Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

Has anyone used an ultrasonic cleaner for their guns - or boat parts?

I bought one and I'm clear on the cleaning part but have read a lot of
opinions on the best way to lubricate the parts after they are cleaned.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Sat, 26 Nov 2016 21:48:20 -0500, Alex wrote:

Has anyone used an ultrasonic cleaner for their guns - or boat parts?

I bought one and I'm clear on the cleaning part but have read a lot of
opinions on the best way to lubricate the parts after they are cleaned.

===

I have not used one but it's not clear to me that a special lubricant
would be required - anything suitable for normal lube and corrosion
protection in my opinion.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Sat, 26 Nov 2016 22:59:17 -0500, Alex wrote:

wrote:
On Sat, 26 Nov 2016 21:48:20 -0500, Alex wrote:

Has anyone used an ultrasonic cleaner for their guns - or boat parts?

I bought one and I'm clear on the cleaning part but have read a lot of
opinions on the best way to lubricate the parts after they are cleaned.
===

I have not used one but it's not clear to me that a special lubricant
would be required - anything suitable for normal lube and corrosion
protection in my opinion.

If you are cleaning a gun, for example, how can you be sure to displace
the water/solvent when you remove it from the tank? There are tiny
areas that wouldn't be a problem with normal cleaning.

I was looking for some firsthand experiences to compare to the differing
opinions on the internet.

My first thought would be to use an air compressor to get the moisture out. Then I would think any
good lubricant would do the job. I then, not wanting to sound completely stupid, went online. Came
across this, which I'm pretty sure you've probably already seen:

"Never use an ultrasonic cleaner unless you completely strip the device prior to submerging, dry the
parts completely, and re-lubricate prior to assembly.

The bath will completely strip grease and lubricants from the parts, dirt and soft residues, but is
not particularly effective at removing hard, baked-on residue from the chamber and feed ramp. It's
impossible to properly apply grease to the shafts and sliding parts in a pistol without disassembly,
much less a revolver.

I've soaked a 1911 barrel for 20 minutes, hardly touching carbon on the feed ramp. On the other
hand, the bolt carrier group of an AR is easy to disassemble and comes out of the bath spotless,
inside and out. Even the gas tube extension comes clean. Cartridges come out spotless inside and
out, but the hard residue in primer pockets is hardly touched.

If you get sand into a mechanism, you have to remove all the grease to clean it. The ultrasonic bath
excels at this task. My guns have thus far been spared, but I've used it to clean bicycle chains and
freewheels, as well as carburetors.

Gun parts can be dried quickly and effectively with compressed air. That has little effect on wet
cartridges, which I put in a mesh bag and hang over a floor fan for a day.

Everybody has a "secret" formula for a cleaning solution, most of which make no sense from a
chemist's point of view. Commercial cleaners are based on detergents, with EDTA or citric acid for
cleaning brass. Ammonia or vinegar are too weak to do much of anything. (forget "and." Citric acid
neutralizes EDTA and vinegar neutralizes ammonia.) Simple Green works well to remove grease, but
will form a sticky gel if left in the bath for more than a day. "

From:

https://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=440246

(As you know, I'm really in to 1911's now! The SR1911 is on its way)

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Sat, 26 Nov 2016 21:48:20 -0500, Alex wrote:

Has anyone used an ultrasonic cleaner for their guns - or boat parts?

I bought one and I'm clear on the cleaning part but have read a lot of
opinions on the best way to lubricate the parts after they are cleaned.

I would put mineral spirits with a dash of oil in my cleaner. When the
mineral spirits evaporates away, you still end up with a uniform oil
coating. Then wipe all the oil off that you can, knowing it is still
there on the microscopic level. When assembling the gun, lube the
operating surfaces as normal but too much is as bad or worse than none
at all.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 08:27:32 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

If you get sand into a mechanism, you have to remove all the grease to clean it. The ultrasonic bath
excels at this task. My guns have thus far been spared, but I've used it to clean bicycle chains and
freewheels, as well as carburetors.

