Brass cleaning

[lallen12]

Hi all want to ask about ultrasonic cleaners, looking at rcbs but leaning towards the hornady 9L. Any suggestions, pros and cons? I use ss wet tumbler now but it’s a lot of work and super messy

[aStewart!]

I stayed away from the ones branded by reloading companies due to their size and components. Instead, I got one with a 6L stainless steel tank & basket, a spigot for draining, multiple tranducers, and a good heater. I figured I'd use it for more than just brass and I was right.

[lallen12]

Ya that’s why I was looking at the 9L so I could clean my ars and pistols as well as brass, I hear it’s not as good at ss wet tumbling but close to it

[Big Eddy]

I would go with the SS wet tumbling. JMHO

[aStewart!]

It's strongly recommended that after cleansing your weapon parts in an ultrasonic solution you run it again in a lubricating solution to drive out any water and to protect the metal against rust. The ones I saw cost up to $80 a gallon so I reversed engineered one brand an came up with a simple substitute that has served me well. Like the commercial version, it is strongly recommended you run it outside since excellent ventilation is very important. Also, do not heat the product at all! It get hotter as it is run in the ultrasound.
Ultrasonic Lubricant
Amount Common Name
1 gal(-8 fl oz) Odorless Mineral Spirits or K1 kerosene
1-2 fl oz PDMS - Dimethicone Liquid Silicone Oil
5 to 8 fl oz Mineral Oil

[72Camaro]

I too have the wet tumbling and like it a lot. Franklin Arsenal brand and it really works well. Son-in-law has ultrasound and I think he wishes he would have bought the wet tumbler.

[cynjon]

I have all three types of cleaners/tumblers and like them all for different tasks:

- Stainless media wet tumbler: I will never get rid of this...use it for everything and I don't find it messy or difficult to use. I use a media separator full of water to rinse and separate then dry my brass in a dehydrator.
- Dry vibratory tumbler: Dirty range brass goes in here first so I'm not getting dirt/dust/carbon in my loading dies. Does an OK job but nowhere near as good as the SS media.
- Ultrasonic: I have the RCBS cleaner and it works okay. I use the Hornady cleaning solutions for the task at hand (cleaning gun parts vs. cleaning brass). It is just as much work as the SS pin method, but not nearly as effective. However, I still like it for certain tasks, like cleaning pistols, reloading dies or suppressors. For cleaning brass, I think either of the other methods works better, IMO.

[Dustin B]

Check Harbor Freight for the ultrasonic cleaners. Exactly the same as Lyman, RCBS but $40-60 cheaper.