just got an ultrasonic, wondering if it is safe to just pull my bolt and put it on the cleaner?

thanks for any help!

I do not believe that there is any aluminum in the bolt; that would be the only concern.

That's interesting. What do you think the bolt is made of?

Back to the OPs' question: Just don't fill your cleaner with a solution that attacks aluminum. The only problem with dropping your bolt in is that there's no way for crud to get out of the firing pin bore. It's still a good idea to occasionally (yearly?) remove the firing pin to clean out the accumulated crud.

A mild steel. But that's just a guess. If you know otherwise, feel free to enlighten.

All steel less the plastic extractor plunger and bolt carrier.

My 2 cents based on my use of Ultrasonic cleaners for 15+ years in a Navy Lab.
1) A part made of the wrong material(s) placed in a Ultra Sound can be pitted/damaged beyond repair in a matter of minutes.
2) Ultra sounds are great for getting rid of corrosion and or gunked with hardened/aged crud . It's overkill for near everything else.
3) In 40+ years of gun collecting/ownership, I can count the number of times an Ultrasound would be good for gun cleaning on one hand.
4) More guns are ruined by overzealous cleaning than they are by shooting.

In short, my advice would be to clean your guns like the world has been for the last 100 years. No more. No less.

__________________
Dave

Actually, there are two solutions available for most ultrasonic cleaners. One for brass and the other for gun parts. I have used both successfully.

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USAF Retired/VN Vet

My 20+ years cleaning carbs, to include brass jets, from basic motorcycle types to high-end side-draft webers using an industrial-grade ultrasonic (surplus) and assorted cleaners has never resulted in an "oops".. EZ-PZ. Just use a cleanser labeled aluminum - safe if you have any concern. Don't use any combustibles. There are no metal parts in the bolt assembly which will pit or be marred in some fashion if instructions are followed. I use Dawn liquid more than not. Simple Green Pro HD is biodegradable and safe on about any material I can think off. It's the violet colored SG. Dilute accordingly, rinse well and dry, lube as necessary. Depending on the apparatus, timer, nastiness, all that, sometimes it might take 2-3-4 sessions and a small amount of brush work.

You really should only ultrasound individual components rather than assemblies. Those vibrations will cause wear.

Never seen that either but I always prefer to take parts down to the individual part with any thorough cleaning.

thanks for all the help, usually only clean after 500 or more rounds, just trying to find an easier way to knock off the build up

I have used an ultrasonic cleaner extensively in repairing/restoring older high-end microscopes as well as fine fountain pens made from the 1920s on. Lots of good points have been made here, so let me try
to summarize and a few of my own:
-ultrasonicate individual parts, not assemblies, unless the assemblies are tight. If parts rub against one another, wear will be greatly accelerated.
-Dawn and water clean well; use a very dilute solution.
-Always run your cleaning solution for 5 - 10 minutes before adding parts. This degasses the water and greatly enhances the cleaning action.
-if you use a safe solvent, put a small quatity in a little jar, and place that in the water in the sonicator. Clean parts in in that jar. Obviously, this only works for small parts!
-Alternating between utrasonication and brushing to clean works well.
-Warm cleaning solution always works better.
-Keep your fingers out of the solution when the machine is running!

Finally, don't overdo it ultrasonication takes minutes, not hours! Don't use strong clearers, rinse well, and protect the cleaned part against rust. If a part is only lightly soiled and you can reach all sufaces, just use a brush. Ultrasonication works best at getting into crevices.

Google is your friend here.

Check out Crest Ultrasonics page or the Morantz Ultrasonics page.

Microscopic bubbles (cavitation) are what do the cleaning and you won't get that without an aqueous solution.

The cavitation can cause pitting in soft metals like aluminum.

I use Crest 235 Ultrasonic solution (diluted per instruction) and fully disassemble before/after running it through the machine.

Don't be lulled into thinking that the sonic cleaner is a shortcut where you can simply "dunk it" and be done. Carbon will turn into sludge and ooze into places you didn't think existed.

The sonic cleaning is really for times when you want a "to pieces" kind of detail strip.

This should be a sticky somewhere.
Good info!

These are some great points, except for the jar sitting in the tank.

Having weight on the bottom of the ultrasonic will make the agitator, if it has one, overwork itself and can burn it out prematurely. I work at a shop that has 3 and one was ruined by doing this couple years ago.

I usually will clean small parts in little baggies and clip them to the sides.

Some great points, thanks to everyone for contributing!

I just assumed the poster was placing small jars within the basket which comes with the "hobbiest" cleaners. Good catch. Within the basket I also use those stainless clam shell-type tea brewers / holders for very small / tiny parts. Evidently they're called "tea ball infuser". lol