sonic cleaning

Jeff2131 · January 13, 2014, 10:36 AM

Probably getting a hornady lock and load sonic cleaner today...they are on sale at midsouth shooters supply. Before i make the purchase, just wanted to get some quick positive or negative input of the product. Does it really clean in 10 minutes, says it does small gun parts too, does it do a good job on ar15 and ar10 bolt carriers and bolt components? Is it noisey? Its listed at $74, is it worth the money?

MarkCO · January 13, 2014, 11:03 AM

Cleans gun parts in about 30 minutes. Some of the best money I have ever spent and I use it weekly for .22 bolts, AR platform bolts and carriers as well as shotgun bolts and carriers. I don't use it much for cleaning brass.

It will wreck fiber optics, paint, and Duracoat type finishes.

Jeff2131 · January 13, 2014, 11:34 AM

Hmmmm, good to know! I accuallh have a 1960's J.C. Higgins 12ga that i had ceracoated. Do you know how it will work with small ceracoated parts? Glad to hear its great for ar parts...i shoot mine soooooo much i get tired of cleaning it all the time by hand. Im excited to be able to really get a good clean primer pocket with out manual labor and also have the inside of the case cleaned too. So when they are done, does the cleaner dry them? Or is there a process to dry them without having spotting on the cases? Also, when i buy it, does it come with everything i need? And do you dump it after each use or can you reuse the cleaning solution multiple times?

Jeff2131 · January 13, 2014, 11:45 AM

Also, can a cleaning solution be made at home to work in this sonic cleaner or does it REQUIRE the use of the hornady one shot cleaner. And it looks like theres a cleaner for gun parts and one for cases...if the case cleaner is used for gun parts will it take the finish off the parts?

salvadore · January 13, 2014, 12:37 PM

I'd like to know that also. I use Lymans brass cleaning solution for my dirty brass and it works great, but the only ingredients listed is citric acid.

Grundy53 · January 13, 2014, 12:37 PM

I like mine. I usually do the full thirty minutes. I have both the brass cleaner and the parts cleaner.

Jeff2131 · January 13, 2014, 12:45 PM

Hey grundy, have you ever used the brass cleaner on you gun parts? Wondering if i really need to spend the cash for two different cleaners. And whats the drying process?

MarkCO · January 13, 2014, 12:58 PM

If you are doing brass, you should use the specified brass cleaner for sure.

For gun parts, I have used simple green and some other water soluble emulsifiers, even 409. The brass cleaner does not cut the grease. While I have let a tub sit for several days and re-used it several times, I have changed my process. I let it sit for 20 minutes or so, then pour the cleaning mix into a bucket. When I get near the bottom, particles and sludge, I stop and then pour that out. Doing this, I get about 6 or 7 uses out of a mix.

Even with straight water, it will take the Ceracote off. I have some sights on slides and other small parts, I just re-coat them if I really need to clean them. I made a small wire jig to hold 1911 slides in the tub, with the sights just above the water level.

No dryer. I have a 3 gallon bucket with 10% alcohol and 90% DI water. Dip and swish and let air dry, no spots. The one bucket is kept sealed and is going on 3 years.

Jeff2131 · January 13, 2014, 01:03 PM

Oh wow...ok. no ceracote cleaning. Gotcha. And i like the water/alcohol mix idea...will they spot if just left to air.dry? Could they be put in an.oven on 350 until dry? Sorry for all the questions...ive only ever tumbled in.walnut shell so i dont know a thing about other cleaning methods.

MarkCO · January 13, 2014, 05:05 PM

Yes, you will get spots if you air dry. Oven, IMHO, not a good idea for brass

Brass is copper and zinc, if you leave in solution too long, or add heat, you can initiate a process called "dezincification". This basically is preferential corrosion of zinc leaving behind a matrix of copper with a huge reduction in strength. I've had people call me all kinds of names for even mentioning this as it relates to wet tumbling using things like "lemi-shine" and other home-brewed cleaners, but it is a concern with cartridge brass, and why I do only small batches in the sonic and avoid large batch wet tumbling.

Google "dezincification", "pink brass", "copper colored brass", "stress corrosion cracking of brass" if you would like to learn about what to watch for.

Tuzo · January 13, 2014, 05:15 PM

Citric acid is sometimes recommended in sonic cleaners. Works well with a few drops of Dawn for nearly everything except blued parts. Citric acid will strip bluing very quickly. I have become quite familiar with this condition.

