Can anyone explain to me what an ultrasonic cleaner is and its benefits for cleaning guns?
I see Harbor Freight has them at a decent price and would like the word on them please.
Thank you
G

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**Big Dog Grips**

I don't know all the teck. terms but we use them to clean oil &water filters (Screens ) at work . They use sound waves sent through the solution in the tank to loosen particles clinging to the screens .The solutions can vary as to what material you want to clean ,detergent,or caustic solutions are what we use, depending on what we are cleaning.Our tanks are made of stainless and the filters are suspended not laying on the bottom.All oil ,dirt are removed (loosened and the screens are removed ,rinsed with clear water and blown dry and checked for being clean.Being that they are S.S.no rust protection is applied but on carbon steel it is a must to apply a oil coating as parts will rust because all protection has been removed.I understand that some machine shops use ultrasound to clean small parts of any metal shavings also .It does a great job.

Its basically a tank with a vibrator attached. It vibrates at a frequency you can't hear. We had one here at work for years. It was for my boss's former jewelry business. You just dump in the item you want cleaned and add some detergent (we used 409 brand). You turn it on and guess how long you want to leave it. A year ago they made a big pile of **** they wanted to throw away. I walked by, saw the distinct color and shape and rescued it for home use!

I've been told you can also use a solvent in the thing. I haven't tried that yet, but I plan on it some day. Outside, near nothing combustible. I've got a nasty old K22 from 1968 that I'll use as a test subject. As soon as I can find it.

You should be able to dump the entire gun in the bath (if yours is big enough). Take the grips off, no reason to damage them. If you use a solvent dry it afterward. If you use a detergent, rinse it well afterward.

Then be aware you've got absolutely no lubricant or protectant on the gun. I normally don't like aerosol lubricants. I think in this instance one maybe called for. My dislike is based on the laziness it promotes, and how a buildup could occur if you overlube. After a ultrasonic bath, its probably got nothing from prior lubes on it.

I also dislike aerosols because they're propelled by expanding gas, which makes it cold. Cold metal attracts condensation. The blackpowder approach is to rinse in the hottest water you can stand. The heat transfers to the metal, which then becomes almost too hot. On the plus side, all water evaporates. Its then, while the metal is clean and dry that the CLP or RemOil is a good product. On it goes, and it runs into every nook and cranny.

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Dick Burg

It was the Harbor Freight UltraSonic that led me to purchase a full size one ( 1 Gallon)..
Brownells carries an ultra sonic cleaner.. that mixes 4 to 1..
but the best is the Brownells " Water Displacing Oil" that is used in the ultra sonic cleaner as well .. after the clean.. then the Ultra Sonic oil bath.. Just be careful using it with a nickle gun as it could lift the nickle on an older gun with craks in the finish..( cleaner not the oil)

Slip2000 is another great UltraSonic product..
SLiP2000™ - 725 Cleaner / Degreaser
SLiP2000™ - Lubricant Information

Both can be used in an UltraSonic..

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

My experience(s) are that anything purchased from HF and expected to hold up to even medium duty use will lead to disappointment...

I have one made by L & R Ultrasonics. I have been around the industrial units a lot. Mine is big enough for handguns and engine parts.
It really works best with special solutions which have a wetting agent. The solutions are not expensive and are reusable. I filter mine through a paper coffee filter and it’s good for another round.
They suggest partial disassembly for the first cleaning. I pull the side plate, cylinder and crane.
There is a lube solution available. After cleaning you blow off and dry, then refill the tank with the lube solution and run the pistol for a while. It works very well. Not a substitute for bore cleaning except for rim fires which are mostly wax.
It does a good job cleaning brass but is tedious to load, might be worthwhile for rifle brass.
+ 1 for removing stocks.

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Ipsis Rebus Dictantitbus

I bought one from Harbor Freight about a year ago.

It does a good job. Not great. But good enough.

It has a heat setting and it does get quite hot. I take the grips off my guns first. If the gun is REAL dirty like after shooting ****** ammo, I spray the gun with a cleaner first and let it sit. I use Simple Green and water. Don't know the mix ratio. I just eyeball it.

After pouring in the solution I turn on the heat and let it get good and hot. Then I put the gun in (disassembled) and turn it on. Let it sit 4 or 5 minutes or longer if the gun is real dirty.

Sometimes the gun doesn't get all the way clean so some touch up is needed.

Really comes in handy when you have several guns to clean after a range trip.

Do not use an ultrasonic cleaner on guns that have a finish that is flaking off. Knew a guy that put his nickel plated gun in and it took some of the plating off.

Almost forgot, after you remove the gun from the cleaner either rinse the gun with water or spray cleaner to remove the cleaning solution. If you rinse with water, spray a light lubricant on the gun inside and out IMMEDIATELY. I rinse my guns in the sink with water and use Tetra Gun light lubricant spray to stop rust. I didn't do this the first time and develped a rust spot on one of my guns. Good thing I caught it in time.

I agree....becareful with the blueing touching ....now I have a couple and one big enough to do a 6" revolver,it works fine as long as you suspend the Smith...I tie it up with a small string so it isnt laying in there.

I have a stuellersonic industrial one and when I run it I have to wear phones because it is loud.

I use straight Mpro7 as my cleaner and filter it after each pass. I then use L&R gun lube afterwords as my dip. The procedure goes like this. First strip and wipe the gun down. You want to get off the loose stuff and the oil to protect your gallon of mpro7. Then the gun goes in the basket for 15 minutes with the heater running. After 15 minutes, out and drip dry. Next put in the L&R solution and do it again. Finally lube and pack away as normal.

The guns come out "surgically" clean. So clean it is shocking. Clean in places I normally can never get too. If I want to go the extra mile, I use the air compressor and blow out the gun between the mpro7 and the l&r dip run.

It is just plain shocking how clean the gun is after the ultrasonic. I don't use mine every time because it is futzy to do, but once in a while I want it really really clean.

Strongly recommended! I mean really strongly.

ps: don't buy a cheap ultrasonic. I have read about a lot of folks having poor results with cheap HF versions. Mine was a refurb but it costs 1700$ new.

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SWCA 1646

Peter .. I agree 100%.. I sytarted out with a HF.. but soon went to a 1 Gallon Sharpertek..about $500.00 but our methods are the same..and I would not trade it..except maybe a bigger one

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

I agree. I bought a 1.5 gallon unit and now strongly regret not getting a 2.5 gallon unit. To do big things I have to do them in stages.

What do you filter your Mpro7 with?

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SWCA 1646

I use a restaurant style deep fryer filter cones.. most restaurant supply house carry them.. they look like giant coffee filters

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

That is what I am using also. Old coffee filters. I have a bunch of them since I stopped drinking coffee about a year ago.

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SWCA 1646

the tech behind them is simply a high power amp driving a transducer at a frequency above the range of hearing.
the vibrations from this are carried to the part being cleaned through liquid which hammers away at crud.
DO NOT put your hand in an ultrasonic cleaner ... EVER... it may make short work of getting crud out from under you nails but it will also erode bone right through your flesh.

I'm planning to dunk my EDC 640-1 in my buddy's ultrasonic this weekend. No takedown beyond removing the grips. The process will be ultrasonic in simple green/hot water, hit it with compressed air, ultrasonic light oil bath, more compressed air, then wipe down. Work the action a few times, patch the barrel, then reload and go.

I may skip the ultrasonic oil bath because it is a EDC pocket pistol. Lint and dirt can get in through the trigger opening.

Any thoughts on keeping it dry?

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Tom in AZ
Respect the Dingbat