===

In basic training we used to get sand in the M-14 trigger mechanism
all the time. The unauthorized but effective cure was to wash it
under hot soapy water, rinse, dry, and re-oil immediately.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

wrote:
On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 08:27:32 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

If you get sand into a mechanism, you have to remove all the grease to
clean it. The ultrasonic bath
excels at this task. My guns have thus far been spared, but I've used it
to clean bicycle chains and
freewheels, as well as carburetors.

===

In basic training we used to get sand in the M-14 trigger mechanism
all the time. The unauthorized but effective cure was to wash it
under hot soapy water, rinse, dry, and re-oil immediately.


In air force basic, I seem to remember washing the M1 carbines we used at
the firing range in soapy water first part of cleanup. But that was nearly
60 years ago, so memory may be tainted.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 12:30:59 -0500,
wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 08:27:32 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

If you get sand into a mechanism, you have to remove all the grease to clean it. The ultrasonic bath
excels at this task. My guns have thus far been spared, but I've used it to clean bicycle chains and
freewheels, as well as carburetors.

===

In basic training we used to get sand in the M-14 trigger mechanism
all the time. The unauthorized but effective cure was to wash it
under hot soapy water, rinse, dry, and re-oil immediately.

That was SOP on the M1. The only issue is very hot water and immediate
re oiling

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 12:30:59 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 08:27:32 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

If you get sand into a mechanism, you have to remove all the grease to clean it. The ultrasonic bath
excels at this task. My guns have thus far been spared, but I've used it to clean bicycle chains and
freewheels, as well as carburetors.

===

In basic training we used to get sand in the M-14 trigger mechanism
all the time. The unauthorized but effective cure was to wash it
under hot soapy water, rinse, dry, and re-oil immediately.

We washed our M-14 under hot (really hot) soapy water in OCS. Then we rinsed them in hot (really
hot) water. Each individual then waved the hot pieces around to air dry them. Worked well.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 15:18:53 -0500, Poco Loco
wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 12:30:59 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 08:27:32 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

If you get sand into a mechanism, you have to remove all the grease to clean it. The ultrasonic bath
excels at this task. My guns have thus far been spared, but I've used it to clean bicycle chains and
freewheels, as well as carburetors.

===

In basic training we used to get sand in the M-14 trigger mechanism
all the time. The unauthorized but effective cure was to wash it
under hot soapy water, rinse, dry, and re-oil immediately.

We washed our M-14 under hot (really hot) soapy water in OCS. Then we rinsed them in hot (really
hot) water. Each individual then waved the hot pieces around to air dry them. Worked well.

I think the hot soapy water thing started when they were using
corrosive ammo.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 01:00:58 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 15:18:53 -0500, Poco Loco
wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 12:30:59 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 08:27:32 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

If you get sand into a mechanism, you have to remove all the grease to clean it. The ultrasonic bath
excels at this task. My guns have thus far been spared, but I've used it to clean bicycle chains and
freewheels, as well as carburetors.

===

In basic training we used to get sand in the M-14 trigger mechanism
all the time. The unauthorized but effective cure was to wash it
under hot soapy water, rinse, dry, and re-oil immediately.

We washed our M-14 under hot (really hot) soapy water in OCS. Then we rinsed them in hot (really
hot) water. Each individual then waved the hot pieces around to air dry them. Worked well.

I think the hot soapy water thing started when they were using
corrosive ammo.

This was in the mid 60's. Don't know if the ammo was corrosive or not. Never heard that term
mentioned in the years I trained with the M-14.

Some of the Russian stuff, like the 7.62x54R for the Mosin Nagant, is very corrosive.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 06:18:50 -0500, Poco Loco
wrote:

On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 01:00:58 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 15:18:53 -0500, Poco Loco
wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 12:30:59 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 08:27:32 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

If you get sand into a mechanism, you have to remove all the grease to clean it. The ultrasonic bath
excels at this task. My guns have thus far been spared, but I've used it to clean bicycle chains and
freewheels, as well as carburetors.

