Ultrasonic cleaning

dennishoddy

dennishoddy

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Feb 11, 2011
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Ponca City, Ok
I got an RCBS ultrasonic cleaner from Santa.
Big enough to clean a full size 1911 with grip panels removed and slide separated from the lower, brass, or whatever.
What are you folks using for a cleaner?
 
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I am using brownells ultrasonic solution. I need to get a stainless basket for my cleaner. I love cleaning bcg and pistol barrels in it.
 
Sort of. Any fluid will work if the unit is causing cavitation like it should, but it goes much faster with a solvent. I just don't like the idea of using a water-based solvent for when I just drop an entire assembly or complex part into the tub. If mine had an airtight lid I'd use something like an industrial solvent, but mine is an open-top unit.

Motor oil works extremely well, plus your parts are lubed up at the same time. Draining the oil from some parts takes a little while. I usually hang a strainer basket over the ultrasonic and let the oil drain back into it. I change the oil out completely when it becomes really dark black.
 
Yeah. I've been using an 5 quart jug of some cheap 10W-30 leftover from a car project. In two years or so, I've used maybe two and a half quarts. All the parts are clean in 10 minutes or faster depending on the temp of the oil. It will heat up from the ultrasonic transducer, which gets HOT when operating. Ideally, if I remember, I start mine early to let it warm up before placing the parts in. If you leave them in longer than ten minutes you don't even have to do any detailing. Just drain, wipe, and put the gun back together.
 
It's stinky but try ATF or a mixture with your motor oil. Cleaned and lubed at the same time, good idea Mitch.
 
Mitch Gibson said:
Yeah. I've been using an 5 quart jug of some cheap 10W-30 leftover from a car project. In two years or so, I've used maybe two and a half quarts. All the parts are clean in 10 minutes or faster depending on the temp of the oil. It will heat up from the ultrasonic transducer, which gets HOT when operating. Ideally, if I remember, I start mine early to let it warm up before placing the parts in. If you leave them in longer than ten minutes you don't even have to do any detailing. Just drain, wipe, and put the gun back together.
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Mitch,
What machine are you using?
 
No, this one is so old it came out before they started assigning model numbers. It's very small.
 
Do you notice the motor oil discoloring sights or any optic fibers? I have a brownells ultrasonic oil that is very thin and I have never used it for cleaning, I just submerge the parts in it and crank up the built in heater. I like the solution for poly frames and other non-steel parts. Works well on suppressors too.
 
I've never had the oil discolor FO rod. But since mine is small I have to put a whole slide in with one end sticking out. Instead of doing one end then the other, I leave the muzzle end sticking out and clean it manually since it is dramatically less complex than the breach end.

This is also how I've been cleaning my AR BCG. I didn't actually take it apart to clean the piston (gas ring) end of the bolt and carrier until about 1700 rounds, and that was because I realized I'd never done it.
 
Good read here.

I've been all over the internet looking for home brew mixtures. Water, Dawn dish soap and lemi-shine for brass, and I've not found any instances of using oil.

I'm going to try it though. It makes sense, and I like things like that.
 
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