Ultrasonic cleaning questions

[Mark Walker in TX]

Jason - great article and test, very informative!!

A couple of questions came to mind after reading and looking at the machines avaiable to purchase.

It looks like the basket that comes with the machine is some type of plastic, did you notice that when you used it vs. the beakers that the results were any different?

How many cases, when using the basket, can you do at once? It looks like maybe 100 cases?

Did you notice any difference in cleaning if the cases were stood upright, like in the pics, or just haphazardly dumped into the basket like a normal tumbler?

Thanks in advance, and thanks for the information and article!!!

 

[jb1000br]

Mine didnt come with a basket.

I like the idea of the beakers better because it doesnt require individual rinsing etc. You can rinse the whole beaker at once by covering the mouth with you hand.

RE: no beakers, just piling them in...

cases will be equally clean, but crud will settle inside cases and require each one to be rinsed directly

JB

 

[Badlands]

:thumb: The article on ultrasonic cleaning sounded interesting. And,since I get a little bored this time of year, I found the same one used in the article on E bay and got it with a $26.00 bid plus $15 shipping. I was wondering why you need to use hot water, and then distilled water for a rinse ? Is distilled water really needed ? I enjoy 6mmBR very much. Keep up the good work. Badlands :comp:

 

[jb1000br]

Hi Gerry -- glad you liked it.

Depends on your water...if your water doesnt leave residue when it dries, then you probably dont NEED Di water. I use it because it is a known quantity,or lack of ).

it runs well under 1$/gallon at wally world

JB

 

[chuckw2]

Guys,
Has anybody tested the difference in performance difference between the various case cleaning methods? Do you get more consistent speed, lower SD, lower ES, etc? I have always just used a tumbler with corn cob media. I have always been a little curious about the carbon buildup on the interior of the case and the effect it has on the performance of the case.


How is this method better?

 

[jb1000br]

Chuck -- here is what i told the other guy that asked WHY?:

It can't shoot worse right...

I honestly dont have the tools to make a fair test,tunnel and chrono capable of reading 1fps accuracy/precision)

also it would probably burn up a barrel to get useful results.

If you tumble, WHY NOT ultrasonic? cost is similar, and work is less since it saves cleaning primer pockets by hand.

I do have one thought...How many times have you heard "virgin brass has always shot better for me"

well maybe the lack of crud had something to do with it, maybe not...

JB

 

[chuckw2]

Jason,
Good point. Especially about virgin brass. I shot a lot of virgin Laupa brass at the Nationals in October and it shot some really high scores. I fl re-size my brass after the third firing and I am amazed at the carbon that will fall out. This has to reduce the interior capacity of the case.

Thanks,

Chuck

 

[jb1000br]

Bingo!

Someone out there that is playing with this...

IF YOU HAVE A SCALE THAT READS BETTER THAN 0.1gn

weigh some cases before and after cleaning to see how much carbon was removed -- curious to quantify it, but now all my stuff is clean, so i cant

JB

 

[tbob]

and HELP!! can't seem to post --don't like me, i guess.

a question on one of your photos, sir. seemed like a couple pyrex cups filled with covering solution, and a bit on the bottom of the master.

after you mix the concoction, what then? how/what to fill?

regards, tbob

 

[jb1000br]

tbob -- distilled water in the tank, concoctions in the beakers...

so you can reuse the water in the tank and only dump and rinse the beakers.

HTH,
JB

 

[tbob]

so, from what i gather,remember i'm stupid) i fill the beakers with fluid, dump in a bunca cartridges,upright or what?) then fill the base with dis water, and turn 'er for the longest cycle? then what -- repeat the whole process again at a lower setting and continue until your done? I musta missed this part in your article. how many times at what settings does it take to clean your brass? ,told you I was a dummy.)

what else might be cleaned with your neat formula? gold, silver, iron, copper? no, i'm not a chemist.

but as you sugested I did a bit of searching on EBAY tonite. looked for industrial ultrason cleaners, industrial ultrasonic cleaners and a few more. Numbers and costs were unmanageble, so I did a search for "industrial ultrasonic cleaners 42kHz". they had about 8 or so cleaners from 59.00 to 89.00,delivery 14.00) so i bought a cheap one. according to all the literature on each model, they all appear the same: 42kHz, 110v, 3.86 lbs, stainless bucket, 1.4L capacity.

now to make it work !!!!

regards, tbob

 

[jb1000br]

tbob -- please re-read -- it is all outlined also see the pics...i put the cases in on end,head up or down doesnt matter)

also, my US unit is pictured in the article as well as on the front page blog.

