Ultrasonic Cleaner Tips for black powder gun parts and shells?

[Flaco Joe]

I picked up an ultrasonic cleaner and have been underwhelmed with the results so far. I used Simple Green from a spray bottle, not concentrated, and heated it to 40 Celsius. I then tossed in my cap gun parts and ran the cleaner for 20 minutes. The heaviest gunk came off, but it seemed no better than if I had just wiped them down with a shop rag. I still have to do quite a bit of scrubbing with patches and brass brushes to make the parts come clean. I also tossed in some brass shot shells fired and it didn’t seem to clean any better than running them under hot water.

 

What tips and tricks do y’all recommend to get the most out of an ultrasonic cleaner? I’d like to drop in my gun parts and let the cleaner do the bulk of the work. At a minimum, I would like the cleaner to shorten my cleaning time and effort. If all it can do it mimic hand-wiping, then I’m not sure it’s worth the counter space.

 

Thanks

[Outlaw Gambler]

I use the ultra sonic cleaner from Brownell's. Mix with water according to directions on the container, heat the solution to 80 celsius, turn on for 15 minutes and repeat two to three times depending on how dirty the parts were. 

If your cleaner is a new on this should do the trick but I don't know what you should expect from the brand of cleaner you have and if it is a used one it may be wore out.

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

This is probably of no help, but the "Universal" cleaner for Black Powder is plain Water.  I like warm water as then my hands stay warm.  I also like PAM.  I use PAM alla time.  I don't like Balistol for anything except softening stiff leather.  SO:

 

My tip for your Ultrasonic Cleaner is to sell it on and go back to a sink of Warm Water.  When you Rinse your All Brass shot shells, include a goodly amount of White Vinegar.  After drying, I toss the Brass into a vibratory cleanser with Lizard Litter for 30Minutes.

[Oak Ridge Regulator]

Try the simple green purple version, it’s made to clean metal. I heat my solution in the cleaner and find it does a pretty good job, a 30 minute clean cycle then dry in the sun or throw in the old dehydrator 

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

20 minutes in the shaky bath seems awfully short from what I've been told, as I've been investigating getting an ultrasonic tank to clean my Ruger OAs after shooting.  I don't care so much about the time it takes as I do how much of that time I'm actually doing any actual stuff to clean them.  I've been told that an hour in an ultrasonic bath of moose milk gets the parts squeaky clean in most cases, and if things are really crusty, an extra half hour will inevitably get the job done.  Then blow dry with compressed air and voila!  All the while during the bath I can be doing anything else I like.

[Flaco Joe]

Thanks ORR and ND! I’ll try those ideas.

[Tequila Shooter]

You have to be careful with what solution you use, some don’t like to be heated and some are not kind to gun parts.  I’ve used Simple Green, but the aviation blend, and generally it takes about 2-3 cycles.  I wouldn’t bother cleaning cases in the ultrasonic, IMHO wet tumbling does a better job.   

[Griff]

The only thing I use my sonic cleaner for anymore are the nipples.  I have Slick Shots and they don't seem to be adversely affected by the heat or chemical.  I used the Hornady One Shot Sonic Clean Solution on some heavily stained BP cases, when I first got it and after it ran several cycles it started looking noticeably cleaner, I decided one more cycle can't hurt.  NOT!  It looked like the zinc had leeched out of some of my brass... leaving parts of the cases looking like copper.  be careful of what chemical you use and how much heat in induce.

[Ol Number4]

FWIW  I have been using:

 

Slip 2000 "Ultra Clean"  for use in sonic cleaners for over 20 years, for MXL, Big Bore, C&B and Cartridge.

For pistols I have a decent 10" cleaner and the mix of 50/50 water to the Slip 2000 takes 10 minutes to get the gunk off four barrels and cylinders, COLD.  After coming out I would use a dry patch in each chamber, then an oil patch and done.

 

Now shooting Cowboy 32/20's I just put the cylinders (4) in for 10 minutes (cold) then a dry patch and next an oily one., and have a mix of 50/50 in a spray bottle to loosen the crap  around the frame, cylinder pins and bushings.  I also spray the mix for the first cleaning patch through the bore for both pistols and rifles.

Note:  I use a Dawn wet patch between  stages and at the end of a days shooting.

 

Ol'  #4