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Special Interests - Groups & Societies => The Barracks => Topic started by: Wooly Dan on February 20, 2023, 05:10:18 PM

Title: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Wooly Dan on February 20, 2023, 05:10:18 PM
I have a chance to purchase a sonic brass cleaner new in box, cheap   I know nothing about them.  So any info will help. Starting to shoot black, how do they work w/black and black substitute.
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Ranch 13 on February 20, 2023, 06:00:25 PM
 Rinse/wash you brass to remove the heaviest of the fouling, and then put them in the ultrasonic, won't make em pretty like tumbling, but they will be clean.
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: matt45 on February 21, 2023, 09:46:50 AM
I can't draw a definite conclusion to this, but one time I didn't rinse the cases after they came out of the sonic cleaner, and I had several dud primers.  Considering the difficulty/ cost of same, I make sure I rinse the cases well after they come out of the cleaner.
Of course, there is the real chance my findings are total B.S.
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Pitspitr on February 21, 2023, 11:15:00 AM
I love mine.

Echo what Ranch said, and I still tumble, but it seems to take less time.

If you use different solutions, you can clean things other than bass too
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Ranch 13 on February 21, 2023, 12:45:43 PM
 I use the snot out of mine when going to extended matches, like the Desert International, where I'll go thru 400 rounds in 6-7 days or so, and dragging the tumbler along is a pain.
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Wooly Dan on February 21, 2023, 07:57:07 PM
Thanks all. Conclusion tumbler works why change. 
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Robert Swartz on February 21, 2023, 11:28:36 PM
....regarding sonic cleaners. As said above they will get brass clean but they "won't be purty". I use a cheap Harbor Freight one on my BP brass. Deprime them and run them through a couple cycles. Then dry them and run them through the tumbler to make them shiny.
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: ira scott on February 22, 2023, 03:36:19 PM
What the ultrasonic cleaners really work well on is cap and ball cylinders. I give them 2 or 3 cycles in Dawn/H2O, remove them and dry with compressed air. I then remove the nipples, do a little touchup with a nylon brush and reinstall the nipples with a little anti-seize, actually choke tube lube. A little Ballistol wipe down on the cylinder inside and out, and GTG. Removing the nipples each time is probably overkill, but I don't like stuck nipples.

B. N. Scotty
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Whiskey Double on February 22, 2023, 05:30:19 PM
I made the mistake of cleaning my 1858 conversion cylinders, didn't  use dawn. Plus I turned the heat on. Well I 4 very original looking cylinders now.      NO finish left.   I didn't do the research, the have special  cleaners for gun parts.

Lived and Learned
WD
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Major 2 on February 22, 2023, 09:45:24 PM
....regarding sonic cleaners. As said above they will get brass clean but they "won't be purty". I use a cheap Harbor Freight one on my BP brass. Deprime them and run them through a couple cycles. Then dry them and run them through the tumbler to make them shiny.

