Consensus on Ultrasonic Cleaning Liquids

lambic

Well-Known Member
Been reading a few older threads on US cleaning liquids.

Seems to be a choice between 50% vinegar or 2 teaspoon per litre citric acid?

Has the forum reached agreement over the best liquid in terms of cleaning, lack of corrosion and cost effectiveness ?

I gather you blast it, rinse in a weak alkali, rinse again and then dry.
 
Lambic, I have recently started using citric acid. I don't have an ultrasonic cleaner so I just mix 2 heaped teaspoons in about a 1.5ltr of boiling water, in a bucket and leave the brass for around 2 minutes, it brightens them up pretty well. I should think it would be even better in an ultrasonic bath.

brass.jpg
 
Cheers. Do your cartridges tarnish at all? I assume you wash after the soak.

I will order 1kg of China's finest dodgy citric acid, to go with my equally dodgy 13 quid ultrasonic cleaner.

Problem solved.
 
Fill you US cleaner with plain water to a jam jar full below max. Put a couple of spoons of citric Acid powder and a splash of washing up liquid, into a jam jar fill to a bit over the height of a cartridge case. Pop it in the microwave to warm it up…citric acid works better warm...pop 20 cases in the jam jar upright and put the jam jar into your US basket, tweak the liquid levels so that the tank water is about level with liquid in the jar. Zap for 10-15 minutes and check the primer pockets for clean. If not 100% clean give it another 10-15 (depends on the power of your Ultra Sound tank). Pour out into a sieve above an Ice cream tub and then rinse under tap. Pop back into a jam jar with a bit of Soda Bicarb in, maybe give that a zap as well…back into sieve above another ice cream tub, rinse under tap. Lay cases in a foil lined baking tray in oven for a few minutes to dry out the inside.

This way you do not have to keep emptying and refilling and degassing the liquid in the ultrasonic cleaner. The dirty citric acid solution can be reused after the dirt has settled and the clear stuff poured back into the jam jar.

Alan
 
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Have a look on the 6mm br site as there is a very informative article on different cleaning solution regimes.
www.6mmbr.com/ultrasonic.html
 
Thanks Alantoo. My naff little US is only 600ml so jam jar might fit or might not. Good idea though - might use a small Tupperware tub.

Also thanks for 6mmbr link, will have a read of that now.
 
Your unit is probably lacking the power required but when I tried placing hornet cases in a shallow plastic container it all but completely dissolved!

K
 
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I screwed around trying to some up with various citrus acid-based cleaners and finally bit the bullet and bought Hornady's concentrate. Makes about 6 gallons of cleaner: Clean brass, clean primer pockets, and no post-clean discoloration.~Muir
 
I assume you wash after the soak.
.[/QUOTE]

I rinse once with bicarbonate solution and twice with water, no tarnishing, until I start handling the cases.
 
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i use some orange degreaser with my citric acid
they smell nice too!

only discolouration I get is if a case has been half in half out.
just put a few less cases in
 
Thanks Alantoo. My naff little US is only 600ml so jam jar might fit or might not. Good idea though - might use a small Tupperware tub.

Also thanks for 6mmbr link, will have a read of that now.

To transmit the vibration I think you need something hard, the thinner the glass the better. Lab beakers seem to be favoured by many...I just used what I had.

I think Tupperware will probably absorb/attenuate the buzz.

One thing all seem to agree on is not to rest anything directly on the tank bottom. Always use the basket or suspend stuff from above.

Alan
 
how about this? I use the older version and it works fine, cheap and no hassle, the citric acid is now used to descale the kettle and coffee maker
 
To transmit the vibration I think you need something hard, the thinner the glass the better. Lab beakers seem to be favoured by many...I just used what I had.

I think Tupperware will probably absorb/attenuate the buzz.

One thing all seem to agree on is not to rest anything directly on the tank bottom. Always use the basket or suspend stuff from above.

Alan

Yo! Someone who's given this a little thought and read the instructions!

I'm sticking with open ss baskets of suitable mesh size for the cal in question. No more black hornet cases that have been subjected to c36hrs of zapping before being rescued from the abyss!

K
 
I use seaclean, 2 caps in a 3 litre us,

Tepid water.

Place the sized trimmed brass in the basket,

1x 30 minute cycle, stop shake the brass,place back in and do another 30 minute cycle,

Remove, wish in warm water then rice with cold saving this water to be used in the cleaner the next time,

Disgard the old water from the us and wipe clean,

Job done,

Bob.

I forgot, place on my new clean stainless tray then into a preheated oven for about 15 minutes, good to go as any brass out there,
 
Don't even know where nearest Maplins is....thought they had gone bump. Bought 1kg of citric acid, reckon it will do a good job for a long time.

Unlike a 13 quid US unit
 
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