Ultrasonic Cleaner?

13 June 2009, 02:26

nightwalker uk

Ultrasonic Cleaner?

Fellas, just interested in whether anybody else has gon down the root of using ultrasonic cleaners for cleaning cases and if so what has been your experiences and observations?

Particularly interested in what liquid you are using to clean with.

Have done some 7-08 cases tonight with my new toy and have mixed feelings about it? Some are brilliant whilst others have taken on a mottled appearance - using a vinegar mix then into bicarbonate of soda mix to neutralise the acid - then my machine stopped working!!

Cheers NW

13 June 2009, 03:16

Dave2431

NW.

l'm on a tablespoon of cilit bang "grime n lime" in 1/2 pint of warm water. l try to keep solution fairly clean as it can cause mottled cases if l try to run too many cases through one batch of liquid. Rinse through a couple of times and then onto the back of the aga overnight.

13 June 2009, 16:25

Tikka260

I use a level tablespoon of citric acid crystals to a litre of water and a drop of washing up liquid to increase wettability, run a short cycle to disperse the air bubbles and dissolve the crystals then do the cases in relatively small batches, say 25 at a time. Rinse in warm water 2 - 3 times and then dry overnight. I then give them an hour in walnut media / tumbler and they are like new, inside and out, primer holes included.

Citric acid is not as aggressive as vinegar, and I get no pink traces that would indicate acid attack on the copper part of the brass alloy material.

My U/T unit is a small one , it was about £50 off flea bay, but it is adequate for the number of cases that I have to deal with.

T260

13 June 2009, 18:26

nightwalker uk

quote:
Originally posted by Tikka260:
I use a level tablespoon of citric acid crystals to a litre of water and a drop of washing up liquid to increase wettability, run a short cycle to disperse the air bubbles and dissolve the crystals then do the cases in relatively small batches, say 25 at a time. Rinse in warm water 2 - 3 times and then dry overnight. I then give them an hour in walnut media / tumbler and they are like new, inside and out, primer holes included.

Citric acid is not as aggressive as vinegar, and I get no pink traces that would indicate acid attack on the copper part of the brass alloy material.

My U/T unit is a small one , it was about £50 off flea bay, but it is adequate for the number of cases that I have to deal with.

T260

Sounds good, where do I buy Citric Acid Crystals from?

Does it really get the carbon out as well as you say? Have you found warm water better or cold, just my unit has a water heater on it...

13 June 2009, 20:49

Explorer

I use the same method with Citric Acid Crystals in hot water from a electric kettle, here in DK we can get the Citric Acid Crystals from a material handler (matas.dk)
After this process I run them in my tumbler
with pudding rice and Brasso.
A tip before you mix pudding rice and Brasso you should dry the rice in the oven, otherwise it’ll be a pudding in your tumbler

After this you brass will look newer than new, and another good thing is that weak points in your brass will be easier to spot when they’re that shiny

quote:
Originally posted by nightwalker uk:
Sounds good, where do I buy Citric Acid Crystals from?

Does it really get the carbon out as well as you say? Have you found warm water better or cold, just my unit has a water heater on it...

13 June 2009, 22:43

Tikka260

NW

I get the citric acid crystals from Home Brew shops, or maybe Boots dispensary ? Indian food shops keep it as well, so it shouldn't be a problem in Derby ?

BR

13 June 2009, 23:56

IanF

Tumbler, walnut husks, jewellers rouge.

Dump them in - sieve them out - job done.

Open can of applause and wonder at your gorgeous, low effort brass!

Rgds Ian (Ramsey to my mates!)

14 June 2009, 16:12

nightwalker uk

Have used that method for a good few years now Ian, but never liked the issue of caked carbon inside cases and also on the ID of the neck (brushing doesn't touch it and it is inconsistant to the relationship between itself and OD of the bullet) - whether it makes a difference downrange I am not sure - but seeing as I try to eliminate any factors efecting loss of accuracy, then for me it makes sense to clean to the 100th degree.

In time I may go back to tumbling and picking debris out of flash holes and cleaning primer pockets - but for now I want to experiment with the USonic cleaner.

A clean case has got to be a happy case!!

(and just because its shiny on the outside doesn't mean its clean inside!!)