Just got a sonic cleaner...
- Thread starter Smcx
- Start date
I bought a Lyman sonic cleaner. I am very happy with it:
I run my brass before I decap them for 480 seconds in this solution (1:40):
Damp dry with rags and then I dump them in this to dry for 2 hours (fruit dehydrator bought on sale at Canadian Tire). Works fantastic!:
Decap and resize and dump them again in the sonic cleaner. 2 shots of 480 secs with the Hornady solution. The brass comes out like new!
And back again in the dehydrator.
Love it!
Grave
I run my brass before I decap them for 480 seconds in this solution (1:40):
Damp dry with rags and then I dump them in this to dry for 2 hours (fruit dehydrator bought on sale at Canadian Tire). Works fantastic!:
Decap and resize and dump them again in the sonic cleaner. 2 shots of 480 secs with the Hornady solution. The brass comes out like new!
And back again in the dehydrator.
Love it!
Grave
Effective recipe for cleaning brass cases etc.
This is especially effective on very dirty and/or stained cases.
If you have a heater in the cleaner, set in for 55 to 60 Celsius or use boiling water which will be cooled by the vinegar to about the right temperature.
30 minutes on the timer will clean anything completely...
Imperial
1 quart of hot Water
1 cup of Vinegar
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon of Sunlight dish soap (or similar)
Metric
1 litre of hot water
250 ml. of Vinegar
15 ml. of salt
15 ml. of Sunlight dish soap (or similar)
This is especially effective on very dirty and/or stained cases.
If you have a heater in the cleaner, set in for 55 to 60 Celsius or use boiling water which will be cooled by the vinegar to about the right temperature.
30 minutes on the timer will clean anything completely...
Imperial
1 quart of hot Water
1 cup of Vinegar
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon of Sunlight dish soap (or similar)
Metric
1 litre of hot water
250 ml. of Vinegar
15 ml. of salt
15 ml. of Sunlight dish soap (or similar)
So why are these so much better for processing brass then a wet tumbler with ss pins?
My reloading gear was just stolen so im having to start from scratch and buy everything again, just wondering if there is something newer and better this time around.
My reloading gear was just stolen so im having to start from scratch and buy everything again, just wondering if there is something newer and better this time around.
White Vinegar is usually fairly inexpensive from a dollar store...
This is the Ultrasonic cleaner that I purchased about a year ago from an eBay store in Vancouver. It has cleaned about 20,000 rifle & pistol cases so far without any issues.
I also bought the S/S Wire basket for it. It has a 6 Liter capacity - about 250 x .270 Winchester cases:
This is the Ultrasonic cleaner that I purchased about a year ago from an eBay store in Vancouver. It has cleaned about 20,000 rifle & pistol cases so far without any issues.
I also bought the S/S Wire basket for it. It has a 6 Liter capacity - about 250 x .270 Winchester cases:
- Location
- Edmonton, AB
I picked up a Hornady cleaner with the gift card my g/f gave me for Xmas. I have my AR BCG in the tank as we speak, but I think my solution is a bit weak.
I did run a few .308 cases through the other night using a recipe similar to K-C's, and found that while it worked well on getting things clean, it did flash-rust as soon as I got it out of the tank. Just for funzies, I picked up some Hornady 1-shot case solution. I really like the Lyman gun parts solution for steel.
Yes, I know brass can't rust per se, but it does corrode/oxidize like any other metal. It's just the term I know from hot-tank phosphating (much like Parkerizing) when I worked at a drill-pipe shop when I was 18.
I did run a few .308 cases through the other night using a recipe similar to K-C's, and found that while it worked well on getting things clean, it did flash-rust as soon as I got it out of the tank. Just for funzies, I picked up some Hornady 1-shot case solution. I really like the Lyman gun parts solution for steel.
Yes, I know brass can't rust per se, but it does corrode/oxidize like any other metal. It's just the term I know from hot-tank phosphating (much like Parkerizing) when I worked at a drill-pipe shop when I was 18.
I bought a Lyman sonic cleaner. I am very happy with it:
I run my brass before I decap them for 480 seconds in this solution (1:40):
Damp dry with rags and then I dump them in this to dry for 2 hours (fruit dehydrator bought on sale at Canadian Tire). Works fantastic!:
Decap and resize and dump them again in the sonic cleaner. 2 shots of 480 secs with the Hornady solution. The brass comes out like new!
