DIY solution for ultrasonic brass cleaning?

[Chuck Perry]

Using my Harbor Freight ultrasonic cleaner for the first time tonight. I'm experimenting with different homemade solutions using hot water, Simple Green, vinegar and Lemi Shine. It gets the brass really clean inside and out, but it's still leaving the primer pockets dirty. What's everyone else using for brass cleaning? Is there a good homemade recipe, or should I buy a commercial product?

[nhyrum]

As powerful as cavitation is, some things still take mechanical scrubbing. I believe primer pockets to be in if those things.

As for an actual contribution here, I don't have anything I've tried, but you'll want something that will dissolve carbon deposits, I'd try a carbon cleaner.

The pockets don't really need to be cleaned though, so I don't mess with it (unless it's for bench rest type stuff, and in that case I do, but br type guys are wired, gotta be burning your rifles flavor of incense, including a particular day of the week and favorite qc person) but, brass doesn't really "need" to be clean either, and I am guilty of that...
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[MrWolf]

I tried my RCBS one for brass. Wasn't impressed. Went back to using SS pins and using the ultrasonic for cleaning. Good luck. I tried dawn, citric acid, and of course hot water plus tried the ultrasonic cleaner.

[Chuck Perry]

I'm still fooling around with it this morning.Seems like heat, plus generous amounts of both Simple Green and LemiShine, are getting the job done. It just requires multiple cleaning cycles. 3 cycles, 32 minutes, leaves most cases looking brand new inside and out. Some still show traces of carbon on the inside of the case, but these are cases that have been fired multiple times. I'm sure a few more cycles would clean them up to, but it's not worth the trouble.

[nun2kute]

citric acid (lemishine) dawn or woolite, if not both. depends on what i'm washing with stainless pins. I didn't get the results I was looking for out of my US cleaner.

[dragon813gt]

It’s not the solution. It’s the US unit itself. I had one of them, branded Lyman but they’re the same unit. It did not work well due to low heat and not enough transducers. A solution of dawn dish detergent and lemishine is all that’s needed when used w/ a unit that’s powerful enough. Upgraded to a commercial unit and couldn’t be happier. Cleaning times are drastically reduced and I can fit a lot more brass in the unit. This is a case, pun intended, where you get what you pay for.

[popper]

Yup, US doesn't clean the PP until you mechanically do it, then they seem to get cleaner. Used dawn and lemishine. I just changed to pin cleaning, so much easier.

[Pipefitter]

try distilled water heated in a glass container in the microwave, dawn dish soap and lemishine, 8 minutes at about 130*f gets my primer pockets clean.

[Chuck Perry]

Thanks I'll give that a shot. I just ordered a new plastic basket for it off Amazon. Should be much easier to use than the tray it comes with.

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[Chuck Perry]

try distilled water heated in a glass container in the microwave, dawn dish soap and lemishine, 8 minutes at about 130*f gets my primer pockets clean.

This worked really good, thank you! I did around 500 pistol cases with the same batch of solution; the water was black when I was done. And the cases were perfectly clean inside and out, including the primer pockets.

The basket that I ordered off Amazon was an absolute perfect fit in my Harbor Freight US. It's the "iSonic PB4820A Plastic Basket for Ultrasonic Cleaner P4820, White", $15.61 delivered with Prime.

[megasupermagnum]

My Hornady ultrasonic cleaner does a wonderful job on primer pockets, nothing mechanical needed. That's why I use it. Simple Green doesn't work well. It is a very mild cleaner, not fit for our uses. One of the very strongest solutions I ever used was nothing but vinegar and water. Something like a 1/2 cup added to a quart of water. This cleaned very well, but you then needed to quickly wash off very well in a water and baking soda solution. If you don't the brass turns spotty dark brown, but otherwise doesn't hurt anything.

In the end, I took the lazy route. I now use the store bought Hornady brass case solution. I use it stronger than the 40:1 or whatever recommended solution is. I add 6 cap fulls to my pan. If only doing a limited number of cases, a single 10 minute run cleans them. If I pack the basket all the way full, usually two and sometimes three cycles are needed. But the result is always a 100% clean case, simply rinse off, and set in the sun or on the furnace. Way easier and safer than the dry tumbler. Slower than bulk loading a wet tumbler, but it also cleans the primer pockets, which is no small feat.

[Shawlerbrook]

Dawn, lemishine and hot water using multiple cycles. If you have hard water you will get poorer results. Nothing shines like SS pins, but I don’t need shiny, just clean. Also, don’t overload .
https://www.6mmbr.com/ultrasonic.html

[megasupermagnum]

Yes, I forgot the water. Most guys use distilled water. I use deionized water from the system at work. It has something to do with not forming micro bubbles or similar? I'd have to look at the manual again. Apparently well water or city water doesn't work as good.