===

In basic training we used to get sand in the M-14 trigger mechanism
all the time. The unauthorized but effective cure was to wash it
under hot soapy water, rinse, dry, and re-oil immediately.

We washed our M-14 under hot (really hot) soapy water in OCS. Then we rinsed them in hot (really
hot) water. Each individual then waved the hot pieces around to air dry them. Worked well.

I think the hot soapy water thing started when they were using
corrosive ammo.

This was in the mid 60's. Don't know if the ammo was corrosive or not. Never heard that term
mentioned in the years I trained with the M-14.

Some of the Russian stuff, like the 7.62x54R for the Mosin Nagant, is very corrosive.

===

For us it was just a strategy for removing the gritty, sandy dust that
we were training in. Nothing else seemed to be nearly as effective as
hot soapy water.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 06:18:50 -0500, Poco Loco
wrote:

On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 01:00:58 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 15:18:53 -0500, Poco Loco
wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 12:30:59 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 08:27:32 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

If you get sand into a mechanism, you have to remove all the grease to clean it. The ultrasonic bath
excels at this task. My guns have thus far been spared, but I've used it to clean bicycle chains and
freewheels, as well as carburetors.

===

In basic training we used to get sand in the M-14 trigger mechanism
all the time. The unauthorized but effective cure was to wash it
under hot soapy water, rinse, dry, and re-oil immediately.

We washed our M-14 under hot (really hot) soapy water in OCS. Then we rinsed them in hot (really
hot) water. Each individual then waved the hot pieces around to air dry them. Worked well.

I think the hot soapy water thing started when they were using
corrosive ammo.

This was in the mid 60's. Don't know if the ammo was corrosive or not. Never heard that term
mentioned in the years I trained with the M-14.

Some of the Russian stuff, like the 7.62x54R for the Mosin Nagant, is very corrosive.

I doubt there is any corrosive ammo in the US arsenal now but that
tradition of washing your service rifle in the shower is from at least
as far back as WWII because my father said that was what he did in
boot camp

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

If you want to dry it good. Hive it a good shot of brake-clean or better yet, starting fluid ( eather) then let it sit. It'll be dry as a desert bone in moments. Then use light gun oil on reassembly.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 08:31:33 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

If you want to dry it good. Hive it a good shot of brake-clean or better yet, starting fluid ( eather) then let it sit. It'll be dry as a desert bone in moments. Then use light gun oil on reassembly.

The mineral spirits and machine oil thing cuts out most of this drama.
The solvent does a good job of cleaning things and the oil remains
after you wipe or evaporate off the spirits.
In an ultrasonic cleaner you just start it up and go get a cup of
coffee.
IBM used to have a couple of big sprayer type cleaners at 1801 K to
clean typewriters and that was the mix they used (mineral spirits and
IBM #6 oil) ... until the fire marshal found out. I ended up with one
of them after that. You could get a whole VW or Harley engine in one.
Run it about an hour and they came out looking brand new.
They did smoke a might after you put them back together, indicating
how much oil did penetrate the pores of the metal.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

wrote:
On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 06:18:50 -0500, Poco Loco
wrote:

On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 01:00:58 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 15:18:53 -0500, Poco Loco
wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 12:30:59 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 08:27:32 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

If you get sand into a mechanism, you have to remove all the grease
to clean it. The ultrasonic bath
excels at this task. My guns have thus far been spared, but I've
used it to clean bicycle chains and
freewheels, as well as carburetors.

===

In basic training we used to get sand in the M-14 trigger mechanism
all the time. The unauthorized but effective cure was to wash it
under hot soapy water, rinse, dry, and re-oil immediately.

We washed our M-14 under hot (really hot) soapy water in OCS. Then we
rinsed them in hot (really
hot) water. Each individual then waved the hot pieces around to air
dry them. Worked well.

I think the hot soapy water thing started when they were using
corrosive ammo.

