wildfowler.250
Well-Known Member
Anyone use one on here? And what do you put in it to clean the brass/method? Got an old one free of charge so thought I’d use it rather than forking out a small fortune for a tumbler. Cheers!
Ultrasonic
- Thread starter wildfowler.250
- Start date
Various ways. Using some sort of acid and ensuring the solution is warm/hot (if your cleaner does not have a heater) seriously speeds up the cleaning process.
Also ensure that whatever you are cleaning is suspended rather than sitting against the stainless surface of the cleaner. If a basket is supplied, use it.
I personally use approx 50/50 (not measured seriously) distilled white vinegar and water with a small splash of fairy liquid. My cleaner has a heater which is always on. I make sure the water is also hot before it is added.
I do mine on one 8 minute cycle and then remove the basket and give it a shake and then submerge and do another 8 minute cycle and that is enough to clean outside, inside and primer pockets so I don't have to bother with those natty twisty pocket scraper things. After ultrasonic cleaning is finished, I rinse all the brass in the sink and then put an inch of water in the sink and add a sprinkling of bicarb of soda and swish them around in there and leave for a few minutes for any remaining post rinse acid to be neutralised.
Then in to a towel for a shake and then on to a baking tray and into the oven on a very low heat of around 115deg Celsius or so. Just enough to boil any remaining mositure away without cooking the brass. 15mins or so is fine. Then they can be reloaded.
You can leave them on a rad or in the airing cupboard or just dry naturally but I am impatient and hate reloading so much that I just want it all over and done with.
Also ensure that whatever you are cleaning is suspended rather than sitting against the stainless surface of the cleaner. If a basket is supplied, use it.
I personally use approx 50/50 (not measured seriously) distilled white vinegar and water with a small splash of fairy liquid. My cleaner has a heater which is always on. I make sure the water is also hot before it is added.
I do mine on one 8 minute cycle and then remove the basket and give it a shake and then submerge and do another 8 minute cycle and that is enough to clean outside, inside and primer pockets so I don't have to bother with those natty twisty pocket scraper things. After ultrasonic cleaning is finished, I rinse all the brass in the sink and then put an inch of water in the sink and add a sprinkling of bicarb of soda and swish them around in there and leave for a few minutes for any remaining post rinse acid to be neutralised.
Then in to a towel for a shake and then on to a baking tray and into the oven on a very low heat of around 115deg Celsius or so. Just enough to boil any remaining mositure away without cooking the brass. 15mins or so is fine. Then they can be reloaded.
You can leave them on a rad or in the airing cupboard or just dry naturally but I am impatient and hate reloading so much that I just want it all over and done with.
A lot of threads discussing it on here, have a look back.
Depends on the size of your tank, but I don't change the water in mine. I use a couple of honey jars and stand twenty or so cases in them with a teaspoonful of citric acid and a drop or two of washing up liquid and hot water. A 10 minute zap and then a shake around to move any loose clag and another 10 minute zap. Pour out dirty liquid, rinse under tap and rinse with a bicarb solution then water rinse again and onto a tray on top of a night store heater.
Alan
Depends on the size of your tank, but I don't change the water in mine. I use a couple of honey jars and stand twenty or so cases in them with a teaspoonful of citric acid and a drop or two of washing up liquid and hot water. A 10 minute zap and then a shake around to move any loose clag and another 10 minute zap. Pour out dirty liquid, rinse under tap and rinse with a bicarb solution then water rinse again and onto a tray on top of a night store heater.
Alan
bobjs
Well-Known Member
use a 3.5 ltr tank and use 3 caps of sea clean add tepid water and drop in the brass,
you dont get the same finish you do when you tumble but they are cleaned ready to use after drying them,
i have just done 300 x 223 cases prepped and sized etc for 20 tactical ultrasound with 150 at a time was a 30 minute cycle then rinse and dry in a oven.
bob.
you dont get the same finish you do when you tumble but they are cleaned ready to use after drying them,
i have just done 300 x 223 cases prepped and sized etc for 20 tactical ultrasound with 150 at a time was a 30 minute cycle then rinse and dry in a oven.
bob.
Orion
Well-Known Member
This method ^ with the cleaning fluid kept separate from the bath itself using suitable sized glass jars, but using Seaclean instead of citric/washing up liquid.
AN DU RU FOX
Well-Known Member
As alan,s bar the bicarb and jam jars i do about 25/30 at a time ,rinse and dry with towel/kitchen roll then stand for a while in reloading trays till needed.
bobjs
Well-Known Member
Here you go,
I tried the separation idea and it never worked for me, these are the 300 i did yesterday, i place them in old dog food stainless bowls and then in the oven.
As i said you dont get that even polished look but they still work the same, just make sure you rinse and dry properly,
Bob.
I tried the separation idea and it never worked for me, these are the 300 i did yesterday, i place them in old dog food stainless bowls and then in the oven.
As i said you dont get that even polished look but they still work the same, just make sure you rinse and dry properly,
Bob.
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MAH
Well-Known Member
Just washing up liquid.
AN DU RU FOX
Well-Known Member
HALF A SPOON OF CITRIC ACID ,ITS A POUND A BOX FROM CHEMIST ,small boxes its food grade so safe ,looks like sugar and a squirt of cheapo washing liquid. sorry about caps
I use a Hornady ultrasonic cleaner and Hornady's One Shot solution. It does a very good job. I used to use a tumbler with corn cob granules but spent ages getting all of them out of the cleaned cases.
Firefly
Well-Known Member
Using the basket in my machine reduces cleaning power by a quoted 40%. I never use it. A good safe cleaning additive is “Sea Clean”. Available on amazon as a concentrate. Highly recommended!
Ff
That is interesting. I have seen more than one machine perform poorly when brass is just chucked straight in. As soon as they are "suspended" performance has improved dramatically. Admittedly that is only from 3 different machines but it is enough for me to continue the way the machine was designed.
wildfowler.250
Well-Known Member
Cheers for the reply guys. Seaclean and or citric acid seems to be the way to go. Much appreciated!
Ps are you still using a brush afterwards when dry to clean the inside of the cases?
Ps are you still using a brush afterwards when dry to clean the inside of the cases?
No brushing required. The inside surfaces and the primer pocket and flash hole are as squeaky clean as the body, shoulder and neck outside.
The citric acid is just a mild pickle to speed up the removal of the tarnish...acetic acid/vinegar will do the same.
Alan
I managed to find some photos I had taken to illustrate how clean they were inside....on 9. August 2016 apparently!
Alan
Fox Red
Well-Known Member
Hot water, citric acid (2-3 teaspoons) and a splash of washing up liquid is good for 50 cases in my cheap ultrasonic cleaner. One cycle for 480 seconds.
Once done, I throw the wet brass in the Lyman dry tumbler with corncob media for an hour or so. Dries them off and polishes them up better than new.
Once done, I throw the wet brass in the Lyman dry tumbler with corncob media for an hour or so. Dries them off and polishes them up better than new.
wildfowler.250
Well-Known Member
Cheers guys. Sounds like there’s a few combinations that’ll work. Will update when I get round to it. Think I’ll do a lot in bulk. I find the whole thing more of a chore than a hobby!
Labman14
Well-Known Member
Know the feeling mate
Was a novelty when I started reloading but now it's a soul destroying chore cleaning cases
Used the ultrasonic and seaclean for years but now use a tumbler and clean in bulk
Just need to decide to do them and go do it
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