I'm wondering how many members use ultrasonic cleaning and what you guys think of it. Thanks.
Ultrasonic cleaning -
- Thread starter ImDrRich
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We have a Hornady Hot-Tub cleaner at the shop where I work, and it does a fantastic job. Just remember that the cleaning solution removes all lubrication and rust prevention, so everything needs to be lubed and protected again before storage.
It depends on what you are trying to achieve. I have the Larger Hornady unit. It will clean metal parts very clean, however if you are looking to use it to clean out a fouled barrel, you'll be disappointed. As mentioned, it does remove all oil and grease, so thorough drying and re-lubricating are a must. Be careful about non-metal parts. Plastics will probably be OK, but I'd hesitate to put wood in the mix, especially a $500 pair of stocks.
Cardboard_killer
Member
I use mine when I want a deep cleaning, and also when I don't want to completely disassemble. The last one I did was my CZ75. The cleaning works best on oil and grease build up in hard to reach places. It does not do a great job in cleaning the barrel, so expect to run some patches, too. And you have to be ready to dry and re-oil/lube quickly to avoid rust. I normally use a hair dryer and denatured alcohol to get rid of water in hard to reach areas, then CLP with patches and compressed air to push into hard to reach places and push out of excess oil.
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I can only see getting one of them if you run a shooting Range and have many rental guns to clean at the end of he day. For personal use it might be a bit over-kill.
If you use an ultrasonic cleaner for maintenance, be sure you drive off all of the water/carrier from the parts after they are cleaned. The problem is that the liquids can get into places that you cannon see, like blind holes containing springs and plungers, and can cause the parts in them to fail.
Hot air from a blow dryer works well to evapoate all traces of the H2O from cleaned parts prior to re-lubrication..
Hot air from a blow dryer works well to evapoate all traces of the H2O from cleaned parts prior to re-lubrication..
rog8732
US Veteran
I used a friends with only distilled water on a Winchester 94's badly rusted butt plate for about 30 minutes.
It did remove the rust; but it also left a raggedy edge of the butt plate where it removed the metal too.
It did remove the rust; but it also left a raggedy edge of the butt plate where it removed the metal too.
dfariswheel
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Ultrasonics work very well on assemblies you don't want to disassemble.
Most modern pistols and revolvers are not like the 1911, where the gun can easily be fully disassembled. Most modern guns require some tools and some assemblies can be a bear to reassemble if you don't have the factory assembly jigs and tools.
Where the US is at it's best is as an occasional deep clean service after a gun has been used a lot, not so much as a normal service job.
Here's some general info from a couple old posts I made on another forum:
What cleaner to use is the most critical consideration.
Some cleaners can damage aluminum and possibly blued finishes.
Depending on the cleaner it can also damage any of the paint type finishes.
As example, the original Simply Green and other strong cleaners like Greased Lightning WILL damage aluminum and the anodized finish and do it fast.
This happens faster in the US cleaner.
One cleaner that works well on most all finishes OTHER THAN some paint type finishes is cheap Walmart paint thinner.
It is moderately flammable so you have to watch it carefully and not walk off.
Some pointers:
Use a basket or wires to hang parts in the tank.
It works better if parts aren't lying on the bottom or touching the sides.
You can clean larger objects in small tanks by cleaning half at a time.
As example stand up the slide in a small tank and clean on half, then turn it over and clean the other end.
Since US waves penetrate into even tiny areas, you don't have to fully disassemble everything. Compared to a woman's wrist watch all gun parts are comparatively gigantic and don't require disassembly.
Either use warmed up cleaner solvent or run the tank until it gets warm.
Also, run the tank a few minutes first to force out air from the liquid.
NEVER run the tank empty, it burns out very fast.
KEEP YOUR FINGERS OUT OF THE TANK.
Bone marrow and US does not play well with each other. This is a cumulative effect that happens over time and repeated dipping your hand in the tank, so just because it doesn't hurt is not an indication of damage.
You can use highly flammable solvents like Acetone and lacquer thinner by putting an inch or so of water in the tank, then standing small jars or beakers with solvent in the water.