This was in the mid 60's. Don't know if the ammo was corrosive or not.
Never heard that term
mentioned in the years I trained with the M-14.

Some of the Russian stuff, like the 7.62x54R for the Mosin Nagant, is very corrosive.

I doubt there is any corrosive ammo in the US arsenal now but that
tradition of washing your service rifle in the shower is from at least
as far back as WWII because my father said that was what he did in
boot camp


Maybe a holdover from black powder days.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

wrote:
On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 06:18:50 -0500, Poco Loco
wrote:

On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 01:00:58 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 15:18:53 -0500, Poco Loco
wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 12:30:59 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 08:27:32 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

If you get sand into a mechanism, you have to remove all the grease
to clean it. The ultrasonic bath
excels at this task. My guns have thus far been spared, but I've
used it to clean bicycle chains and
freewheels, as well as carburetors.

===

In basic training we used to get sand in the M-14 trigger mechanism
all the time. The unauthorized but effective cure was to wash it
under hot soapy water, rinse, dry, and re-oil immediately.

We washed our M-14 under hot (really hot) soapy water in OCS. Then we
rinsed them in hot (really
hot) water. Each individual then waved the hot pieces around to air
dry them. Worked well.

I think the hot soapy water thing started when they were using
corrosive ammo.

This was in the mid 60's. Don't know if the ammo was corrosive or not.
Never heard that term
mentioned in the years I trained with the M-14.

Some of the Russian stuff, like the 7.62x54R for the Mosin Nagant, is very corrosive.

===

For us it was just a strategy for removing the gritty, sandy dust that
we were training in. Nothing else seemed to be nearly as effective as
hot soapy water.


We trained in wet Texas mud. Feb. March.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

wrote:
On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 08:31:33 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

If you want to dry it good. Hive it a good shot of brake-clean or better
yet, starting fluid ( eather) then let it sit. It'll be dry as a desert
bone in moments. Then use light gun oil on reassembly.

The mineral spirits and machine oil thing cuts out most of this drama.
The solvent does a good job of cleaning things and the oil remains
after you wipe or evaporate off the spirits.
In an ultrasonic cleaner you just start it up and go get a cup of
coffee.
IBM used to have a couple of big sprayer type cleaners at 1801 K to
clean typewriters and that was the mix they used (mineral spirits and
IBM #6 oil) ... until the fire marshal found out. I ended up with one
of them after that. You could get a whole VW or Harley engine in one.
Run it about an hour and they came out looking brand new.
They did smoke a might after you put them back together, indicating
how much oil did penetrate the pores of the metal.


We had spray booths, where you had a pressure wand like the car wash. Had
dirty solvent and clean solvent wands. Wash out the mechanical register or
accounting machine with dirty first and then clean solvent. Worked great
on camp stoves after we went abalone diving and fried the dinner.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Monday, November 28, 2016 at 12:58:19 PM UTC-5, Califbill wrote:
wrote:
On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 08:31:33 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

If you want to dry it good. Hive it a good shot of brake-clean or better
yet, starting fluid ( eather) then let it sit. It'll be dry as a desert
bone in moments. Then use light gun oil on reassembly.

The mineral spirits and machine oil thing cuts out most of this drama.
The solvent does a good job of cleaning things and the oil remains
after you wipe or evaporate off the spirits.
In an ultrasonic cleaner you just start it up and go get a cup of
coffee.
IBM used to have a couple of big sprayer type cleaners at 1801 K to
clean typewriters and that was the mix they used (mineral spirits and
IBM #6 oil) ... until the fire marshal found out. I ended up with one
of them after that. You could get a whole VW or Harley engine in one.
Run it about an hour and they came out looking brand new.
They did smoke a might after you put them back together, indicating
how much oil did penetrate the pores of the metal.


We had spray booths, where you had a pressure wand like the car wash. Had
dirty solvent and clean solvent wands. Wash out the mechanical register or
accounting machine with dirty first and then clean solvent. Worked great
on camp stoves after we went abalone diving and fried the dinner.

