Ultrasonic cleaning fluid

[Jeff686]

I just got an ultrasonic cleaner. I like it, but am experimenting with different fluids.

I've used H20 and dishsoap (dissapointing), and dilute simple green (pretty good, but need to make it stronger).

Anyone ever try Ed's Red or straight mineral spirits? Would it be dangerous? Explosive?

When I use H2O, there is a significant amount of condensation on the lid. If the same inadvertent vaporization of the mineral spirits or Ed's Red is flamable, isn't there a risk of explosion?

I plan to buy the L&R fluids, but would rather find a better and cheaper solution.

[Steve J]

I started with the L&R fluids. I eventually switched to a 1/10 solution of Simple Green/Water for cleaning. I like that better than the L&R cleaning solution. I still use the L&R Lubricating Solution. It's essential. I wipe the condensation from both off of the lid with a paper towel. Simple Green is cheap and the L&R Lub lasts a long, long time, and like I said, it's essential.

[CSEMARTIN]

Which ultrasonic cleaner did you get? Where did you buy it from? Cost?

I'm still looking for something cheap that works well. Thanks.

[Steve J]

I have the smallest L&R I got through Brownell's. I bought an extra pan and mess basket which is necessary for two fluids IMO. At the time, everything came to $999 and change. I would not go back to cleaning by hand with patches and solvent, but I learned early on that ultrasonic cleaners are not miracle workers. You have to totally strip down the firearm and before cleaning you have to wipe and/or scrape off built up powder residue. If you just stick an assembled frame in, you're going to get rust, even if you finish with the water displacing lub. It's just not that effective. If you put in an extractor without taking a wire brush to the claw, it will come out with the powder residue still on it. However, if you take the time to do it right, your gun will be clean, clean, clean. Ultrasound and baked on finishes, though, don't mix.

[Jeff686]

Which ultrasonic cleaner did you get? Where did you buy it from? Cost?

I'm still looking for something cheap that works well. Thanks.

I bought the Chicago brand from Harbor Freight for $59. It does not have a removable resevour, so I can't quickly switch fluids.

However, it is plenty big enough to fit my comp'd barrel, with lots of room to spare.

I heard someone found a cleaning solution (for dental stuff) that is both a cleaner and lubricator, no need for a double bath.

I agree with all the comments above. I had hoped to drop all the parts in it, and just let it run. However, I found that a little work with a toothbrush mid-way through really did wonders. A pipe cleaner through the extractor and firing pin holes worked well. I had a lot of fear of trapped H2O in the nooks and crannies, so I dissassembled the parts before cleaning, and put them in the oven at 200deg for an hour or so. They are now bone dry, and waiting for lube and reassembly.

[ChuckS]

I bought the Chicago brand from Harbor Freight for $59. It does not have a removable resevour, so I can't quickly switch fluids.

A long time ago I worked for a physics department at a midwest university that had a pretty good sized ultrasonic cleaner in one of the labs. Since they would of gotten pissed if I used it to clean my bicycle chain I used to fill the cleaner with water and then put a glass beaker with the chain and some solvent in it. The cleaning energy was coupled in pretty well and did a real good job cleaning the chain without scumming up the cleaner tank. A glass or metal sub-container should work pretty well. Plastic not so well.

Later,

Chuck

Edited June 25, 2008 by ChuckS

[Jeff686]

I bought the Chicago brand from Harbor Freight for $59. It does not have a removable resevour, so I can't quickly switch fluids.

A long time ago I worked for a physics department at a midwest university that had a pretty good sized ultrasonic cleaner in one of the labs. Since they would of gotten pissed if I used it to clean my bicycle chain I used to fill the cleaner with water and then put a glass beaker with the chain and some solvent in it. The cleaning energy was coupled in pretty well and did a real good job cleaning the chain without scumming up the cleaner tank. A glass or metal sub-container should work pretty well. Plastic not so well.

Later,

Chuck

Awesome idea, Chuck. I just had a real rough time emptying the Ed's Red from the cleaner. I learned that it will take the paint off the plastic parts of the cleaner, so I had to empty it without splashing on the rim. I ended up using a turkey syringe, then tossing it afterward.

[ChuckS]

I bought the Chicago brand from Harbor Freight for $59. It does not have a removable resevour, so I can't quickly switch fluids.

