Aluminum cleaning....

[Rsadams]

I use an aluminum break on a .22 rifle mainly for barrel harmonics for long distance shooting.. I had a guy make it and it works great but gets extremely nasty where the gas ports are like any muzzle break... It's a nice shiny aluminum and I want to throw it in my ultra sonic cleaner... It has holes drilled all the way around the brake which are impossible to get clean much less inside..

My question is , is there a home made cleaner for the ultra sonic like vinegar or simple green or something that will clean but not turn the shiny appearance black or dull..????

Thanks in advance,
Shawn

 

[PhilKeil]

I dont know what it may do to the carbon but we used to us aluminum brightner you can get at napa auto parts. worked great.

 

[Gabe22BR]

Dawn ???

Simple green will turn it- dull- vinegar will also

 

[Rsadams]

Dawn ???

Simple green will turn it- dull- vinegar will also

Dawn and hot water was what I was thinking.... I could always repolish it but it seems like a lot Everytime....

 

[jpx2rk]

Amazon.com

the product description says it works on aluminum. Have not tried it.

 

[ricco1949]

Try a tbsp of creme of tartar, tbsp Lemishine, and squirt of Dawn.....same formula as for brass tumbling and sonic cleaning. . It's the formula used by the sonic cleaning originator.

It works great on suppressors but I don't know if it will darken aluminum....try a test piece.

Edit:
See @Fast14riot advisory re: citric acid/Lemishine and aluminum corrosion below.

 

[Straightshooter1]

I use an aluminum break on a .22 rifle mainly for barrel harmonics for long distance shooting.. I had a guy make it and it works great but gets extremely nasty where the gas ports are like any muzzle break... It's a nice shiny aluminum and I want to throw it in my ultra sonic cleaner... It has holes drilled all the way around the brake which are impossible to get clean much less inside..

My question is , is there a home made cleaner for the ultra sonic like vinegar or simple green or something that will clean but not turn the shiny appearance black or dull..????

Thanks in advance,
Shawn

Whatever you use to clean the aluminum, don't expect it to stay a shiny aluminum appearance. It only stays that way when there's some kind of coating on it. Expect it to be dull grey. This is the nature of aluminum and aluminum alloys, just being exposed to the air. This tendency has long been a problem in the aircraft industry. One of the best protection for aluminum is the oxidation layer on it's surface that can develop over time as the layer can be pretty tough.

 

[jpx2rk]

Try a tbsp of creme of tartar, tbsp Lemishine, and squirt of Dawn.....same formula as for brass tumbling and sonic cleaning. . It's the formula used by the sonic cleaning originator.

It works great on suppressors but I don't know if it will darken aluminum....try a test piece.

How much liquid for the correct "mix"?

 

[Fast14riot]

I wouldn't use citric acid (Lemishine) on aluminum in a heated sonic bath. Rate of corrosion in dilute citric acid solution roughly doubles for every 10°C.

Tartaric acid does work well on aluminum, the kitchen trick is to simmer aluminum pots with a dilute tartaric acid solution and the discoloration will go away.

 

[Rsadams]

Seems like I see some polishing in my future... Think I will let the ultrasonic do it's work on the inside and just polish it again occasionally.... I guess like brass it doesn't make it better when shiny...

 

[ricco1949]

How much liquid for the correct "mix"?

I use that formula in my Harbor Freight Sonic cleaner which is about 1/2 gallon.

Same formula in Frankford wet tumbler which is about a gallon.

 

[ricco1949]

I wouldn't use citric acid (Lemishine) on aluminum in a heated sonic bath. Rate of corrosion in dilute citric acid solution roughly doubles for every 10°C.

Tartaric acid does work well on aluminum, the kitchen trick is to simmer aluminum pots with a dilute tartaric acid solution and the discoloration will go away.

Thanks for advisory. I'll keep that in mind if I need to clean some aluminum.