Since you mentioned Harbour Freight, I'd like to point out their model is exactly the same unit Lyman offers.  Hornaday also offered the same model, only difference was the prices and DECAL.
I recall my HF with 20% off coupons, was about $32 back when.
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Pitspitr on February 23, 2023, 06:48:09 AM
Since you mentioned Harbour Freight, I'd like to point out their model is exactly the same unit Lyman offers.  Hornaday also offered the same model, only difference was the prices and DECAL.
Yep!
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Mogorilla on February 23, 2023, 07:03:29 AM
I am a chemist and we use these for all sorts of applications.  They are great, just had never thought of using them for cleaning brass.   I may have to head to Harbor Freight.   I have a tumble rock polisher/cleaner.   It works just takes forever and is small enough that doing a lot takes days.   
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Snake Oil on February 23, 2023, 08:06:45 PM
I like my rock/brass tumbler from harbor freight, I think I spent 3 days cleaning brass from the grand muster though... if the sonic cleaner is that much faster, maybe I should invest... I was thinking of going towards the Frankford Arsenal liquid tumbler... what are pros and cons of the two wet systems?
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Ranch 13 on February 23, 2023, 08:12:01 PM
 using the sonic cleaner at the end of each days match, then when you get home it only takes maybe an hour to run a tumbler full of brass in stead of the 3 hours normally. So it does save some time, but more importantly it gets you brass preserved when you may be gone on the trip for 2 weeks.
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Snake Oil on February 23, 2023, 08:27:09 PM
Harbor freight is a little more pricey now ($89.99)...and they have a new 6 liter option ($169.99)... compared to the  rock tumbler at $69.99.
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Niederlander on February 23, 2023, 08:46:04 PM
I've never used a sonic cleaner, but I love using the stainless pins with detergent.  I built a tumbler for a Thumler's drum I was given by a friend.  I can do a couple hundred rounds of .30 Krag (at least) at a time.
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: DeaconKC on February 23, 2023, 09:43:54 PM
Okay, I use the wet tumbler below and love it. I used a vibratory for decades until it died and then bought this one from an estate. It will handle 300-400 45 Colt cases easily. I use Armorall Carwash with wax and no pins. This leaves the cases clean and ready to load, even though I still give them a spritz of Oneshot even with carbide dies. It produces excellent results.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012721373?pid=713881
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Abilene on February 23, 2023, 09:54:05 PM
using the sonic cleaner at the end of each days match, then when you get home it only takes maybe an hour to run a tumbler full of brass in stead of the 3 hours normally. So it does save some time, but more importantly it gets you brass preserved when you may be gone on the trip for 2 weeks.
So does rinsing the brass in a jug of ordinary water or soapy water.   :)
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Ranch 13 on February 23, 2023, 09:58:38 PM
 But I can also reload those cases without polishing and all the carbon is gone and primer pockets are clean
 Just a rinse in water won’t do that
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Coffinmaker on February 24, 2023, 08:22:27 AM

 :)  Holy Smokes Marshal Dillon  ;)

Man-0-man are younz (pittsburgheeze) ever working too hard for too long.  Although I suppose if you just have to have bright shiny Brass . . . . . .

Just throw your brass inna bag at the range.  Take it home (duh).  Drop it in a small tub of water cut with a goodly amount of White Vinegar, let sit 15 - 20 minutes.  Rinse > Dry > toss inna Lizard Litter Tumbler.  DONE!!

People ARE Hazardous to Yer Health!!
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Ranch 13 on February 24, 2023, 09:06:01 AM
 Depends on what you're doing I suppose. Shooting a match where the target is the size of a Volkswagen at 15 yards on a weekend yup carry them home and clean up.
 If you do something like travel 1200 miles, shoot an two days of a 40 target sillhouette match followed up by 40 rounds a day in search of x rings that start at about 3 inches and go up to 10 inches from distances 500 yards to 1000 for the next 7 days, then travel the 1200 miles back home,, then you might want to take care of that brass that runs about 2 bucks a piece....
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Abilene on February 24, 2023, 03:31:35 PM
So, I guess an answer to the OP would be, depends on what you need it to do.  People shooting precision stuff will always jump through more hoops and be more detail oriented than the more casual shooter.
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: LongWalker on February 24, 2023, 07:43:59 PM
So, I guess an answer to the OP would be, depends on what you need it to do.  People shooting precision stuff will always jump through more hoops and be more detail oriented than the more casual shooter.
. . . so are you saying some folks DON'T trim their brass after every firing?   :o
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: Abilene on February 24, 2023, 09:09:11 PM
. . . so are you saying some folks DON'T trim their brass after every firing?   :o

Heheh, I have never trimmed a piece of brass and after the first few weeks of reloading I have never cleaned a primer pocket, nor deprimed before vibratory tumbling.  But I also haven't shot further than 100 yards.  :)
Title: Re: Sonic brass cleaner
Post by: ira scott on March 12, 2023, 09:34:26 PM
In the GAF game when we are traveling 100 yards+, and ejecting brass all along the way, having shiny brass will make it easier for the brasser to find. A bag of 30-40 Krag brass which is very common at GAF matches, just sold on GB for $4.00 apiece!  We'll have to start checking the brasser's pockets! 

In my personal experience, nothing gets brass cleaner, including the primer pockets, then wet tumbling with SS pins. It is a little work.

B.N. Scotty