Back when I first started working after college, our company built PC boards. After they went through the wave soldering machine, they were cleaned in a tank of boiling freon. There was a spray wand and there were cooling coils around the top to condense the vapor and return it to the tank. You could stick your hand in it, and it came out chalky-looking because the freon washed the oils from your skin. It was only a couple of years before the freon became so expensive that the industry went to water-soluble flux. At that point the boards went into a commercial "dishwasher" of sorts for cleaning. Not as much fun as the freon tank, but much better for the environment.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

Its Me wrote:
On Monday, November 28, 2016 at 12:58:19 PM UTC-5, Califbill wrote:
wrote:
On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 08:31:33 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

If you want to dry it good. Hive it a good shot of brake-clean or better
yet, starting fluid ( eather) then let it sit. It'll be dry as a desert
bone in moments. Then use light gun oil on reassembly.

The mineral spirits and machine oil thing cuts out most of this drama.
The solvent does a good job of cleaning things and the oil remains
after you wipe or evaporate off the spirits.
In an ultrasonic cleaner you just start it up and go get a cup of
coffee.
IBM used to have a couple of big sprayer type cleaners at 1801 K to
clean typewriters and that was the mix they used (mineral spirits and
IBM #6 oil) ... until the fire marshal found out. I ended up with one
of them after that. You could get a whole VW or Harley engine in one.
Run it about an hour and they came out looking brand new.
They did smoke a might after you put them back together, indicating
how much oil did penetrate the pores of the metal.


We had spray booths, where you had a pressure wand like the car wash. Had
dirty solvent and clean solvent wands. Wash out the mechanical register or
accounting machine with dirty first and then clean solvent. Worked great
on camp stoves after we went abalone diving and fried the dinner.

Back when I first started working after college, our company built PC
boards. After they went through the wave soldering machine, they were
cleaned in a tank of boiling freon. There was a spray wand and there
were cooling coils around the top to condense the vapor and return it to
the tank. You could stick your hand in it, and it came out
chalky-looking because the freon washed the oils from your skin. It was
only a couple of years before the freon became so expensive that the
industry went to water-soluble flux. At that point the boards went into
a commercial "dishwasher" of sorts for cleaning. Not as much fun as the
freon tank, but much better for the environment.


Freon cleaner was expensive. We got it in 5 gallon cans to clean our
computer equipment in the 1960's. EPA Was what phased it out as cleaner,
not cost.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

2:03 PMCalifbill
- show quoted text -
Freon cleaner was expensive. We got it in 5 gallon cans to clean our
computer equipment in the 1960's. EPA Was what phased it out as cleaner,
not cost.
.......


Cost was cheap.the tax ate it out of production

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

Tim wrote:

2:03 PMCalifbill
- show quoted text -
Freon cleaner was expensive. We got it in 5 gallon cans to clean our
computer equipment in the 1960's. EPA Was what phased it out as cleaner,
not cost.
......


Cost was cheap.the tax ate it out of production


Freon was a banned item. Same reason it went out in car AC?

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 11:58:12 -0600, Califbill
wrote:

wrote:
On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 08:31:33 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

If you want to dry it good. Hive it a good shot of brake-clean or better
yet, starting fluid ( eather) then let it sit. It'll be dry as a desert
bone in moments. Then use light gun oil on reassembly.

The mineral spirits and machine oil thing cuts out most of this drama.
The solvent does a good job of cleaning things and the oil remains
after you wipe or evaporate off the spirits.
In an ultrasonic cleaner you just start it up and go get a cup of
coffee.
IBM used to have a couple of big sprayer type cleaners at 1801 K to
clean typewriters and that was the mix they used (mineral spirits and
IBM #6 oil) ... until the fire marshal found out. I ended up with one
of them after that. You could get a whole VW or Harley engine in one.
Run it about an hour and they came out looking brand new.
They did smoke a might after you put them back together, indicating
how much oil did penetrate the pores of the metal.


