My dads collection, Need help for any IDing, cleaning tips

[MayheM]

This is a small part of my dads bottling collection, my mom made him get rid of most of it after they retired and moved to FL . I will be taking photos of his MDing finds as well and posting them as well. Any help at all will be greatly appreciated, any cleaning tips, Identification, and if any of them have any value at all. Most of these were found after a house was excavated upstate NY. He has been MDing for 30 plus years and I have learned a lot, lets hope with practice it can become as easy as he makes it look Anyway enjoy the bottle pictures, hope I didn't mess up the re-sizing of them, well I think my brain is broken from all the cutting cropping and pasting with these photos I am just gonna post and see how it goes, also if anyone has any quick tips for photo editing on here would be greatly appreciated as well, Thanks All!

[MayheM]

Some more..

[MayheM]

FYI the dog hair collection is mine, took only minutes to accumulate that collection

[epackage]

Many are just common with no value unless you like looking at them in the window with the sun shining thru them. There are a handful that may have some value but it's hard to read the embossing, it would be best to take pic's with light behind them so the embossing can be clearly read. I look forward to seeing them that way..... Jim

The first bottle shown has potential, the tooth powder has potential, Theodore Nettes Whiskey, Bowling Pin shaped, blue bottle below the bowling pin, and the Harrisonburg clear med all have a bit of potential to have some value and could use better natural light pic's so the embossing can be read clearly......Jim

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

MayheM ~

Overall I'd say you did real good with the pictures. You should see some of the stuff posted on other forums. Nightmareville!

I especially like the "New York Bottling Works" torpedo/bowling pin style bottle. Most of those styles are from Europe. Plus it's a crown cap too. Nice bottle. Could you please write out everything that is embossed on it? I may be able to date it for you. But even without the info, I'd circa date it to around 1905.

You asked about cleaning methods ... lots of options there. If you are into household products, I recommend soaking them overnight, especially the rust stained ones, in undiluted distilled white vinegar, followed by a good detergent scrubbing inside and out. The white vinegar eats rust and is good for carpet stains as well.

Or if you prefer something stronger, I suggest "Bar Keepers Friend." It works great!

The first four pictures are the before and after results of a RC Cola bottle I recently cleaned using just the distilled white vinegar. The last picture is of the "Bar Keepers Friend."

SBB

[Harry Pristis]

Most of the images are just okay. It's frustrating trying to read the embossing, though.

You can use just about any cleaning product (except Whink) to clean the bottles. Hydrochloric (muriatic) acid will not harm the glass. LimeAway is commonly used if you have limey deposits or iron deposits. If the glass is "sick," that is, decomposing, no cleaning product will remove the sickness.

What I have found generally useful is laundry bleach.

I fill a bottle with tepid tap-water to which I add a tiny amount of laundry detergent (because it is non-sudsing) and a dollup of laundry bleach. I let it soak for a few hours.

Whatever residue is left I remove with a home-made brush. I use a stiff wire coat-hanger for this purpose. I cut the hook portion away. I bend the smallest possible loop on one end of the wine and a large loop on the other. The larger loop will be the handle.

I cut a lengthwise strip of scrubbing pad (a Scotch-Brite knockoff from the dollar store) wide enough to generously cover the small loop. I roll the strip of scrubbing pad around the small loop and secure it tightly with several wraps of thin copper wire. String or a rubber band could be substituted for the copper wire. The copper is too soft to scratch the glass, but is relatively impervious to chemicals.

If you wish to use a commercial bottle brush, try this. I affix a small patch (about the size of the brush diameter) of scrubbing pad to the tip of the brush using polyurethane cement (Plumbers Goop, Shoe Goop, etc.). This patch not only makes the brush more effective in corners and at the bottom of the bottle, it also cushions the tip of the wire brush from any "hammer effect" in manipulating the brush inside the bottle.

[fishaddicit]

As long as you read the instructions and are "VERY CAREFUL" I use a 50/50 mix of muriatic acid and water in a big plastic bin. DO NOT inhale fumes and ensure you use long rubber gloves. Let the bottles soak for a few hours, rinse well, then the bottle brush of your choice. When I find bottles covered with barnacles inside and out the acid still does a wonderful job.
BE CAREFUL!! But it works great. It is the only way I will ever clean my bottles.

[d2]

For the inside, number 7 1/2 or 8 bird shot works decent for us...d2

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

d2 ~

Are you talkin' shot from a gun or rolled around the inside of the bottle?
I'll have to give it a try, (the rollin' around part, I mean). Never heard of that one. I just happen to have some BBs that go with my collectible 1960s Red Ryder BB gun.

SODABBGUNBOB

[d2]

Put some soapy water in it, just enough to cover the bottom and cut open a shotgun shell or get some lead shot, pour it in, put your thumb over the mouth and shake. If will get the dirt and stuff out. May have to do it a time or two. I have never used BB gun BB's. I do know the lead shot works just never used BB's...d2

[creeper71]

could you take better pics of the 2 bromo bottles? I think there may be a backwards Z on one or both