Stuck copper on the inside of your bottle

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stinger haut

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I know that we all have experienced having pieces of stuck copper on the inside, especially at the bottoms of the bottle after you have tumbled the bottle.
I was wondering if other members who tumble would like to share what methods they use to remove these pieces from their bottles.
I am a caveman when it comes to this method because I use an old metal coat hanger that I cut in half. I find that I can bend the metal to work out the trapped copper. Luckily, I haven't put one scratch on any bottle where I used this method with my metal coat hanger.
I am sure that there safer and easier methods than my coat hanger.
Stinger
 

GuntherHess

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The worst bottles for stuck copper are early medicines with really narrow, thin corners. One way to get the copper out is put some acid in the bottle and let it disolve the copper a bit until it falls lose.
 

JGUIS

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Just a pinprick of super glue on the end of the coat hangar, set it on the copper and wait. At least you don't have to dig/flick it out.
 

stinger haut

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I have thought of using an acid to disolve the copper, but luckily my picking at the piece of copper has always worked.
However, you know that there will be a time in the future where it just won't come out.
So, what type of acid do you use? I keep a diluted mixture of muradtic acid for cleaning up the bottles after they have been tumbled.
Stinger
 

stinger haut

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Hey, now why didn't I think of that.
That is a good one, my grandkids have superglue in their playroom at our house.
It would be better than my picking at the stuck piece of copper.
Thanks,
Stinger
 

wvbottlehead

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I add a little more copper & some water & just shake it around a bit until the loose copper breaks the stuck pieces free.
 

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