Dug
Bronze Member
- Feb 18, 2013
- 1,138
- 1,263
- Detector(s) used
- XP Deus/Sovereign GT.
- Primary Interest:
- Relic Hunting
Hi;
For the most part bottle enthusiasts seem to be divided into two groups, those that prefer the bottles the way they were found and those that prefer that they be returned to their original appearance or close to it. I am in the latter group. I love bottles so much I undertook the hefty investment of buying a professional tumbling setup and have had no regrets. I only tumble what I have and for local friends but do have a mentor that does it professionally.
Here is an example of the difference one can make tumbling. My brother and I found this Eagle Brewing Co bottle over 50 years ago when we were kids exploring the woods near our home in central Florida. We came across a large rusty tin can/bottle dump that I estimate dated to the 1930s and as kids boy were we in heaven. I can still remember the numerous hikes we made in the Florida heat with loaded burlap bags over our shoulders while slapping at horse flies. This Eagle was laying on top with a few other purple bottles that had taken in the Florida sunshine until we found them. It had some rust stains on the exterior but fortunately the staining (sickness) was all interior.
I was concerned about damage to the stopper assy if I did both an exterior and interior tumble so I did an interior tumble only. I taped up the stopper so it would not beat against the bottle as it rotated inside the cylinder. After the tumble I submerged the bottle to it's shoulders in full strength Muriatic acid for a few minutes to remove the minor rust stains and then scrubbed the bottle down with BKF. I think it came out in splendid condition, and it now sits in my curio cabinet as a reminder to the adventures my brother and I had. Here is a before, and an after:
For the most part bottle enthusiasts seem to be divided into two groups, those that prefer the bottles the way they were found and those that prefer that they be returned to their original appearance or close to it. I am in the latter group. I love bottles so much I undertook the hefty investment of buying a professional tumbling setup and have had no regrets. I only tumble what I have and for local friends but do have a mentor that does it professionally.
Here is an example of the difference one can make tumbling. My brother and I found this Eagle Brewing Co bottle over 50 years ago when we were kids exploring the woods near our home in central Florida. We came across a large rusty tin can/bottle dump that I estimate dated to the 1930s and as kids boy were we in heaven. I can still remember the numerous hikes we made in the Florida heat with loaded burlap bags over our shoulders while slapping at horse flies. This Eagle was laying on top with a few other purple bottles that had taken in the Florida sunshine until we found them. It had some rust stains on the exterior but fortunately the staining (sickness) was all interior.
I was concerned about damage to the stopper assy if I did both an exterior and interior tumble so I did an interior tumble only. I taped up the stopper so it would not beat against the bottle as it rotated inside the cylinder. After the tumble I submerged the bottle to it's shoulders in full strength Muriatic acid for a few minutes to remove the minor rust stains and then scrubbed the bottle down with BKF. I think it came out in splendid condition, and it now sits in my curio cabinet as a reminder to the adventures my brother and I had. Here is a before, and an after:
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