We had spray booths, where you had a pressure wand like the car wash. Had
dirty solvent and clean solvent wands. Wash out the mechanical register or
accounting machine with dirty first and then clean solvent. Worked great
on camp stoves after we went abalone diving and fried the dinner.

This thing was bigger than a washing machine with a gasketed top on it
and a bunch of spray heads pointing in from several directions with a
turn table in the middle. There was a 1/2 horsepower pump that really
got the solvent moving.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 14:03:20 -0600, Califbill
wrote:

Freon cleaner was expensive. We got it in 5 gallon cans to clean our
computer equipment in the 1960's. EPA Was what phased it out as cleaner,
not cost.

You are both right. The "cost" was the tax the EPA put on freon. I
still have a can or two of the old freon spray.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 14:34:32 -0600, Califbill
wrote:

Tim wrote:

2:03 PMCalifbill
- show quoted text -
Freon cleaner was expensive. We got it in 5 gallon cans to clean our
computer equipment in the 1960's. EPA Was what phased it out as cleaner,
not cost.
......


Cost was cheap.the tax ate it out of production


Freon was a banned item. Same reason it went out in car AC?

You can still have R12, it is just so expensive nobody will use it in
Montreal Protocol compliant countries. I am not sure but it used to be
available in Mexico pretty cheap and China was still using it a lot.
They planned on building a billion refrigerators using R12 around the
turn of the century. I bought an R-22 mini split system in 2010.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

2:34 PMCalifbill
- show quoted text -
Freon was a banned item. Same reason it went out in car AC?
-----

Sure it was banned but look at the price before it was. excise tax.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Monday, November 28, 2016 at 3:03:26 PM UTC-5, Califbill wrote:
Its Me wrote:
On Monday, November 28, 2016 at 12:58:19 PM UTC-5, Califbill wrote:
wrote:
On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 08:31:33 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

If you want to dry it good. Hive it a good shot of brake-clean or better
yet, starting fluid ( eather) then let it sit. It'll be dry as a desert
bone in moments. Then use light gun oil on reassembly.

The mineral spirits and machine oil thing cuts out most of this drama.
The solvent does a good job of cleaning things and the oil remains
after you wipe or evaporate off the spirits.
In an ultrasonic cleaner you just start it up and go get a cup of
coffee.
IBM used to have a couple of big sprayer type cleaners at 1801 K to
clean typewriters and that was the mix they used (mineral spirits and
IBM #6 oil) ... until the fire marshal found out. I ended up with one
of them after that. You could get a whole VW or Harley engine in one.
Run it about an hour and they came out looking brand new.
They did smoke a might after you put them back together, indicating
how much oil did penetrate the pores of the metal.


We had spray booths, where you had a pressure wand like the car wash. Had
dirty solvent and clean solvent wands. Wash out the mechanical register or
accounting machine with dirty first and then clean solvent. Worked great
on camp stoves after we went abalone diving and fried the dinner.

Back when I first started working after college, our company built PC
boards. After they went through the wave soldering machine, they were
cleaned in a tank of boiling freon. There was a spray wand and there
were cooling coils around the top to condense the vapor and return it to
the tank. You could stick your hand in it, and it came out
chalky-looking because the freon washed the oils from your skin. It was
only a couple of years before the freon became so expensive that the
industry went to water-soluble flux. At that point the boards went into
a commercial "dishwasher" of sorts for cleaning. Not as much fun as the
freon tank, but much better for the environment.


Freon cleaner was expensive. We got it in 5 gallon cans to clean our
computer equipment in the 1960's. EPA Was what phased it out as cleaner,
not cost.

For us it was cost. It was still available at the end, but had risen to more than triple the cost, and the end of availability was near. We converted before it became "unabotainium".

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

I remember when film editors poured freon from a glass bottles onto a soft clothing to clean 16mm film. The only protective gear was soft white gloves. Then a closed cabinet machine with outside venting was brought in to do that job.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

wrote:
On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 14:34:32 -0600, Califbill
wrote:

Tim wrote:

2:03 PMCalifbill
- show quoted text -
Freon cleaner was expensive. We got it in 5 gallon cans to clean our
computer equipment in the 1960's. EPA Was what phased it out as cleaner,
not cost.
......