For blued parts a simple solution of warm water and your favorite non-citrus based dish washing detergent works very well in sonic cleaners.

101combatvet · January 13, 2014, 05:15 PM

A bucket of solvent is much cheaper.

LE-28 · January 13, 2014, 05:44 PM

I would recommend a sonic cleaner to anyone. They work very well and you can use a mix of a teaspoon of Lemi-Shine (from Wall-Mart) and a quick squirt of Dawn dishwashing detergent. This mix works as well as the Hornady One Shot Concentrate I was using. I rinse them off good in the basket and transfer them to the other side of the sink for a quick soak in very hot water. Towel dry and they go under my inferred heater in the garage to dry.

Don't use any detergent except Dawn because it is the only one that doesn't have some chemical that will hurt your brass in the long term.

As far as drying goes, I use this. http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/pag...56,43465,44590

It will dry 200 9mms in about 15 minutes. It get 300 deg plus under there so I keep mine mounted about 12 inches over my work bench.

Deprime the cases before you put them in and it will clean them completely.
With semi-auto cases if you shake the basket under the solution they will stand up and that's where they draft the best as far as cleaning.

Some people put their rifle shells in a plastic open bottomed tray that the shells came in, to hold them upright and they clean better. The bottom line is, if you clean them everytime they will come clean for you easily. If you only clean them once a year or every 10 times they have been shot, they won't come clean (the primer pockets and inside the case).

Grundy53 · January 13, 2014, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff2131

Hey grundy, have you ever used the brass cleaner on you gun parts? Wondering if i really need to spend the cash for two different cleaners. And whats the drying process?

No, I haven't.

Qtiphky · January 14, 2014, 10:03 AM

I rinse them thoroughly with hot water and then put them on a towel and let them air dry. I will roll them around a few times and the dehumidifier is right near them. I haven't noticed any spots and I've been doing it this way for over a year now. As with anything, your mileage may vary.

Jay24bal · January 14, 2014, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Also, can a cleaning solution be made at home to work in this sonic cleaner or does it REQUIRE the use of the hornady one shot cleaner.

I use a homemade concoction for cleaning brass that has worked well and is incredibly cheap. I fill the unit with water to just under the max line, then add about 2 tablespoons of Krud Kutter and 1 tablespoon of Dawn dish soap. Brass comes out clean, inside and out.

I love mine for brass (have the same model I assume you are looking at based on the Hornady brand and the $74). Just do not expect the brass to come out shiny and polished. If you want polished, new looking brass, a tumbler is still the way to go. If you want quick and clean, the ultra sonic is hard to beat in my book.

I have never used mine for gun parts, so I can not be of any help there.

Pond, James Pond · January 14, 2014, 03:53 PM

I case you haven't bought it yet. Buy it!!

I have little experience of anything else as this is the only cleaner I've ever owned. However, it is quick, small, quiet, easy to set up, pretty easy to clear up and only really has the brass drying as a negative. And a good price...

I just buy citric acid crystals from the local supper market: one 20g pack per litre of distilled water and game on!

cryogenic419 · January 14, 2014, 06:49 PM

My cleaner came with a wire basket, so when it comes time to dry I just shake the brass around in the basket a few times to get rid of most of the water, then hit it with a heat gun from a distance so its not putting too much heat on the brass, its more of a blowing hot air across the area. Then give the basket another few shakes and move the brass around, back to the heat gun again. Takes me less than 5 minutes to dry them off. I imagine you could use a hair dryer and get the same effect. No waterspots. Off to the tumbler for 20 minutes just to get a little bit of the shine going.

Any parts I have cleaned I usually give it a few good shakes then hit it with the 99% rubbing alcohol followed by oiling and lubing as necessary. If you've ever had to get carbon off an AR bolt you know what a pain it can be. I run mine for 15 mins, give it a little scrub to loosen up whatever it can, then another 15 mins. The carbon is pretty much gone, anything that is left can be wiped away.

One thing I have noticed is ultrasonics seem to leave the case REALLY clean, so much so that a carbide pistol die might sometimes require a lubed case every now and again to keep things running smooth.