[elmacgyver0]

Unicorn pee, but it's been a little difficult to get lately.

[bangerjim]

The problem is your severely under-powered HF cleaner! It's made for jewelry..........not hard-core commercial cleaning like shells and primer pockets. US technology works great, as long as it is applied correctly. You would not put a 5 HP Briggs & Stratton lawnmower engine under the hood of your 3/4 ton Chevy truck.

I have a $800 VERY high powered ultrasonic I use to clean large clock movements. It's a high powered commercial grade cleaner at around 1200+ watts (+500 watt heater)....and 6 piezo crystals on the bottom of the tank. It really shakes things up and cleans ever nook and cranny of anything put in it in 5-6 minutes....ONCE.

You get's what ya' pay for.

Why all the worry about having shiny bright brass? Never have understood all the hoops people on here jump thru to get like-new OLD brass. I shoot and reload at least 4 times B4 I throw them in very hot citric acid bath. They are clean enough for me after that!

banger

[nhyrum]

The problem is your severely under-powered HF cleaner! It's made for jewelry..........not hard-core commercial cleaning like shells and primer pockets. US technology works great, as long as it is applied correctly. You would not put a 5 HP Briggs & Stratton lawnmower engine under the hood of your 3/4 ton Chevy truck.

I have a $800 VERY high powered ultrasonic I use to clean large clock movements. It's a high powered commercial grade cleaner at around 1200+ watts (+500 watt heater)....and 6 piezo crystals on the bottom of the tank. It really shakes things up and cleans ever nook and cranny of anything put in it in 5-6 minutes....ONCE.

You get's what ya' pay for.

Why all the worry about having shiny bright brass? Never have understood all the hoops people on here jump thru to get like-new OLD brass. I shoot and reload at least 4 times B4 I throw them in very hot citric acid bath. They are clean enough for me after that!

banger

That's true. You've got to have a machine capable of cleaning.

Your post did remind me... I've got a an automatic watch I need to take in for service...

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[asmith80]

I've got the Hornady US too and it does a great job. Mine get clean enough for my tastes with a spoonful of Lemishine and a couple drops of Dawn with a 30 min heated cycle. I then dry them off and put them it my dry tumbler to polish. They come out so bright it hurts to look at them

[megasupermagnum]

The problem is your severely under-powered HF cleaner! It's made for jewelry..........not hard-core commercial cleaning like shells and primer pockets. US technology works great, as long as it is applied correctly. You would not put a 5 HP Briggs & Stratton lawnmower engine under the hood of your 3/4 ton Chevy truck.

I have a $800 VERY high powered ultrasonic I use to clean large clock movements. It's a high powered commercial grade cleaner at around 1200+ watts (+500 watt heater)....and 6 piezo crystals on the bottom of the tank. It really shakes things up and cleans ever nook and cranny of anything put in it in 5-6 minutes....ONCE.

You get's what ya' pay for.

Why all the worry about having shiny bright brass? Never have understood all the hoops people on here jump thru to get like-new OLD brass. I shoot and reload at least 4 times B4 I throw them in very hot citric acid bath. They are clean enough for me after that!

banger

That's great, everyone wants industrial quality tools. Lots of guys have luck with the HF models too, only in smaller batches, and take longer.

There's three great advantages to the ultrasonic cleaner that I have found. #1, clean primer pockets. Less work for me at no disadvantage. I've primed dirty primer pockets, never had one not go off, but it's not the best way of doing things.
#2 it cleans the inside of the case. Consistent bullet pull is the key to accuracy. Leaving them dirty is one method, but then you need more neck tension to get the same bullet pull. Cleaning to brass, you can use less neck tension, and still have bullets solidly in place.
#3 Applies to all water cleaning methods, and that is safety. I'm not a lead dust danger weenie, but a dry tumbler is the absolute worst device for spreading lead. Most lead dust comes from primers, and that vibrating tumbler spreads that dust everywhere. I'd rather cast bullets in my bedroom before I bring a dry tumbler back inside the house.

[dragon813gt]

You don’t need to spend what Bangerjim did. There is no doubt that his cleaner is better in every regard. But the “professional” branded no name cleaners sold on Amazon and eBay are a huge step up from the HF one. Yes, they are more money but not by a lot. You end up w/ heaters that work quickly, transducers that have power and a dedicated drain if you buy the right model. It’s worth spending a little more money as it will save you time in he long run.

[Chuck Perry]

So along the same lines as my original question, what about a solution for gun cleaning? I did my 617 with a solution of Dawn and distilled water. With the side plate off and all parts removed except the trigger it did a pretty good job removing all the muck. Did a decent job on the cylinder too. Anyone have a homemade gun stew recipe they'd like to share?

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