Ultrasonic Cleaner
- Thread starter Desert Rat
- Start date
Ultrasonic is useful for lots of things besides brass. SS pins do the best job. Sometimes just a good shake in hot water and Dawn. Sometimes just a wipe off with a shop rag and brake cleaner. I have Harbor Freight, be careful with hot water in the SS pin drum. The top will pop off!
I've got one,it's a 15liter.I use a scoop of citric acid and a squirt of carnuba car wash in the water. I can have cleaned and dried brass in a 1/2 hour.Primer pockets are clean and the brass is relatively shiny but not as much as when using ss pins. For quick and clean brass I don't think there's anything better! FWIW
Any ultrasonic will clean brass. Brass cleaner ultra sonics are just normal sonic cleaners rebranded for brass.
Keep in mind, you'll need to run through some other type of media such as dry Cobb or wet pins......if you want the brass to be shiny.
Keep in mind, you'll need to run through some other type of media such as dry Cobb or wet pins......if you want the brass to be shiny.
I have one, tried it for cleaning brass, not happy with the results. Instead, I use the sonic cleaner for everything, but cleaning brass. I have a Rebel 17 that does a much better job
You have to look at ultra sonic cleaners as cleaning at a different level and not just another cleaner. Vibrators and tumblers clean by rubbing media against whatever is being cleaned. Depending on the size of the media determines what the smallest place they can clean. Ultra sonic cleaners use fluids and ultra sonic waves to clean. They can clean into the smallest places and break residue loose from surfaces they are attached to. Chemicals enhance the cleaning process but are not always necessary. If you're looking for making brass or anything else clean the ultra sonic cleaner is best. If you are looking at polishing or making things shiny then vibrators or tumblers are better suited. It also doesn't mean you can't own and use both types.
In house, we use ultrasonic for cleaning, and then dry media if/when polish is needed.
I use ultrasonic and have no complaints. If you do go that route make sure to get a cleaner basket with small holes, a lot of the cleaners out there have large gaps in the mesh that your cases will fall out of.
45 mins in ultra sonic cleaner with Lemishine and Armor All Wash & Wax. Dry and put in vibrator cleaner with walnut media and NuFinish. And don't forget to put in a cut up used dryer sheet. You'll be surprised how much media dust the sheets collect.
Putting brass in an ultra sonic cleaner first will remove the carbon and powder residue so it won't contaminate the media in your tumbler or become airborne.
Putting brass in an ultra sonic cleaner first will remove the carbon and powder residue so it won't contaminate the media in your tumbler or become airborne.
I have a version of that one. I've tried the Hornady and it just isn't powerful enough to clean brass in any modicum of reasonable time. I moved up to the 15L version of the one you show and it works very well. The only negative is that if I'm doing a small run of brass, it's just too big. So, I bought an earlier version of this:
It also works quite well and is right sized for smaller jobs like small runs of brass or a few stainless brakes.
Ultrasonic is an excellent way to clean brass. The size of the cleaner you want depends on the amount of brass you are going to clean. More important than the volume of the cleaner is the wattage of the transducers. The bigger the wattage, more brass you can clean at one time. There is also the wattage for the heating element. That isn't as important. Mine is 15 litres and 350 Watts. It will clean adequately one hundred .308 cases in 30 minutes.
An ultrasonic can be good to have around for general small parts cleaning, but they’re my last choice for cleaning brass.
Honestly, I have a fairly powerful one (better than any of the rebadged ones offered by reloading/gun companies) and I don’t really use it all that often, as I’ve found for most gun-related things there are better tools/methods.
I used to use it almost exclusively for muzzle brakes… until I found this:
Honestly, I have a fairly powerful one (better than any of the rebadged ones offered by reloading/gun companies) and I don’t really use it all that often, as I’ve found for most gun-related things there are better tools/methods.
I used to use it almost exclusively for muzzle brakes… until I found this:
The 15l vevor has 360w ultrasonic and 400w heating vs
10l with 240w ultrasonic and 250w heating
I am unsure how much power is required
That will work for 100-200 cases, I think. Get some plastic trays with holes in them (dollar tree store has them cheap). Ultrasonic cleaners work best when there is space between the cases and don't let anything touch the bottom of the tub.
The more the better. I have a 15L and I could probably put 100+ of my BRA in just one layer in the basket. If I run it for two 30-minute cycles, it cleans the brass pretty well. If I put multiple layers of brass in, I will run for three cycles.
It's really big though. If I just want to run 50-100 cases, it's honestly too much. I have a smaller iSonic that was pricey, but is better for smaller runs.
How do you find the ultrasonic cleaners for things like removing neck turning lube from inside the cases?
I have an older Bransonic with the mechanical timer that I used to use for other stuff (general cleaning, etc.) but haven't tried for this particular application (yet). I've got some cases that need the necks turned, and I'm not looking forward to getting the lube out of the insides...
I have an older Bransonic with the mechanical timer that I used to use for other stuff (general cleaning, etc.) but haven't tried for this particular application (yet). I've got some cases that need the necks turned, and I'm not looking forward to getting the lube out of the insides...
Never tried the UC for removing lube but I assume it would work. But it might take away the shine (God forbid). After sizing I just put the cases in a vibrator tumbler with corn cob media for 20-30 mins. Takes off all the lube...inside and out, and it comes out with a nice shine. Remember, the more shine the cooler you are.
This is the 'natural state' of my fired cases these days... "cleaned" with #0000 steel wool. Black gold
I stopped using ss pins after trying an ultrasonic cleaner. Brass isn't shiny but it is clean and only takes 30 mins. I tried cleaning an old pair or prescription glasses in it last week and was amazed at the result. Handy for lots of things.
Once upon a time I tried cleaning a Redding Type 'S' F/L bushing die in my Branson 2510 ultrasonic cleaner... it ended up looking like it had scorch marks on it. Never tried that again.
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