January 13, 2014, 10:36 AM	#1
Jeff2131 Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2012 Location: Spring City, PA Posts: 497	sonic cleaning Probably getting a hornady lock and load sonic cleaner today...they are on sale at midsouth shooters supply. Before i make the purchase, just wanted to get some quick positive or negative input of the product. Does it really clean in 10 minutes, says it does small gun parts too, does it do a good job on ar15 and ar10 bolt carriers and bolt components? Is it noisey? Its listed at $74, is it worth the money? __________________ ---I DON'T DIAL 911---

January 13, 2014, 11:03 AM	#2
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,308	Cleans gun parts in about 30 minutes. Some of the best money I have ever spent and I use it weekly for .22 bolts, AR platform bolts and carriers as well as shotgun bolts and carriers. I don't use it much for cleaning brass. It will wreck fiber optics, paint, and Duracoat type finishes. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

January 13, 2014, 11:34 AM	#3
Jeff2131 Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2012 Location: Spring City, PA Posts: 497	Hmmmm, good to know! I accuallh have a 1960's J.C. Higgins 12ga that i had ceracoated. Do you know how it will work with small ceracoated parts? Glad to hear its great for ar parts...i shoot mine soooooo much i get tired of cleaning it all the time by hand. Im excited to be able to really get a good clean primer pocket with out manual labor and also have the inside of the case cleaned too. So when they are done, does the cleaner dry them? Or is there a process to dry them without having spotting on the cases? Also, when i buy it, does it come with everything i need? And do you dump it after each use or can you reuse the cleaning solution multiple times? __________________ ---I DON'T DIAL 911---

January 13, 2014, 11:45 AM	#4
Jeff2131 Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2012 Location: Spring City, PA Posts: 497	Also, can a cleaning solution be made at home to work in this sonic cleaner or does it REQUIRE the use of the hornady one shot cleaner. And it looks like theres a cleaner for gun parts and one for cases...if the case cleaner is used for gun parts will it take the finish off the parts? __________________ ---I DON'T DIAL 911---

January 13, 2014, 12:45 PM	#7
Jeff2131 Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2012 Location: Spring City, PA Posts: 497	Hey grundy, have you ever used the brass cleaner on you gun parts? Wondering if i really need to spend the cash for two different cleaners. And whats the drying process? __________________ ---I DON'T DIAL 911---

January 13, 2014, 12:37 PM	#5
salvadore Junior member Join Date: January 1, 2007 Location: Idaho Posts: 2,282	I'd like to know that also. I use Lymans brass cleaning solution for my dirty brass and it works great, but the only ingredients listed is citric acid.

January 13, 2014, 12:37 PM	#6
Grundy53 Member Join Date: November 24, 2013 Location: Lake Stevens, WA Posts: 47	I like mine. I usually do the full thirty minutes. I have both the brass cleaner and the parts cleaner.

January 13, 2014, 12:58 PM	#8
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,308	If you are doing brass, you should use the specified brass cleaner for sure. For gun parts, I have used simple green and some other water soluble emulsifiers, even 409. The brass cleaner does not cut the grease. While I have let a tub sit for several days and re-used it several times, I have changed my process. I let it sit for 20 minutes or so, then pour the cleaning mix into a bucket. When I get near the bottom, particles and sludge, I stop and then pour that out. Doing this, I get about 6 or 7 uses out of a mix. Even with straight water, it will take the Ceracote off. I have some sights on slides and other small parts, I just re-coat them if I really need to clean them. I made a small wire jig to hold 1911 slides in the tub, with the sights just above the water level. No dryer. I have a 3 gallon bucket with 10% alcohol and 90% DI water. Dip and swish and let air dry, no spots. The one bucket is kept sealed and is going on 3 years. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

January 13, 2014, 01:03 PM	#9
Jeff2131 Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2012 Location: Spring City, PA Posts: 497	Oh wow...ok. no ceracote cleaning. Gotcha. And i like the water/alcohol mix idea...will they spot if just left to air.dry? Could they be put in an.oven on 350 until dry? Sorry for all the questions...ive only ever tumbled in.walnut shell so i dont know a thing about other cleaning methods. __________________ ---I DON'T DIAL 911---

January 13, 2014, 05:05 PM	#10
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,308	Yes, you will get spots if you air dry. Oven, IMHO, not a good idea for brass Brass is copper and zinc, if you leave in solution too long, or add heat, you can initiate a process called "dezincification". This basically is preferential corrosion of zinc leaving behind a matrix of copper with a huge reduction in strength. I've had people call me all kinds of names for even mentioning this as it relates to wet tumbling using things like "lemi-shine" and other home-brewed cleaners, but it is a concern with cartridge brass, and why I do only small batches in the sonic and avoid large batch wet tumbling. Google "dezincification", "pink brass", "copper colored brass", "stress corrosion cracking of brass" if you would like to learn about what to watch for. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