US waves will pass through plastic, metal, and glass containers into the solvent.
This works very well for small components like trigger units.
To prevent rust in hidden places you need to use a lubricant that will flow and creep into small crevices and holes.
A very light coat of something like CLP Breakfree works very well, and since the coat should be very thin you can still use whatever lubricant you want for actual lubrication.
I usually put a few drops of CLP on a clean, soft toothbrush and "scrub" all surfaces and areas to put on as fine a coat as possible.
Some solvents will quickly dissolve and remove painted features like sight dots and safety markings.
This usually happens instantly in the US cleaner, and over time even water will eventually remove painted features in the cleaner.
A quick method of drying parts is to use a hair dryer to warm them up.
NOTE: Hair dryer, not torch, oven, or heat gun.
For water based cleaners you can use plain water and a liquid kitchen soap for many jobs.
After cleaning, it's not necessary to run the parts again in clean water to rinse, just swishing around in a sink of water and under the running faucet will do perfectly.
US will not remove copper fouling unless you use a solvent that attacks copper, like a bore solvent.
This can get expensive so I use standard cleaning rod and patches with a bore solvent to clean barrels.
Pretty much the same holds for lead fouling, although US will help loosen and remove at least some.
Carbon fouling requires a solvent that will attack carbon fouling.
Again, this can be expensive so I use bore solvents that remove carbon fouling to do standard cleaning.
Setting up the cleaner, filling, warming it up, cleaning the parts, emptying the tank, and cleaning and drying it may take more time then it's worth and you may be better off using normal cleaning techniques.
Where the US cleaner is at it's best is in occasional deep cleaning or cleaning up a used gun you bought, or in cleaning a complicated assembly you can't disassemble, like a complex trigger unit or bolt assembly that needs special tools to disassemble.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It doesn't harm bluing in itself. Some chemicals can.
The good points:
They really clean.
They usually clean FAST. Drop a dirty part in, and the dirt actually BOILS off in a cloud.
They DEEP clean, getting crud you normally don't even see. Ultrasonics get into cracks and holes that normally you can't get to with other methods.
You don't have to disassemble things. Ultrasonics are used by watchmakers to avoid having to disassembly some small components.
They work with a variety of solutions. Water with detergent works on many types of dirt, so you don't HAVE to use a volatile solvent.
Warm water and a liquid soap like Greased Lightning work. (Read the label and be careful. Some cleaners like Simply Green will ATTACK aluminum and/or some finishes).
Common paint thinner is very good. (Watch it, it's flammable).
One of the "Dunk-It" type gun cleaners/lubricant systems as sold by Cylinder & Slide Shop work very well. This comes in gallon buckets and is rather expensive. However it should last a long time and eliminates having to rinse and lubricate after cleaning.
I would still use a standard oil or grease on key parts.
Hoppe's #9 works well. (Note that no ultrasonic cleaner will do a really good job on bore fouling. For that you need soak time and brushing. You have to still clean the bore as normal).
The solution is heated up by the ultrasonic action. Warm solution cleans even better. Many tanks have a built-in heater also.
You can put an inch of water in the bottom and use small glass or plastic cups to hold solvent and small parts.
The ultrasonic waves are transmitted by the water in the bottom through the beakers or jars.
You can use the tank for MANY cleaning jobs, Paint brushes, dirty watch bands, electric razor heads, you're wife's jewelery, car parts, ANYTHING that you can fit into the tanks will clean up surgically clean.
The bad:
KEEP YOUR FINGERS OUT OF THE TANK. Ultrasonics and bones don't mix.
This isn't something that happens instantly, it's over time.
Expense. The larger tanks are COSTLY. However, if you want to clean a stripped pistol or small parts, one of the smaller $150.00 range tanks will work fine.
You CAN put a portion of a frame or slide in the tank at a time.
After cleaning it, turn it over and clean the other half.
Any solvent that will attack plastic, painted markings, or gun finishes, will attack it FASTER in ultrasonics.
You've got to be careful to apply a THOROUGH coat of anti-rust lube after cleaning. Ultrasonics remove ALL grease and lube, leaving the part absolutely bare, including in tiny holes and crevices that ordinarily cleaning never touches.
