Recipes for Ultrasonic Cleaner Solution?

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  • KRC

    Active Member
    Sep 30, 2018
    615
    Cecil County MD
    I have been using, and have been satisfied with, RCBS brand ultrasonic case cleaning solution. But: 1) few places stock it, 2) it is $20 without shipping; so I'm trying to replicate/replace this product with a homemade solution that has no name brand ($$$) components.

    Checking the MSDS for the RCBS product indicates 1-10% citric acid, and a lemony odor, with no other specific ingredient info provided. Most online recipes indicate the use of vinegar, but the RCBS product does NOT contain vinegar, and I'd rather not go this route.

    I have on-hand and am working with:
    - citric acid (crystals)
    - dish detergent
    - lemon oil
    - Oxy-Clean stain remover (powder)

    Does anyone have a homemade recipe that works well for them in removing powder and primer residue in their ultrasonic machines?
     

    alucard0822

    For great Justice
    Oct 29, 2007
    17,643
    PA
    A little Lemishine and dawn for brass, simple green for everything else(mainly suppressor baffles). add a little water to the sonic cleaner, put brass or parts in a plastic bag with cleaning solution, and put the bag in the water, cleans right up, uses less cleaning solution in higher concentrations, keeps the sonic cleaner nice, small parts won't fall through the holes in the basket, and easier to dump out the dirty cleaning solution and flush it with clean water.

    I have a 3L from Amazon, Amazon 3L sonic cleaner
    Harbour freight, RCBS and Hornady cleaners have a 100w heater and single 60w transducer, this one has 2 60w transducers and cleans FAR more aggressively, can also be set to run for a couple hours, where the others usually have a shorter timer. An hour at 140 degrees will clean baffles or brass spotless, where I had to keep hitting the button every 8 minutes on my HF cleaner, and really only knocked the fouling down.
     

    shocker998md

    Ultimate Member
    May 29, 2009
    1,357
    Snow Hill MD
    Ive ran the snot out of a harbor frieght one. But ive also done berrymans and carburators too.

    I'm going to try a different once since mine is onits last leg.

    For mass amounts of dirty brass and Tumblr, hot saopy water and lemi shine, stainless pins if its old and dingy. Love mine.
     

    pre64hunter

    Active Member
    Mar 19, 2010
    642
    Harford County
    I have a very good simple recipe I paid a couple bucks for on eBay. The guy claimed to be a chemist. If you private message me I'll send it to you. You can use it in just hot water on the stove or an ultra sonic cleaner. It even cleans the primer pockets. You can buy citric acid online from places like Walmart or eBay. Google citric acid, it's safe, food grade and used it all kinds of cleaners. I use it for things like cleaning hard water stains like scale that accumulates on the frig ice/water tray and inside dishwashers.
    The recipe is basically simple and works good with jewelry too, except silver.
    1 gallon hot water,
    1 tablespoon dish soap like Dawn, Palmolive
    2 teaspoons citric acid.
     

    KRC

    Active Member
    Sep 30, 2018
    615
    Cecil County MD
    pre64hunter

    The ingredients you specify are what I am currently working with - except I am using a higher concentration of citric acid. One teaspoon of citric acid crystals is ~5g, so 2 tsp. in one USG is about a 0.26% mixture. I am using a 3% w/v concentration. (Some online recipes call for 2.5% citric acid.) For those that measure in 'Merican, a 3% w/v solution would require 114 grams (g) or ~23 measured teaspoons of citric acid crystals per USG.

    I also add 5ml Ajax dish detergent (1 tsp.) per liter (~4 tsp./USG), close to your 2 tablespoons (6 tsp/USG).

    I always microwave preheat my solution to a temperature hot enough to require oven mitts before adding it to the ultrasonic cleaner, as the Lyman cleaner heats very slowly. I am satisfied with the Lyman US unit, as it has worked well for me for several years now.

    For those that use Lemishine, which specific product are you referring to? When I look this stuff up, there are numerous products with that name.

    Again, my goal is to develop an effective cleaning solution using common ingredients that are low cost and easy to obtain.
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,810
    pre64hunter

    The ingredients you specify are what I am currently working with - except I am using a higher concentration of citric acid. One teaspoon of citric acid crystals is ~5g, so 2 tsp. in one USG is about a 0.26% mixture. I am using a 3% w/v concentration. (Some online recipes call for 2.5% citric acid.) For those that measure in 'Merican, a 3% w/v solution would require 114 grams (g) or ~23 measured teaspoons of citric acid crystals per USG.

