Sonic Cleaning Fluid
 

I'm currently using paint thinner to clean some hammer gun parts in but the liquid gets pretty darn hot and I would prefer something that isn't flammable. Is there a consensus on the most effective non-flammable cleaning fluid I can use?






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Lyman Turbo Sonic is made specifically for ultrasonic cleaners and works great.
Cheers, Tom

Thanks Mr. Tom Sir. Do you know what the base fluid is?






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Dawn dish soap.

I have visions of that stuff sudsing uncontrollably while I run around trying to find the "off" switch somewhere in the ocean of suds.....

Does that happen?





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I use Simple Green. It works great. Won't hurt your sonic cleaner or gun.

Google says mostly citric acid

Mr. Dean Sir, I'm not sure but the bottle says it contains Potassium Silicate (Cas# 1312-76-1) and Triethanolamine (Cas# 102-7106) and in case you get thirsty, it says don't drink it. Before I used Turbo Sonic I used Dawn on a gun and it spotted the case colors. I'm glad the gun belonged to a friend. I don't know if it was the Dawn or the chemicals in our water, or a combination of the two. Turbo Sonic has always done a great job. I used it on George Purtells C grade, over 100 hours total, and it did what I thought was impossible. I don't know how to describe the condition of George's gun when he first got it. But it's a very beautiful gun now. Maybe George will comment. Cheers, Tom

Citric acid works fine with brass but I wouldn't dream of using it on steel.

I have a gunsmith friend that swears Simple Green etches steel. I do not know what concentration he used, however. He placed a long, blued part (magazine tube) partially in and partially out of the Simple Green solution in his ultrasonic tank. It left a permanent ring in the finish at the surface level.

I use Dawn and water myself in my tank and it doesn't seem to do visible harm.
Per an earlier thread here, I don't put loaded springs in the tank.