A long time ago I worked for a physics department at a midwest university that had a pretty good sized ultrasonic cleaner in one of the labs. Since they would of gotten pissed if I used it to clean my bicycle chain I used to fill the cleaner with water and then put a glass beaker with the chain and some solvent in it. The cleaning energy was coupled in pretty well and did a real good job cleaning the chain without scumming up the cleaner tank. A glass or metal sub-container should work pretty well. Plastic not so well.

Later,

Chuck

Awesome idea, Chuck. I just had a real rough time emptying the Ed's Red from the cleaner. I learned that it will take the paint off the plastic parts of the cleaner, so I had to empty it without splashing on the rim. I ended up using a turkey syringe, then tossing it afterward.

I would think you may be able to use a closed container to limit exposure to fumes but there may be other dangers so don't blame me if something bad happens

[Toolguy]

The best gun cleaner I've ever found is Slip 2000 725 Gun Cleaner. A little of that melts lead and powder residue, then you can wipe it off

with a cloth. It's water based, non solvent, non flammable, non toxic, biodegradable. Works great in ultrasonic applications too.

Phone 707-585-8329 www.slip2000.com.

[Joe4d]

A little work with a toothbrush, pipe cleaners in various places, complete tear downs to prevent rust, wire brush on the extractor, wipe and scrape off residue, And THEN use a $999 cleaner ? Thats pretty much all I do without using an ultra sonic cleaner I guess I just dont get it.

[Jeff686]

A little work with a toothbrush, pipe cleaners in various places, complete tear downs to prevent rust, wire brush on the extractor, wipe and scrape off residue, And THEN use a $999 cleaner ? Thats pretty much all I do without using an ultra sonic cleaner I guess I just dont get it.

Actually, a $59 cleaner.

Oh, and it was the fastest deep-clean I've ever done!!! I put them straight into the cleaner. After about 5 minutes, I hit the persistent parts with a tooth brush, and ran the pipe cleaner through the holes, then ran in the cleaner for 5 more minutes.

[CSEMARTIN]

A little work with a toothbrush, pipe cleaners in various places, complete tear downs to prevent rust, wire brush on the extractor, wipe and scrape off residue, And THEN use a $999 cleaner ? Thats pretty much all I do without using an ultra sonic cleaner I guess I just dont get it.

Actually, a $59 cleaner.

Oh, and it was the fastest deep-clean I've ever done!!! I put them straight into the cleaner. After about 5 minutes, I hit the persistent parts with a tooth brush, and ran the pipe cleaner through the holes, then ran in the cleaner for 5 more minutes.

Jeff, I went to Harbor Freight and could only find the 159 dollar model. I'm thinking about getting one. Does your model have a heater? Are you using the cleaner that harbor freight sells?

[HSMITH]

Chrome the gun, then use Slide Glide and the cheap ass brush Brian sells. EVERYTHING gets a coat, enough for a light pink tint. Moving parts get a little more. 15 seconds with a can of non-chlorinated brake cleaner and your gun is cleaner than ANY ultrasonic is going to get it. Strip it down, hose it off, and re-apply the slide glide. Winter sucks, because my guns are too tight to run grease, but in the warmer months cleaning them absolutely spotlessly clean takes less than 5 minutes start to finish. Catch the brake cleaner on sale and it costs less than 50 cents to clean the gun including the Slide Glide. I don't clean barrels, and shoot JHP or CMJ so comp cleaning is a non-issue, the comp is toast before it needs cleaned. I dearly hate cleaning guns, I have put a lot of time and money into making it as easy and fast as I can.

I have used $100K ultrasonic cleaners, courtesy of our Uncle, and none of them work without elbow grease.

[Jeff686]

A little work with a toothbrush, pipe cleaners in various places, complete tear downs to prevent rust, wire brush on the extractor, wipe and scrape off residue, And THEN use a $999 cleaner ? Thats pretty much all I do without using an ultra sonic cleaner I guess I just dont get it.

Actually, a $59 cleaner.

Oh, and it was the fastest deep-clean I've ever done!!! I put them straight into the cleaner. After about 5 minutes, I hit the persistent parts with a tooth brush, and ran the pipe cleaner through the holes, then ran in the cleaner for 5 more minutes.

Jeff, I went to Harbor Freight and could only find the 159 dollar model. I'm thinking about getting one. Does your model have a heater? Are you using the cleaner that harbor freight sells?

Here's the model I bought, but I'm sure I only paid $59 here in Oregon. Our Harbor Freight doesn't seem to have an organized display for these smaller items. I had to search the store several times, find one model in the front, one model in the back, and finally, the one I was looking for above my head behind a display sign. Don't assume they keep all the ultrasonic stuff together in one place.

