[slk]

I am going to get an ultrasonic cleaning machine and was wondering if you guys have any special/good liquid formulas you would be willing to share. Also if ya have a good commercial product...
Thanks
Steve

 

[StretchNM]

Regular water with a squirt of lemon juice (lemon juice squeeze containers at WalMart)

 

[slk]

Can't get any simpler than that.....

Steve

 

[StretchNM]

No. Some guys when using that concoction will add a drop or three of dishsoap. I have once or twice, but it doesn;t seem to do any better, so now I just keep it simple. There's no sense in taking an already complicated formula and making it more so.... and taking all day to mix it up.

Those things clean cases like nothing I've tried before - primer pockets, inside, outside. Sometimes there's a little evidence of residue in the primer pocket, but it's so minimal I don;t fuss with it. To get the shiniest brass though, if you're into the cosmetic end of it all, you have to tumble after the sonic cleaner. I'm not into it.

 

[StretchNM]

One tip: start out with warm water, leaning toward the hot side.

 

[Ccctennis]

Warm water with some lemi-shine from Walmart. Cheap and super powerful! Brand new looking brass after 18 mins!

 

[slk]

Ok I picked up my sonic machine today, and picked up some of the lemi-shine from walmart. Now the stuff I got was a powder form. I put about 2 tablespoon's of the stuff in a gallon of water, and poured it in the machine. It took about 45 min to get about 400 rounds of 9mm really clean. They did turn out looking great. The water is really dirty at this point. I suppose I should toss it and start with fresh stuff next batch. Do you think I need to put more of the lemi-shine in the next batch?????

Steve

 

[Walt45]

This link has great info for sonic cleaning. UltraSonic Case Cleaning

 

[slk]

Here is my first batch drying on the wood burner

 

[Walt45]

Here is my first batch drying on the wood burner

Are those once-fired brass?

 

[StretchNM]

Good looking machine SLK. Mine is a tiny Harbor Freight (made in China) one. Look, you can keep using that water for another batch or two. It's still good. But I wouldn't let it sit in the cleaner waiting a week or two for more brass.

Did you rinse the brass with clean water after cleaning?

 

[slk]

They were pretty dirty. Some had been loaded 4 or 5 times before....

Yes I rinsed it in very hot water

I got my machine from a friend that does watch and clock repair. He has several and sold me this one for $75.00. It was a $700.00 machine. It has 4 transducers in it and holds about 2 1/2 gallons of liquid.

I think a mistake I made was I put the casings in plastic shell holders that they come from the factory in, and rested the plastics on the bottom of the tank. I think it would have cleaned much faster if I had suspended them in the tank.

Steve

 

[Ccctennis]

Just put brass directly in cleaner. Don't put too many. The sonic process works much better when all the cases have space around them. Mine claims to clean 900 9mm cases at one time but does its best work with about 75-100 cases in at a time. I have a ritual with mine. 50 cases for 12-18 mins. Then pop in oven while I add another 50. Rinse repeat dry ectect.

 

[slk]

I put in some 30.06 shells that were cleaned with my media vibrator machine. Walnut husk with that red rouge color. That red color is the hardest thing to get off of those casings in my sonic clener. The inside of the neck just has that redish cast to them. I will be glad when I finally get through all of my shells that were previous cleaned with media. Perhaps I should put them in a solution of degreaser first. Anyone else ever have this problem
Steve

 

[StretchNM]

I wouldn;t put any jeweler's rouge into the media for tumbling. Like you said, it can hang around. Try boiling the brass on the stove with some baking soda water. Rinse and then put them in the sonic cleaner.

If that still doesn't get the rouge off, then they'll have to go back in the tumbler with clean media (and no rouge or other junk added in!) Look, good clean corn cob is great stuff. Maybe walnut is too. But don;t put anything in it. Let it work for about 3 or 4 hours. Use only enough to cover your brass and fill the insides because, if it does get the rouge off, then toss that media so it doesn;t recontaminate stuff.

 

[slk]

I did not add anything to this stuff. It is walnut husk but they are treated with some sort of red stuff. It gets all over everything.

 

[StretchNM]

I understand that - I didn;t mean to imply that you put it in there. But it's there, and it's jeweler's rouge. They put this junk in there because there's some fantasy it will help. IF I was going to add an agent to tumbling media, I would add green or white or black buffing compound. But... I wouldn;t do that.

Anyway, try the boiling water on the stove and then a sonic cleaning.

 

[slk]

I found something that worked. I added some dawn dishwashing soap and it took it right off. I am glad I won't be using that walnut stuff any more. Ultrasonic cleaning is a win win process. Thanks for everyones help.

Steve

 

[nvshooter]

How hot is the surface of that stove? I doubt you'll reach 700 degrees on it. Just asking. I fry wet brass that I want to get right at and get loaded in a thin-bottom stainless skillet. Turn the heat (I cook with gas) to about medium. Keep flippin' the brass around with a steel spatula or butter knife until the spittin' and poppin' stops. That should be around 250 degrees, which is plenty low to not soften the head. Takes just a few minutes...

 

[StretchNM]

That is unique - frying brass.

When I want to load mine right away, I blow each piece out with compressed air - a squirt from the primer, one from the mouth, and then a quick from the primer again. Then I stand them primer end up in a loading tray and warm them good with a heat gun. Maybe I could try to fry some.