 4- 5/16'' bolts at an angle to the washer then covered them with a rubber hose. Have you checked to see if the Jar Dr. sells them for milks ? Good luck ! Kevin...

 

[bamabottles]

lblackvelvet,I was wondering about pushing 7 with copper. I think it is feasible to push at least 3, if not 4 with copper inside and outside and a couple of more with inside only. My jar dr machine runs 3 of the 4 inch canisters on the bottom that are full, one more full 4 inch riding between and on top of #1 and #2 canister, then a 3 inch for inside only running on top and between #2 and #3 canister and yet another 3 inch running on top of those last two... the machine did not come from jar dr rigged like that... i had to put some additional rollers on the ends that extended up to keep the top ones from rolling off... I run 4 inside and outside and 4 inside only at the same time, since i put 2 bottles inside each of the 3 inch canisters... most people do inside and outside at the same time, and probably 80 % of the time that is a mistake because the inside is often much more stained and much harder to clean than the outside, so the outside ends up over tumbled. I never want to loose seams or slug plate edges, so almost all of mine get inside only for 4 days with 1200 grit before i even put them in the main canisters. I would be very careful using ceramic pellets. I would think you may not even need cutter with them... have you tried just water? They make ceramic knife sharpeners so.... you get my point. Mold seams can often be weak and you have to take great care not to remove any portion of them or you risk ruining a good bottle. I have a jessup bottling pepsi slug plate that i picked up on ebay and that is a poster child for overtumbling.... pics on ebay were bad so i could not see it but i would not have purchased if i had known. Slug plate worn down on both sides...

 

[lblackvelvet]

Hello Bamabottles, I have had great results using ceramic pellets for the cut tumble. They will not give a finish tumble no matter how I try with different compounds. The best thing with the ceramic is the weight factor is much less than copper. The results with ceramic pellets tumbling to remove defects from a bottle are faster than using copper. There is no comparison to using copper for the final tumble but the weight factor allows me to tumble more bottles at the same time with less money and weight. This is my choice and many people will say it is a waste of time to use ceramic pellets and that is their opinion!! IT WORKS FOR ME !!! Thanks, Kevin..

 

[buzzkutt033]

i ran across this example today. this is NOT what a tumbled bottle should look like.... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vivid-Deep-Cobalt-Blue-KNICKERBOCKE-178-50-/171234929324?_trksid=p2047675.l4066#ht_897wt_900 foot of snow today and now we're getting a nice coating of freezing rain..... jim

 

[hemihampton]

Looks like top half of bottle got overtumbled? LEON.

 

[lblackvelvet]

What would cause the top half to be over tumbled ? Thanks, Kevin...

 

[andy volkerts]

Hello Kevin. Your tumbler sounds like it works great! congrats on the stopples, that's how I made mine, the only problem is the bolts and washer rust some with use, but the copper keeps them rather clean. the whole soda is overpolished, not just the top. Look at how smooth and glossy it is, wasn't that shiny new. And the embossing has been flattened out by the wearing of the medium. ruined, but a lot of collectors think wow what a clean shiny bottle, BUT it has no character or charm, may have well have been made yesterday, and looks the part don't ya think...........Andy

 

[chosi]

I agree that bottle looks over-tumbled.But I would have to see a "before" photo before blaming the tumbler. I've dug bottles out of the ground that had very weak embossing like that bottle has. I assume this is just the way some bottles were made, which I've heard referred to as a "weak strike". I guess that means not enough glass flowed into the lettering area of the mold when the bottle was made. So this bottle may have started out with weak embossing and no case wear, in which case all the tumbler is guilty of is making it a little too shiny.