January 13, 2014, 05:15 PM	#11
Tuzo Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2007 Location: Louisiana Posts: 797	Citric acid is sometimes recommended in sonic cleaners. Works well with a few drops of Dawn for nearly everything except blued parts. Citric acid will strip bluing very quickly. I have become quite familiar with this condition. For blued parts a simple solution of warm water and your favorite non-citrus based dish washing detergent works very well in sonic cleaners.

January 13, 2014, 05:15 PM	#12
101combatvet Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2011 Posts: 667	A bucket of solvent is much cheaper. __________________ Special Operations Combat Veteran Gunsmith, BS, MFA, Competitive Shooter NRA Certified Firearms Instructor [9 Certifications]

January 13, 2014, 05:44 PM	#13
LE-28 Senior Member Join Date: September 24, 2012 Location: North Carolina Posts: 759	I would recommend a sonic cleaner to anyone. They work very well and you can use a mix of a teaspoon of Lemi-Shine (from Wall-Mart) and a quick squirt of Dawn dishwashing detergent. This mix works as well as the Hornady One Shot Concentrate I was using. I rinse them off good in the basket and transfer them to the other side of the sink for a quick soak in very hot water. Towel dry and they go under my inferred heater in the garage to dry. Don't use any detergent except Dawn because it is the only one that doesn't have some chemical that will hurt your brass in the long term. As far as drying goes, I use this. http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/pag...56,43465,44590 It will dry 200 9mms in about 15 minutes. It get 300 deg plus under there so I keep mine mounted about 12 inches over my work bench. Deprime the cases before you put them in and it will clean them completely. With semi-auto cases if you shake the basket under the solution they will stand up and that's where they draft the best as far as cleaning. Some people put their rifle shells in a plastic open bottomed tray that the shells came in, to hold them upright and they clean better. The bottom line is, if you clean them everytime they will come clean for you easily. If you only clean them once a year or every 10 times they have been shot, they won't come clean (the primer pockets and inside the case).

January 14, 2014, 10:03 AM	#15
Qtiphky Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2008 Location: Upper Michigan, above the Mackinac Bridge Posts: 568	I air dry I rinse them thoroughly with hot water and then put them on a towel and let them air dry. I will roll them around a few times and the dehumidifier is right near them. I haven't noticed any spots and I've been doing it this way for over a year now. As with anything, your mileage may vary.

January 14, 2014, 03:53 PM	#17
Pond, James Pond Senior Member Join Date: July 12, 2011 Location: Top of the Baltic stack Posts: 6,079	I case you haven't bought it yet. Buy it!! I have little experience of anything else as this is the only cleaner I've ever owned. However, it is quick, small, quiet, easy to set up, pretty easy to clear up and only really has the brass drying as a negative. And a good price... I just buy citric acid crystals from the local supper market: one 20g pack per litre of distilled water and game on! __________________ When the right to effective self-defence is denied, that right to self-defence which remains is essentially symbolic. Freedom: Please enjoy responsibly.

January 14, 2014, 06:49 PM	#18
cryogenic419 Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2009 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 569	My cleaner came with a wire basket, so when it comes time to dry I just shake the brass around in the basket a few times to get rid of most of the water, then hit it with a heat gun from a distance so its not putting too much heat on the brass, its more of a blowing hot air across the area. Then give the basket another few shakes and move the brass around, back to the heat gun again. Takes me less than 5 minutes to dry them off. I imagine you could use a hair dryer and get the same effect. No waterspots. Off to the tumbler for 20 minutes just to get a little bit of the shine going. Any parts I have cleaned I usually give it a few good shakes then hit it with the 99% rubbing alcohol followed by oiling and lubing as necessary. If you've ever had to get carbon off an AR bolt you know what a pain it can be. I run mine for 15 mins, give it a little scrub to loosen up whatever it can, then another 15 mins. The carbon is pretty much gone, anything that is left can be wiped away. One thing I have noticed is ultrasonics seem to leave the case REALLY clean, so much so that a carbide pistol die might sometimes require a lubed case every now and again to keep things running smooth.