They don't work as well on soft gummy grease as harder dirt. You can speed things up by pulling parts out and scrubbing with a brush.
They're electronic and heat the solvent. You have to be careful with flammables.
Advice:
If possible buy a basket that holds parts off the bottom or make up wire hangers. Ultrasonics work better when the parts are suspended in the solution instead of laying on the bottom of the tank.
A tank cover is nice to hold down fumes.
NEVER run the unit when the tank is dry even for a few seconds, it'll burn out.
Be careful what cleaning solution you use. You can pull the item out and find finish or plastic parts GONE.
Be careful with Tritium sights, and sights with any kind of inserts or dots. Many can be damaged or removed in the tank.
The small tanks sold in discount stores for cleaning false teeth and jewelery really don't work too well, and most of them aren't even real ultrasonic units.
Most modern pistols and revolvers are not like the 1911, where the gun can easily be fully disassembled. Most modern guns require some tools and some assemblies can be a bear to reassemble if you don't have the factory assembly jigs and tools.
Where the US is at it's best is as an occasional deep clean service after a gun has been used a lot, not so much as a normal service job.
Here's some general info from a couple old posts I made on another forum:
What cleaner to use is the most critical consideration.
Some cleaners can damage aluminum and possibly blued finishes.
Depending on the cleaner it can also damage any of the paint type finishes.
As example, the original Simply Green and other strong cleaners like Greased Lightning WILL damage aluminum and the anodized finish and do it fast.
This happens faster in the US cleaner.
One cleaner that works well on most all finishes OTHER THAN some paint type finishes is cheap Walmart paint thinner.
It is moderately flammable so you have to watch it carefully and not walk off.
Some pointers:
Use a basket or wires to hang parts in the tank.
It works better if parts aren't lying on the bottom or touching the sides.
You can clean larger objects in small tanks by cleaning half at a time.
As example stand up the slide in a small tank and clean on half, then turn it over and clean the other end.
Since US waves penetrate into even tiny areas, you don't have to fully disassemble everything. Compared to a woman's wrist watch all gun parts are comparatively gigantic and don't require disassembly.
Either use warmed up cleaner solvent or run the tank until it gets warm.
Also, run the tank a few minutes first to force out air from the liquid.
NEVER run the tank empty, it burns out very fast.
KEEP YOUR FINGERS OUT OF THE TANK.
Bone marrow and US does not play well with each other. This is a cumulative effect that happens over time and repeated dipping your hand in the tank, so just because it doesn't hurt is not an indication of damage.
You can use highly flammable solvents like Acetone and lacquer thinner by putting an inch or so of water in the tank, then standing small jars or beakers with solvent in the water.
US waves will pass through plastic, metal, and glass containers into the solvent.
This works very well for small components like trigger units.
To prevent rust in hidden places you need to use a lubricant that will flow and creep into small crevices and holes.
A very light coat of something like CLP Breakfree works very well, and since the coat should be very thin you can still use whatever lubricant you want for actual lubrication.
I usually put a few drops of CLP on a clean, soft toothbrush and "scrub" all surfaces and areas to put on as fine a coat as possible.
Some solvents will quickly dissolve and remove painted features like sight dots and safety markings.
This usually happens instantly in the US cleaner, and over time even water will eventually remove painted features in the cleaner.
A quick method of drying parts is to use a hair dryer to warm them up.
NOTE: Hair dryer, not torch, oven, or heat gun.
For water based cleaners you can use plain water and a liquid kitchen soap for many jobs.
After cleaning, it's not necessary to run the parts again in clean water to rinse, just swishing around in a sink of water and under the running faucet will do perfectly.
US will not remove copper fouling unless you use a solvent that attacks copper, like a bore solvent.
This can get expensive so I use standard cleaning rod and patches with a bore solvent to clean barrels.
Pretty much the same holds for lead fouling, although US will help loosen and remove at least some.
Carbon fouling requires a solvent that will attack carbon fouling.
