Tumbling quandary

[Slowmovangogh]

So, I finally got my machine up and running. After a few months of trying to figure out how to rig my own stopples and failing, I broke down and purchased a pair of 4" ones from the jar doctor. So far I am happy with the results but I am finding that the bottoms of the bottles are not fully polishing or are remaining a little hazy or lightly scratched. This is pretty much the bottom 3/4" or so on the side that sits in the stopple with the fingers. I am using about 75% cut copper wire and 25% plastic tumbling pellets because I currently don't have quite enough wire to use just that. Maybe it's the mixed media I'm using, but I can't really think why that would affect it. Does anyone have any advice to get the bottles to polish consistently from top to bottom?

 

[webe992]

Do you have enough copper/pellets to cover the entire bottle about half way when it is lying on its side? It could be that the lower part of the bottle has more pellets and isn’t tumbling as well as the copper

 

[embe]

Is the machine sitting level? I imagine the plastic being lighter than copper would cause it to migrate, to the top or an end.

 

[Slowmovangogh]

The machine is level. I have enough medium to fill to about 2/3 up on the bottle when sitting vertically, but unfortunately I am currently using a regular white pvc pipe so I can't see the level when it's on it's side. I ordered a length of clear pipe but it has not been delivered yet. As far as the plastic sitting on top, again I can't see, but when I dump it out the plastic does tend to come out first so it probably is on the top. I guess for now I will try to get ahold of some more copper and take out the plastic to see if that helps.

 

[Merle]

The machine is level. I have enough medium to fill to about 2/3 up on the bottle when sitting vertically, but unfortunately I am currently using a regular white pvc pipe so I can't see the level when it's on it's side. I ordered a length of clear pipe but it has not been delivered yet. As far as the plastic sitting on top, again I can't see, but when I dump it out the plastic does tend to come out first so it probably is on the top. I guess for now I will try to get ahold of some more copper and take out the plastic to see if that helps.

I was having the same issue until I got the clear tubes and realized that a lot of copper was going in the void of the stopples causing the bottom not to be cleaned proper on my end too. I sure do get my exercise now when it’s time to doing all 7 tubes in one night. It’s like lifting weights. And I’m about to get another machine that can do another 4. I’ll have to do them different days so I’m not doing 11 in one night.

 

[Mailman1960]

I was having the same issue until I got the clear tubes and realized that a lot of copper was going in the void of the stopples causing the bottom not to be cleaned proper on my end too. I sure do get my exercise now when it’s time to doing all 7 tubes in one night. It’s like lifting weights. And I’m about to get another machine that can do another 4. I’ll have to do them different days so I’m not doing 11 in one night.

How are your results for doing it for one night?

 

[SCHistory]

So, I finally got my machine up and running. After a few months of trying to figure out how to rig my own stopples and failing, I broke down and purchased a pair of 4" ones from the jar doctor. So far I am happy with the results but I am finding that the bottoms of the bottles are not fully polishing or are remaining a little hazy or lightly scratched. This is pretty much the bottom 3/4" or so on the side that sits in the stopple with the fingers. I am using about 75% cut copper wire and 25% plastic tumbling pellets because I currently don't have quite enough wire to use just that. Maybe it's the mixed media I'm using, but I can't really think why that would affect it. Does anyone have any advice to get the bottles to polish consistently from top to bottom?

What polishing oxide are you using? Having a cloudy issue with mine too. Using 1500 grit aluminum oxide in a 4” pvc tube .

 

[hemihampton]

How much water are you using? that question is for everybody. LEON.

 

[SCHistory]

How much water are you using? that question is for everybody. LEON.

Probably not enough? I cover it almost to the neck. It’s a weird bottle though, rectangular amber Hoffsteaters bitters (excuse the spelling). We pulled about 30 whole ones out of a privy in Charleston, I’m using them as my baseline to test my methods (since I have 30 of them) this is my first time tumbling and I have a homemade treadmill system with PVC canisters and using cut copper (that I cut myself) I Ordered 1500 grit alum oxide from Amazon while I’m waiting on my stuff from jar doctor. First tumble was with Alum Oxide from Harbor Freight, which took care of the glass rot. Then tried my ex husbands 3M Machine polish which is mostly aluminum oxide, that looked good, then next tumble added my
1500 grit AO from Amazon and now it’s SUPER Hazy. Let me see if I can attach photos.

 

[SCHistory]

How much water are you using? that question is for everybody. LEON.