Cost was cheap.the tax ate it out of production


Freon was a banned item. Same reason it went out in car AC?

You can still have R12, it is just so expensive nobody will use it in
Montreal Protocol compliant countries. I am not sure but it used to be
available in Mexico pretty cheap and China was still using it a lot.
They planned on building a billion refrigerators using R12 around the
turn of the century. I bought an R-22 mini split system in 2010.


You can get R12 as a HVAC contractor. Lots of home AC systems use the
stuff. Mine included.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

wrote:
On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 11:58:12 -0600, Califbill
wrote:

wrote:
On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 08:31:33 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

If you want to dry it good. Hive it a good shot of brake-clean or better
yet, starting fluid ( eather) then let it sit. It'll be dry as a desert
bone in moments. Then use light gun oil on reassembly.

The mineral spirits and machine oil thing cuts out most of this drama.
The solvent does a good job of cleaning things and the oil remains
after you wipe or evaporate off the spirits.
In an ultrasonic cleaner you just start it up and go get a cup of
coffee.
IBM used to have a couple of big sprayer type cleaners at 1801 K to
clean typewriters and that was the mix they used (mineral spirits and
IBM #6 oil) ... until the fire marshal found out. I ended up with one
of them after that. You could get a whole VW or Harley engine in one.
Run it about an hour and they came out looking brand new.
They did smoke a might after you put them back together, indicating
how much oil did penetrate the pores of the metal.


We had spray booths, where you had a pressure wand like the car wash. Had
dirty solvent and clean solvent wands. Wash out the mechanical register or
accounting machine with dirty first and then clean solvent. Worked great
on camp stoves after we went abalone diving and fried the dinner.

This thing was bigger than a washing machine with a gasketed top on it
and a bunch of spray heads pointing in from several directions with a
turn table in the middle. There was a 1/2 horsepower pump that really
got the solvent moving.


Ours was a booth. Probably 4' high, 8' long. And a pressure wand, like
the do it yourself car wash.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 14:15:01 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:


2:34 PMCalifbill
- show quoted text -
Freon was a banned item. Same reason it went out in car AC?
-----

Sure it was banned but look at the price before it was. excise tax.

You can still buy R12 and it is not even as expensive as you would
expect for a "banned" item.
I still have about 30 pounds of R22 and I was surprised it was not
more valuable. I thought I had a gold mine.

I also wonder it the whole thing wasn't just a scam. The ozone
recovered and there is no indication that CFC production (and release)
world wide actually dropped. As I said China said they were going to
build a billion R12 refrigerators and most of the 3d world, where
recovery will be rare, is still using it.
I see R12 and R22 for sale in China for a little over a back a pound
With a recycle machine going for close to a grand, who would bother
recycling it?
BTW now that the ozone hole everyone had their panties in a wad over
is going away, they decided it was a global warming gas and maybe we
have too much ozone.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

Poquito Loco wrote:
On Sat, 26 Nov 2016 22:59:17 -0500, Alex wrote:

wrote:
On Sat, 26 Nov 2016 21:48:20 -0500, Alex wrote:

Has anyone used an ultrasonic cleaner for their guns - or boat parts?

I bought one and I'm clear on the cleaning part but have read a lot of
opinions on the best way to lubricate the parts after they are cleaned.
===

I have not used one but it's not clear to me that a special lubricant
would be required - anything suitable for normal lube and corrosion
protection in my opinion.
If you are cleaning a gun, for example, how can you be sure to displace
the water/solvent when you remove it from the tank? There are tiny
areas that wouldn't be a problem with normal cleaning.

I was looking for some firsthand experiences to compare to the differing
opinions on the internet.
My first thought would be to use an air compressor to get the moisture out. Then I would think any
good lubricant would do the job. I then, not wanting to sound completely stupid, went online. Came
across this, which I'm pretty sure you've probably already seen:

"Never use an ultrasonic cleaner unless you completely strip the device prior to submerging, dry the
parts completely, and re-lubricate prior to assembly.