Yes, it has a heater. It gets quite warm, almost too hot to reach into. The only think I don't like about it is the built in timer. It is limited to a max of 480 seconds! I have to re-start it several times to get my desired cleaning time.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=95563

[Jeff686]

Chrome the gun, then use Slide Glide and the cheap ass brush Brian sells. EVERYTHING gets a coat, enough for a light pink tint. Moving parts get a little more. 15 seconds with a can of non-chlorinated brake cleaner and your gun is cleaner than ANY ultrasonic is going to get it. Strip it down, hose it off, and re-apply the slide glide. Winter sucks, because my guns are too tight to run grease, but in the warmer months cleaning them absolutely spotlessly clean takes less than 5 minutes start to finish. Catch the brake cleaner on sale and it costs less than 50 cents to clean the gun including the Slide Glide. I don't clean barrels, and shoot JHP or CMJ so comp cleaning is a non-issue, the comp is toast before it needs cleaned. I dearly hate cleaning guns, I have put a lot of time and money into making it as easy and fast as I can.

I have used $100K ultrasonic cleaners, courtesy of our Uncle, and none of them work without elbow grease.

This sounds like an old boy scout trick. Coat the bottom of your pans with a think application of dish soap before cooking over the open fire, then the black soot wipes off. The slide glide acts as a barrier.

I have used brake cleaner and action blaster a lot (but not with slide-glide all over). They do a nice job. However, I like the ultrasonic. Every piece and part sparkles!

Of course, now I have to figure out how to reassemble the lower (first time for me)!

[Joe4d]

Hsmith, No issues with STI plastic frames ? I quit using the cheap advance auto brake cleaner when I got an STI this year.

[HSMITH]

Joe, the non-chlorinated doesn't hurt the grips. It can show a little whitening, but just the tiniest dab of FP-10 on your finger restores the color.

[dajarrel]

The small cheapo cleaner that I bought years ago recommended using a dilute mixture of vinegar and water. The mix was approx. 10% vinegar which actually makes a weak acidic mixture. It removed oils better than straight water and was weak enough not to harm any plastics. I still rinsed thoroughly afterward.

fwiw

dj

[Greg in VA]

I use Brownells D'solve in my cleaner at home..........the one I have at work I use Slip 2000 725 in it......for really tough stuff I open up a jar of the Carbon cutter and place the item in it and set it over in the cleaner and turn it on, it will clean a M249 gas manifold in about 20 miuntes...........

Greg

[UW Mitch]

Today I tried something new. A splash of simple green and warm water first. Took it out, cleaned remaining crud off and poured the simple green solution down the toilet. Then HOT water with a little Militec squirted in to rinse. Now I understand that oil and water don't mix, but when I turned on the ultrasonic, I got the effect I hoped for - the Militec emulsified So when pulled my parts out and wiped them down, the water evaporated ***hopefully*** leaving a very thin layer of Militec on the parts that I can't get to. I heat gun dried it just to make sure all the water was gone. We'll see how this works out in the long run.

~Mitch

[warpspeed]

Any reason WD40 would be a problem ?

[degenerate023]

heh my shootin buddy has the cheapo harbor freight one and for his 1911's he takes the grips off and sets em aside...field strips it and gives it its "bubble bath" in diesel.....sounds a lil crazy but he swears by it and all his steel guns work just fine...he says the best part is that diesel is a fine petroleum product and so he doesnt even lube the small internals afterwards...just lubes the slide, barrel, frame and slaps the grips back on and heads out to the range...strains all the crap out of the diesel with a coffee filter and re uses it LOL!

[Jeff686]

heh my shootin buddy has the cheapo harbor freight one and for his 1911's he takes the grips off and sets em aside...field strips it and gives it its "bubble bath" in diesel.....sounds a lil crazy but he swears by it and all his steel guns work just fine...he says the best part is that diesel is a fine petroleum product and so he doesnt even lube the small internals afterwards...just lubes the slide, barrel, frame and slaps the grips back on and heads out to the range...strains all the crap out of the diesel with a coffee filter and re uses it LOL!

Does he have any problem with the paint comming off the platic parts. Mine has a stainless basin, but the basin is held in place by a plastic bezel. The Ed's Red I tried started to remove some of the paint from the plastic. Would diesel or kerosene do the same?

[BlueOvalBruin]

How do you all like the harbor freight cleaners?