    I also add 5ml Ajax dish detergent (1 tsp.) per liter (~4 tsp./USG), close to your 2 tablespoons (6 tsp/USG).

    I always microwave preheat my solution to a temperature hot enough to require oven mitts before adding it to the ultrasonic cleaner, as the Lyman cleaner heats very slowly. I am satisfied with the Lyman US unit, as it has worked well for me for several years now.

    For those that use Lemishine, which specific product are you referring to? When I look this stuff up, there are numerous products with that name.

    Again, my goal is to develop an effective cleaning solution using common ingredients that are low cost and easy to obtain.

    I use food grade granular citric acid. Buy it by the bucket.
     

    GunBum

    Active Member
    Feb 21, 2018
    751
    SW Missouri
    For silver and gold: Ammonia from the grocery store diluted to 1/4 ammonia and the rest water. Don’t use on brass. Works ok to clean greasy metal, but there are better options. Make sure to rinse thoroughly and dry when done.

    For brass: A few squirts of liquid dish detergent and a couple spoonfuls of citric acid in a quart of water. Make sure to rinse thoroughly and dry when done.

    For dirty/greasy steel and aluminum: Simple Green. You can buy the concentrate and dilute it just like the ammonia example above. If this doesn’t clean it in the ultrasonic cleaner, it isn’t getting clean. Make sure to rinse thoroughly and dry when done.

    Things not to use in an ultrasonic cleaner: acetone, gas, oil, paint thinner, etc. don’t use organic solvents. They’ll make a nice layer of vapor between the LEL and UEL above the cleaner that might cause you some problems. If you do this in a lab, you do it in a fume hood so the vapors don’t accumulate.

    If you want, you can report that you got these from a guy who claims to be a chemist, because I am a chemist. :D Although I’m not sure what it is about mixing household cleaners that requires a degree in Chemistry. I’ve been using those 3 options for cleaning stuff with an ultrasonic cleaner that fell off a truck 20 years ago. And also cleaning in the lab longer than that. There are lots of variations on the 3 basic recipes. It’s about like asking 10 old ladies for the best recipe for Thanksgiving Yams. You’ll get at least 12 responses. :lol2:
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,810
    ...If you want, you can report that you got these from a guy who claims to be a chemist, because I am a chemist. :D Although I’m not sure what it is about mixing household cleaners that requires a degree in Chemistry. I’ve been using those 3 options for cleaning stuff with an ultrasonic cleaner that fell off a truck 20 years ago. And also cleaning in the lab longer than that. There are lots of variations on the 3 basic recipes. It’s about like asking 10 old ladies for the best recipe for Thanksgiving Yams. You’ll get at least 12 responses. :lol2:

    ...as long as you don't mix bleach with ammonia. That would be bad.
     

    alucard0822

    For great Justice
    Oct 29, 2007
    17,643
    PA
    pre64hunter

    The ingredients you specify are what I am currently working with - except I am using a higher concentration of citric acid. One teaspoon of citric acid crystals is ~5g, so 2 tsp. in one USG is about a 0.26% mixture. I am using a 3% w/v concentration. (Some online recipes call for 2.5% citric acid.) For those that measure in 'Merican, a 3% w/v solution would require 114 grams (g) or ~23 measured teaspoons of citric acid crystals per USG.

    I also add 5ml Ajax dish detergent (1 tsp.) per liter (~4 tsp./USG), close to your 2 tablespoons (6 tsp/USG).

    I always microwave preheat my solution to a temperature hot enough to require oven mitts before adding it to the ultrasonic cleaner, as the Lyman cleaner heats very slowly. I am satisfied with the Lyman US unit, as it has worked well for me for several years now.

    For those that use Lemishine, which specific product are you referring to? When I look this stuff up, there are numerous products with that name.

    Again, my goal is to develop an effective cleaning solution using common ingredients that are low cost and easy to obtain.

    This, basically citric acid granules https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CMTVH38/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_87DZ3AV0ZJQAVKKYC7FW
     

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