The bath will completely strip grease and lubricants from the parts, dirt and soft residues, but is
not particularly effective at removing hard, baked-on residue from the chamber and feed ramp. It's
impossible to properly apply grease to the shafts and sliding parts in a pistol without disassembly,
much less a revolver.

I've soaked a 1911 barrel for 20 minutes, hardly touching carbon on the feed ramp. On the other
hand, the bolt carrier group of an AR is easy to disassemble and comes out of the bath spotless,
inside and out. Even the gas tube extension comes clean. Cartridges come out spotless inside and
out, but the hard residue in primer pockets is hardly touched.

If you get sand into a mechanism, you have to remove all the grease to clean it. The ultrasonic bath
excels at this task. My guns have thus far been spared, but I've used it to clean bicycle chains and
freewheels, as well as carburetors.

Gun parts can be dried quickly and effectively with compressed air. That has little effect on wet
cartridges, which I put in a mesh bag and hang over a floor fan for a day.

Everybody has a "secret" formula for a cleaning solution, most of which make no sense from a
chemist's point of view. Commercial cleaners are based on detergents, with EDTA or citric acid for
cleaning brass. Ammonia or vinegar are too weak to do much of anything. (forget "and." Citric acid
neutralizes EDTA and vinegar neutralizes ammonia.) Simple Green works well to remove grease, but
will form a sticky gel if left in the bath for more than a day. "

From:

https://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=440246

(As you know, I'm really in to 1911's now! The SR1911 is on its way)

I plan on using compressed air but at that point everything is dry. I'm
leaning toward soaking the parts in a very light gun lube like Slick
2000, wiping them dry and applying a conventional oil to the parts that
need them. I guess displacing the water in the solvent is my biggest
concern.

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

Poco Loco wrote:
On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 12:30:59 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 08:27:32 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

If you get sand into a mechanism, you have to remove all the grease to clean it. The ultrasonic bath
excels at this task. My guns have thus far been spared, but I've used it to clean bicycle chains and
freewheels, as well as carburetors.
===

In basic training we used to get sand in the M-14 trigger mechanism
all the time. The unauthorized but effective cure was to wash it
under hot soapy water, rinse, dry, and re-oil immediately.
We washed our M-14 under hot (really hot) soapy water in OCS. Then we rinsed them in hot (really
hot) water. Each individual then waved the hot pieces around to air dry them. Worked well.

Did you do a full take-down or just separate the upper and lower and
pull out the bolt? How heavy was the oil they provided?

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

Tim wrote:
If you want to dry it good. Hive it a good shot of brake-clean or better yet, starting fluid ( eather) then let it sit. It'll be dry as a desert bone in moments. Then use light gun oil on reassembly.

Is that corrosive to any metals or blued/parkerized/cerakoted, etc.
finishes or are you recommending that for the internal parts only?

Ultrasonic Cleaner
 

On Mon, 28 Nov 2016 19:47:52 -0500, Alex wrote:

Poco Loco wrote:
On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 12:30:59 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 08:27:32 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

If you get sand into a mechanism, you have to remove all the grease to clean it. The ultrasonic bath
excels at this task. My guns have thus far been spared, but I've used it to clean bicycle chains and
freewheels, as well as carburetors.
===

In basic training we used to get sand in the M-14 trigger mechanism
all the time. The unauthorized but effective cure was to wash it
under hot soapy water, rinse, dry, and re-oil immediately.
We washed our M-14 under hot (really hot) soapy water in OCS. Then we rinsed them in hot (really
hot) water. Each individual then waved the hot pieces around to air dry them. Worked well.

Did you do a full take-down or just separate the upper and lower and
pull out the bolt? How heavy was the oil they provided?

You know, I just don't remember. The oil was light, the guns could not have any wet oil anywhere,
just a very light coating.