Sonic Brass Cleaner.

[Al in SC]

My Christmas present from my children was a "Hornady Lock and Load Sonic Cleaner".
Could someone explain to me how these gadgets are suppose to clean. I am learning how to use it. Have used it twice. Will report on it after I have used it more. It just seems to be sitting there buzzing. Interior of brass doesn't seem to be getting clean, of course I haven't looked down into the cases with a light, and primer pockets are some clean and some not so much so. Letting the last batch soak for an hour and running another 15 minute cleaning cycle helped considerably. What machine action justifies the "sonic cleaning" name? What is he theory of its cleaning technique?

 

[DrMike]

My experience with the Ultrasonic cleaner was that it required multiple runs to get the interior and primer pockets clean. Usually, my brass required at least four runs of eight minutes each to meet my expectations. If you want a shine, you will still need to use a Krazy Kloth or something similar to shine the exterior of the brass. One way to save on solution is to make your own. There are various recipes online (check here for one http://www.6mmbr.com/ultrasonic.html). Also, use a Kimax beaker holding the solution and your brass. Immerse this in a water bath and start the ultrasonic cleaner. Kimax appears to permit transmission of the ultrasonic waves, whereas Pyrex (and other glassware) does not. It saves on cleaning solution.

 

[Al in SC]

Dr Mike, Good info. Just what I needed. Thanks !! Many of us on this board are indebted to you for the helpful info and guidance you always provide. Your suggestions are always given in a helpful, many times entertaining and sometimes humorous manner. We appreciate you.

 

[big rifle man]

I find if I heat the solution I use (vinegar/water/dish washing detergent) to just under boiling the cleaning process goes much faster.

 

[AzDak42]

Are you degasing the solution prior to use and using distilled water?

I have the Hornady 2L model and if I use their solution, degas the distilled water, and run a batch for 15 minutes, I get extremely clean brass. Keep in mind, it's not polished, it's clean.

If I want shiny, I'll run them through my tumbler with some polish and clean corn media. Works great when I want pretty rifle cases to work with.

For high volumes of pistol brass, I don't bother. That stuff just gets tossed in the tumbler with corn media and polish, left for two hours and I reload it. Pistol ammo doesn't last long enough to need to be pretty.

 

[kraky]

I have cheap harbor frt unit that looks suspiciously like the Lyman unit. I can say it didn't do good till I started using the hornady sonic cleaner solution. Then it came to life. But I have to say it left me thinking perhaps an old pot w/wooden spoon might also work pretty good with the solution!
Since then I decided to try and really really liked white rice in my tumbler and went back to that.

 

[Al in SC]

AzDak42, yes I am degasing but not using distilled water though.

 

[FOTIS]

Interested........

 

[Dr. Vette]

I've used the sonic cleaning several times, but once I moved on to stainless media I never looked back.
Cleaner, brighter and no more difficult than sonic cleaning.

 

[Al in SC]

I gave up on it. Just doesn't work for me.

Got a model B tumbler with stainless steel media that is used in a liquid bath.
Works great. Love it.

 

[DrMike]

That is precisely where I wound up, Al. I sold the ultrasonic and bought a Thumler Tumbler B Model. Sure works slick.

 

[Kodiak]

I have the Hornady gen 2 sonic, a vibratory cleaner with walnut hulls and a Frankfort tumbler loaded with steel pins. Somewhere along the way, I manage to clean everything from my 45-90 BP cases down to the 22-250 cases. Sometimes the steel pins get stuffed in certain bottle-neck cases and are a pain to get out, but when everything goes just right, everything is bright and shiny as new. I also have some of the white ceramic pellets for the Frankfort tumbler, but they don't clean like the steel pins.

 

[Al in SC]

Dr. Mike, Did you get your moose &/or elk this year?

 

[DrMike]

Not yet. Season's still open for either, however. Guess I'd better get moving! :shock:

 

[diverdown]

I eventually went with using the stainless steel pins. I use warm water, one tablespoon of Dawn and One tablespoon of Lemishine. Three hours later the cases look like they just came out of the factory.