And back again in the dehydrator.
Love it!
Grave
Wouldn't decapping them first be faster? Rifle casings have a hard time draining without the air gap. Pistol, not so bad.
OP, I have a Hornady as well. It works well for me too. Gun cleaning, and cases.
They are not better. To come close to the wet tumbler you have to go thru a lot of steps to get a close result. I went to a ultrasonic from the old vibrating style tumbler and was really not impressed at all. I tried the solution for brass from Hornady and it made the cases clean but not shinny. It took close to 5 cycles of 8 minutes to get the classes clean and somewhat shinny but that was as far as it got. I then tried the formula with vinegar and salt and it worked better but still not what I expected as advertised on various web sites etc.
On cleaning metal they work great at getting into the small spaces and actually cleaning the gunk out. I put up with the ultrasonic and all the steps involved to get somewhat shinny brass and finally I welded up a tumbler base and used an old treadmill motor and controller as the drive to turn a big drum with 10 pounds of stainless steel pins. I did a complete write up of motor speeds/pulley sizes with complete plans and then did a follow up with the results of stainless pins and tumbler here: http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/foru...45-Do-stainless-steel-pins-work-(Here-you-go) .
You will not get these results from ultrasonic as I tried 4 of the 30-06 cases the same that are in the picture in the ultrasonic at the same time as the steel pins were tumbling. After 10 cycles in the ultrasonic I gave up, they were clean but no where close to shinny as the ones that were tumbled.
That was my own experiences with both cleaning methods.
I still use a lyman 1200 to polish after cleaning. It seems like the brass stays cleaner and cleans easier after they get a coat of car wax. The sonic apparently isn't as good as ss tumbling, but it cleans the insides WAY faster than corncob or walnut.
White Vinegar is usually fairly inexpensive from a dollar store...
This is the Ultrasonic cleaner that I purchased about a year ago from an eBay store in Vancouver. It has cleaned about 20,000 rifle & pistol cases so far without any issues.
I also bought the S/S Wire basket for it. It has a 6 Liter capacity - about 250 x .270 Winchester cases:
That's a great looking unit, mind if I ask how much you paid for it? My Dad bought a cheap one from harbor freight in the US, the only thing i dislike is the size of it. Really handy for cleaning carburetors and rusty parts.
I have a new lyman sonic in the box in edmonton area that retails for 150 and would like 100 for it
ss pins may be better and I am going with that system but it will be 500 once I get the rebel 17 from the usa with a dryer, that is the difference maninly cost
Jefferson
ss pins may be better and I am going with that system but it will be 500 once I get the rebel 17 from the usa with a dryer, that is the difference maninly cost
Jefferson
Bought a vibrating tumbler...not very impressed! 9mm cases are still stained, they're clean but look like SH*T!! Was going to buy a sonic cleaner, but didn't know the difference between the two.
Thanks Hunter64 will be looking at your homemade SS wet tumbler you built, sounds like a good winter project.
I'm new to reloading, but I'm a little anal about things, the look, sizing ,etc.... Want it, to look new and work better then new!! That's the main reasons we do it.....control ...and to save lots of money!!
Cheers
Brian
Thanks Hunter64 will be looking at your homemade SS wet tumbler you built, sounds like a good winter project.
I'm new to reloading, but I'm a little anal about things, the look, sizing ,etc.... Want it, to look new and work better then new!! That's the main reasons we do it.....control ...and to save lots of money!!
Cheers
Brian
I have the same one from EBAY from vancouver. I got the stainless basket as I was told it conducted the process better.
I clean all my hand guns and it does an amazing job.
I use simple green cleaner and water.
Cost about 330 I think.
I clean all my hand guns and it does an amazing job.
I use simple green cleaner and water.
Cost about 330 I think.
I don't mind you asking at all it was US$ 199.99 (US$248.58 with HST and shipping included). The item is still current on eBay.ca - item # 120772007074
If you want the S/S basket, message them and they will list one for you. The plastic basket is the right choice for brass. The S/S basket has a coarse "weave" - 19x19mm openings.
This is a SOLID, well made unit with all the right features...
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put in a some liquid brass polish into the tumbler. I use a product called "FLITZ". a few drips in the tumbler before turning it on. The brass comes out shiny like new jewelry.
I find the tumbler gets them shiny, but the ultra sonic gets them clean.