Again, this can be expensive so I use bore solvents that remove carbon fouling to do standard cleaning.
Setting up the cleaner, filling, warming it up, cleaning the parts, emptying the tank, and cleaning and drying it may take more time then it's worth and you may be better off using normal cleaning techniques.
Where the US cleaner is at it's best is in occasional deep cleaning or cleaning up a used gun you bought, or in cleaning a complicated assembly you can't disassemble, like a complex trigger unit or bolt assembly that needs special tools to disassemble.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It doesn't harm bluing in itself. Some chemicals can.
The good points:
They really clean.
They usually clean FAST. Drop a dirty part in, and the dirt actually BOILS off in a cloud.
They DEEP clean, getting crud you normally don't even see. Ultrasonics get into cracks and holes that normally you can't get to with other methods.
You don't have to disassemble things. Ultrasonics are used by watchmakers to avoid having to disassembly some small components.
They work with a variety of solutions. Water with detergent works on many types of dirt, so you don't HAVE to use a volatile solvent.
Warm water and a liquid soap like Greased Lightning work. (Read the label and be careful. Some cleaners like Simply Green will ATTACK aluminum and/or some finishes).
Common paint thinner is very good. (Watch it, it's flammable).
One of the "Dunk-It" type gun cleaners/lubricant systems as sold by Cylinder & Slide Shop work very well. This comes in gallon buckets and is rather expensive. However it should last a long time and eliminates having to rinse and lubricate after cleaning.
I would still use a standard oil or grease on key parts.
Hoppe's #9 works well. (Note that no ultrasonic cleaner will do a really good job on bore fouling. For that you need soak time and brushing. You have to still clean the bore as normal).
The solution is heated up by the ultrasonic action. Warm solution cleans even better. Many tanks have a built-in heater also.
You can put an inch of water in the bottom and use small glass or plastic cups to hold solvent and small parts.
The ultrasonic waves are transmitted by the water in the bottom through the beakers or jars.
You can use the tank for MANY cleaning jobs, Paint brushes, dirty watch bands, electric razor heads, you're wife's jewelery, car parts, ANYTHING that you can fit into the tanks will clean up surgically clean.
The bad:
KEEP YOUR FINGERS OUT OF THE TANK. Ultrasonics and bones don't mix.
This isn't something that happens instantly, it's over time.
Expense. The larger tanks are COSTLY. However, if you want to clean a stripped pistol or small parts, one of the smaller $150.00 range tanks will work fine.
You CAN put a portion of a frame or slide in the tank at a time.
After cleaning it, turn it over and clean the other half.
Any solvent that will attack plastic, painted markings, or gun finishes, will attack it FASTER in ultrasonics.
You've got to be careful to apply a THOROUGH coat of anti-rust lube after cleaning. Ultrasonics remove ALL grease and lube, leaving the part absolutely bare, including in tiny holes and crevices that ordinarily cleaning never touches.
They don't work as well on soft gummy grease as harder dirt. You can speed things up by pulling parts out and scrubbing with a brush.
They're electronic and heat the solvent. You have to be careful with flammables.
Advice:
If possible buy a basket that holds parts off the bottom or make up wire hangers. Ultrasonics work better when the parts are suspended in the solution instead of laying on the bottom of the tank.
A tank cover is nice to hold down fumes.
NEVER run the unit when the tank is dry even for a few seconds, it'll burn out.
Be careful what cleaning solution you use. You can pull the item out and find finish or plastic parts GONE.
Be careful with Tritium sights, and sights with any kind of inserts or dots. Many can be damaged or removed in the tank.
The small tanks sold in discount stores for cleaning false teeth and jewelery really don't work too well, and most of them aren't even real ultrasonic units.
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It didn't remove metal. It removed the rust that had already eaten away the metal and made the edge raggedy under the rust!
A great use for US is for removing rust using the 50/50 ATF/acetone solution! Really speeds up the process, especially on rusted "frozen" sold dug up relics!
RGVshooter
Member
I mostly use my small Hornady sonic cleaner for cleaning brass. It really came in handy for cleaning off the stink of cosmoline that was still embedded in my Makarov.
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