INFO ON FABRICATING ROLLER/ VIBRATORY/ or ULTRASONIC Cleaners

[kody]

  I want to make hull cleaners of each type of scrubbing action. I read varying reports with pictures and I would like to establish in my mind what works the best mechanically as well as the varying solutions. I want internal / external as well as primer pocket cleaning.  Anyone's  $.02  on cleaning times, RPMs , solutions ,grits, media is welcome.   Thanks, and if you know how to research past discussions on the subject, clue me in. Thanks again,    kody

[Land_Owner]

A "simple solution" concept for large volume ROLLER cleaning is the plastic 55-gallon drum with removable lid.  Media, polish, and cases inside, it is tipped onto free wheeling rollers/tires (go-cart or lawn tractor type) and rotated for an hour or two.  Power for rotation could come from a wealth of sources limited only by your imagination.

[Larry L]

I have a good friend that makes industrial sonic cleaners. The issue I always had with sonic cleaners is capacity as most don't hardly hold a handful of brass. He made a large one to try and while capacity was fine at 1000 rounds of 223 brass, it never did clean the primer pockets absolutely clean. I didn't keep the unit so I only used it the one time. I've never seen any system that will reliably clean primer pockets other than by hand. YMMV.

[quickdtoo]

Primer pockets get clean in mine, due to the size of the transducer in the home USC, they aren't for big jobs, but done right they'll clean the brass good as new, inside and out, they just don't polish the brass, a tumbler/vibratory and media works best for that.

I've been using an ultrasonic cleaner for my brass for several months now and am real happy with the results, I'm not a high volume shooter, so this method won't be for you if you are, but cleaning small batches that will fit in the beaker work excellent, 20 7mm-08 fit with room to spare.  I deprime with a Lee universal decapper, then place the cases inside a Kimax beaker as described in the 6mmBr article. Add just enough Birchwood/Casey case cleaner mix to cover the cases, then run them in the machine for 3 minutes, rinse good, then run them in water for 8 minutes. While it's running, preheat your over to 200º, rinse again and make sure all the water is dumped out of each case, lay them on a paper towel on a cookie sheet and place in the oven, turn the heat off, they'll be dry in less the 30 minutes. These are once fired Federal 7mm-08, the results speak for themselves. The cases in the 6mmBr article are 4x fired, so they took a lot longer to clean.

Tim

http://www.6mmbr.com/ultrasonic.html

[Land_Owner]

One of the more frustrating aspects of any of the cleaning methods is separating the brass and having enough of one caliber or several calibers of non-indexing (one case size won't fit inside the other) brass to make a "run" with the "high-volume" cleaner.

I inadvertently find 380 ACP/9mm/40 cal cases indexed inside 45ACP and 45Colt cases, fixed in place and neither indexed case clean on its outside or inside where they are indexed together.  Mixed brass is a blessing and a curse simultaneously.

[Larry L]

Since you're wanting to make different types of cleaners, take a look at the RCBS Sidewinder. It can use granular media like a vibrating kind or it can use a liquid media. The liquid media is fast, real fast. I can take black military brass and have it ready to load in less than an hour. Biggest problem is it's expensive to buy, maintain and use. The unit from RCBS is $400.00 plus you'll need to buy the media. I use a blend of Iosso and RCBS case cleaner with a cup of 9% vinegar in a gallon of water. That will fill the drum twice. It does a reasonable job on the primer pockets but they aren't spotless. Cases come out like new. I can tumble nasty brass for 20 minutes, rinse it, and put it in the oven at 175F for 20 minutes and it's ready to load. Using walnut media or the like, it's no faster than a vibrating type. What I wished I could find is the RCBS polish additive in some kind of bulk. It's a fine silica that you add to the walnut media. It cuts tumbling time in half. All RCBS will tell me is that it is a silica based abrasive and will sell me all I want.......2oz at a time. I'll find it one of these days though. I haven't look at all of the sand blasting medias yet.

[Old Syko]

Larry take a look at A&B Deburring.  I have no idea what RCBS sells but aluminum oxide in variable grit sizes does wonders. 

[Ranger99]

i can't say about now, but years ago when
i used to make all the shows (back when a
for-real deal could be had at a gun show)
they sold a lot of home-made vibratory
cleaners made with big plastic salad bowls
with a plastic funnel glued inside in the middle
and one of those vibrator motors on the bottom
and mounted on a base with light springs.
i made two of those and used them and my
rcbs vibratory cleaner for a long time. i don't
shoot near as much as i used to, so the home
mades have not got as much use lately. the
drawback is there are no lids, so you get dust
and noise, so those are something to be used
in a workshop or outside of the house.
might be a lower cost option for you.

[tomtomz]

I like to have clean brass before it touches my sizing die, so I decap with the Lee Universal primer decapper.

I bought the H/F ultrasonic, and I use the 1:20 Lyman cleaner for 20+ minutes and I get
Clean primer pockets ONLY IF I have soaked cases overnight in warm carwash detergent
in water. If you skip the overnight soak and expect the ultrasonic to do it all
for you, you will be disappointed.

The Lyman ultrasonic cleaning solution turns oxidation red, which will come off in the vibratory tumbler in a
couple of hours. Those oxidation marks will be black and neutralized after tumbling. My tumbling media is walnut
lizard bedding from the pet store, with a few tablespoons of Bon-Ami cleaner mixed in. Stay away
from any abrasive.

I've cleaned up 1000+ brass lately using this method.

[gypsyman]

I've used a Lyman 1200 tumbler for about 35 years. Compared it to results from a Hornady ultrasonic cleaner. Ultrsonic was definitly faster, but I didn't notice much difference in how clean the brass was. Couldn't see spending around $100 to do what I already have been doing. Plus adding another step in case prep. Never soaked like tomtomz does, probably loosens up the crud in the primer pocket. Doesn't bother me much with blamo ammo pistol I reload. And, I use a primer brush/tool, to clean out rifle brass. If you don't have either one, go for the one that tickle's your fancy.  gypsyman

[squirrelslayer]

Although they are on back order, I am a huge fan of the stainless steel tumbling media tumblers. Basically a thumblers tumbler thats not round. they aren't all that expensive and work just as well or better than the company describes. I wouldn't have believed it until I saw it. It is a wet process so there are a couple extra steps but its well worth it.