You bought a very similar unit if not the same one then

HTH,
Jason

 

[nowler]

hi jason

did you ever try the cream of tartare out?

derek

 

[jb1000br]

Derek -- not yet...too much other stuff goin on...hunting season etc...

JB

 

[outlawsix]

May have looked over it. But was wondering if you tried the brass and solution in a Ziplock bag? If so what were the results?

 

[USAPatriot]

I should have abided by the warning on the bottle to not use it on brass.

:lol: :lol:

Interesting observation on the Pepsi. Ever think of trying it? Seriously. Here's why:

I tube fed myself for 21 months after surgery for cancer. The tube went right through my abdominal wall into my upper stomach. I'd use a 60cc syringe filled with goo to feed myself about 900cc/day. The tube got really gunked up and gross and needed cleaning every day, even though it was rinsed after every use. What did most patients use for cleaning? Pepsi or Coke! Additional carbonation worked wonders. Most people found that over time, Coke was actually too harsh and they wound up getting their PEG's replaced about a year sooner than those that used Pepsi. It was simple enoug...flush with water to get any remaining goo out, push enough Pepsi into the tube to fill the tube and get a good burp going,When you have not eaten for a year, a Pepsi burp is HEAVEN!) and then clamp the tube, trapping the Pepsi. Let it sit for 20 minutes or whatever and then flush with water. Clean as a whistle.

I notice in your photos that after cleaning the insides of those cases are still pretty beat up, but it's tough to tell what is manufacturing marks, what is carbon, what might be oxidation or what is erosion from the powder burning. What do your eyes tell you?

Now imagine what it might be like if that brass were mirror smooth...I wonder what would happen were you to fill those cases with 600 grit and hit with the ultrasound for various lengths of time? Seems like it would only be practical for virgin brass and probably only useful for those competing, but tooling is tooling and it must introduce some measure of uneven burning. Care to experiment? Instead of sectioning cases, I'd use a case with a neck big enough to fit a borescope into...if one happens to be available. Just remember that polishing removes material. You could polish once, probably no more, which is why I specified virgin brass only. -Rod-

 

[jb1000br]

kitsap, thanks for the pics and answer on the weight of crud...wonder how high it would get with bigger cases, and more firings...

Rod -- no pepsi yet, but i suppose it may work...more expensive than my other solutions though.

Rod, only the 308's looked beat up...not sure why. 6.5-284s looked new inside.

I think the more times it's fired without cleaning may have something to do with it.

there was nothing there physically, just a change to the color of the brass.

JB

 

[USAPatriot]

kitsap, thanks for the pics and answer on the weight of crud...wonder how high it would get with bigger cases, and more firings...

Rod -- no pepsi yet, but i suppose it may work...more expensive than my other solutions though.

Rod, only the 308's looked beat up...not sure why. 6.5-284s looked new inside.

I think the more times it's fired without cleaning may have something to do with it.

there was nothing there physically, just a change to the color of the brass.

JB

Still, I wonder how polishing the cases inside and out with a 600 grit slurry would work out? Everyone worries about uneven burning so the obvious solution is to remove the obstacles to it. Open a box of brand new Lapua's and they sure do look purty but a close examination of the outside surface shows a diamond in the rough. It's worse on the inside as evidenced by the markings inside the neck. -Rod-

 

[jb1000br]

Rod -- internal finish on mine, new and cleaned, looks good as could be.

it would take a pretty thick slurry to do any good i'd imagine...

JB