Ultrasonic cleaners - school me

[cbickel]

Howdy folks -

I've been considering getting an ultrasonic cleaner to help with cleaning parts to my guns. Hornady makes some popular ones, but I don't really know how the process work or if it is even worth it. I sort of cringe when I think of dunking my bcg or upper into a bucket of water - I just think OMG RUST. Pardon my ignorance, but isn't that an issue?

 

[WhitleyStu]

When the object is in the cleaning solution tank microscopic air bubbles bombard the object removing the dirt. The ultrasonic transducers vibrate the solution at approximately 40,000 times per second. I would highly recommend getting a unit with a heated solution tank. As long as you remove the object from the tank when cleaning is done there is no issues with rust.

 

[cbickel]

Does the cleaning take a long time? Do you need to replace he cleaning solution every time?

 

[Backpacker]

I have used two ultrasonic cleaners for pistols. Mostly recently was a Hornady heated unit. I was cleaning very dirty range guns. Each gun was detail stripped. After thirty minutes in the tank, I rinsed in water and shook the excess water away. I then cleaned the bore with copper brush and patches. Wiped everything with a clean cloth and lubricated where needed. After cleaning hundreds of times, I do not see a real advantage over cleaning without the ultrasonic units. I only used the utrasonic as directed by my former employer. You may have different results.

 

[cbickel]

I have used two ultrasonic cleaners for pistols. Mostly recently was a Hornady heated unit. I was cleaning very dirty range guns. Each gun was detail stripped. After thirty minutes in the tank, I rinsed in water and shook the excess water away. I then cleaned the bore with copper brush and patches. Wiped everything with a clean cloth and lubricated where needed. After cleaning hundreds of times, I do not see a real advantage over cleaning without the ultrasonic units. I only used the utrasonic as directed by my former employer. You may have different results.

Thanks for your input - that's kinda what I was wondering. Is it a huge time saver? The large heated Hornady one is like $450. I could get a new gun for that.

 

[Backpacker]

I did not find the ultrasonic to be quicker.

 

[chezuki]

I have this one:

https://m.harborfreight.com/25-liter-ultrasonic-cleaner-63256.html?utm_referrer=direct/not provided

You can catch them on sale for around $50. It's the exact same model Lyman sells at twice the price with their name on it. Works great for detail cleaning, suppressor baffles, small parts, etc. I had a BCG that had it been cleaned in a couple thousand rounds. When I dropped it in, you could watch the grime explode off of it. Came out looking brand new.

 

[x72821]

I use the harbor freight model too, if you buy one make sure you google a 20 or 25% of coupon code, there is always one floating around. I think they sell the solution for it too there or you can get it on amazon for a little cheaper I think.

 

[EyeCarry]

I have this one:

https://m.harborfreight.com/25-liter-ultrasonic-cleaner-63256.html?utm_referrer=direct/not provided

You can catch them on sale for around $50. It's the exact same model Lyman sells at twice the price with their name on it. Works great for detail cleaning, suppressor baffles, small parts, etc. I had a BCG that had it been cleaned in a couple thousand rounds. When I dropped it in, you could watch the grime explode off of it. Came out looking brand new.

Me too. and agree. Changing the solution depends on what you are cleaning. Certainly after several batches of range brass it need dumped out. One thing that you can do is use plain water in the tank and use a heavy duty ziplock with solution and the part in it to place into the water. the sound waves go right through the ziplock and the mess stays in the bag.

 

[cbickel]

I don't reload currently. I think I would use it for cleaning my gun parts. I'm sure that dirties the solution more?

 

[Cameramonkey]

My .02:

I would only use ultrasonic for things that are REALLY dirty with REALLY obnoxious nooks and crannies. Like an AR BCG or a Glock slide. Or maybe a Glock frame too if I was feeling lazy and wanted a REALLY deep clean.

Outside of that, my brushes, patches, jags, rods, and solvents work well and arent that inconvenient. Its downright cathartic to sit and clean a gun. Except for the parts that are really hard to clean.

And my brass gets perfectly clean in a tumbler, so that is out as well.

 

[chezuki]

Me too. and agree. Changing the solution depends on what you are cleaning. Certainly after several batches of range brass it need dumped out. One thing that you can do is use plain water in the tank and use a heavy duty ziplock with solution and the part in it to place into the water. the sound waves go right through the ziplock and the mess stays in the bag.

The waves go through glass as well. I put a small mason jar of pure hoppe's and my baffles when I go too long between cleanings. Other times I just use Krud Kutter solution in the tank.

 

[Vigilant]

Youse guys clean guns?

 

[ghuns]

My experience with ultrasonic cleaners was at work, cleaning injection molds for wire connectors. The molds could cost over a hundred grand and have thousands of pieces, some incredibly delicate. To disassemble and clean one could take a guy 2 days. There was always a risk of damaging components or re-assembling things wrong. Molds have vents that allow air and gasses to escape when the plastic flows into them. Often these vents were .0005" deep and filled with crud. This crud was often from a halogen flame retardant which is very corrosive to steel. With an ultrasonic, you could drop in the assembled mold, clean it for three hours. Drop it in a rinse tank for a few minutes, remove, and be done. The type of cleaning solution, plus the heated tanks, made rust a nonissue.

Of course those units cost 30-40 grand. But damn would they clean a dirty, old lawn mower carburetor like a champ.