Ultrasonic cleaning solutions
- Thread starter thegunnut
- Start date
I'm using (pre-heated) distilled water to help-out the US cleaner heating element, a few drop of Lemi-Shine and Dawn soap. Pretty much what the guys are using with wet tumblers w/ stainless pins. Results are excellent for me.
Edit: I'm using the Lyman Turbo Sonic 2500 Ultra Sonic cleaner w/ heating element. I'm doing many 8 min cycles for good results.
Edit: I'm using the Lyman Turbo Sonic 2500 Ultra Sonic cleaner w/ heating element. I'm doing many 8 min cycles for good results.
Based on what I found about this years ago I've always used 1 part cheap white vinegar to 4 parts water and a dash of liquid laundry detergent. This does a great job on the brass. It comes out looking brand new.
Wider mouth short cases like .45acp and 9mm come out nice and shiny inside and out. Longer .38Spl and .357Mag come out whistle clean outside but a little dark looking inside. This is all with the primers still in place.
Rifle casings get de-primed first then cleaned. The opening of the primer pocket sees the insides and outsides looking like new.
I run the brass through with a 15 minute cycle with the heater turned up to 50C to get these results. Rinse really well in a large sink full of water and dump it when suds start to linger in the rinse water. Or if using buckets perhaps a first then second rinse in different buckets.
Wider mouth short cases like .45acp and 9mm come out nice and shiny inside and out. Longer .38Spl and .357Mag come out whistle clean outside but a little dark looking inside. This is all with the primers still in place.
Rifle casings get de-primed first then cleaned. The opening of the primer pocket sees the insides and outsides looking like new.
I run the brass through with a 15 minute cycle with the heater turned up to 50C to get these results. Rinse really well in a large sink full of water and dump it when suds start to linger in the rinse water. Or if using buckets perhaps a first then second rinse in different buckets.
I just bought one on the EE awaiting it's arrival, I have about 400 pieces of rifle and pistol brass all deprimed waiting to be cleaned.
Greenjoytj
Member
- Location
- Durham Region, Ontario
Tap water with TSP powder from the paint dept. at Home Depot and citric acid from bulk barn or Lemi-Shine, plus a dish washing rinse aid like Finish. Sometime I’ll add a touch of Calgon to soften the tap water.
I sometime use Hornady One Shot brass cleaner but only as a final “shine up” and I save that mix to a jug for another few uses because it’s quite expensive.
I do both US cleaning plus some time in the tumbler with SS pins, depends how clean the inside of the cases are from time in the US cleaner. I shoot mostly BP and the cases are fouled with a greasy waxy film plus the carbon.
I always deprime and clean the primer pockets first as this shortens the time spent in the machines.
I sometime use Hornady One Shot brass cleaner but only as a final “shine up” and I save that mix to a jug for another few uses because it’s quite expensive.
I do both US cleaning plus some time in the tumbler with SS pins, depends how clean the inside of the cases are from time in the US cleaner. I shoot mostly BP and the cases are fouled with a greasy waxy film plus the carbon.
I always deprime and clean the primer pockets first as this shortens the time spent in the machines.
Last edited:
Tried a small amount of rifle brass tonight, came out cleaner than when it was placed in. 25 minutes in a offbrand cleaner using room temp water and hornady one shot with a drop of dishsoap. Tomorrow I will use hot water and try again.
