Sonic Cleaning Fluid

[Dean Romig]

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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[Tom Carter]

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

[Dean Romig]

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






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[Richard Flanders]

Dawn dish soap.

[Dean Romig]

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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[wayne goerres]

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

[Linn Matthews]

Google says mostly citric acid

[Tom Carter]

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

[wayne goerres]

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

[John Cinkoske]

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.

[Dean Romig]

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


I know George Purtill's C-hammer gun very well. He left it with me to photograph it for the article in Parker Pages. It's hard to believe the finished product started as something others would have written off as 'hardly worth the effort". Nice work Tom.

The one I have in the sonic tank right now using paint thinner seems to have had its case color enhanced by the sonic process or at least brought out more vividly than I had expected - but maybe it's just because the crud is entirely gone.






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[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Tom what brand is your ultrasonic cleaner, how much can you put in it? Gary

[Mike Franzen]

Dean turbo sonic is the best I've tried and I've tried dawn, simple green, etc.

[Richard Flanders]

I've never had an issue with anything using Dawn. I don't like the vapors that Simple Green puts out. I was under the impression it contained ammonia, which might not be good on steel. I'll have to look at a jug again. Something in it reacts strongly with my sinuses.

[Tom Carter]

Hi Gary, I got it from Harbor Freight and the brand is Chicago, item number 91957, 1.5 quart, stainless steel. If old age memory services it was around $125. It seems to be larger but probably is not. It's 110 volt, 60 cycle and 100 watt. It comes with a removable wire shelf. I made a basket out of screen wire to hold the items I clean, which sits on the wire shelf. I use distilled water after the mishap with the case coloring. Turbo Sonic also requires it. Add 1/2 ounce of Turbo Sonic to 20 ounces of distilled water for light duty and 1 ounce for medium to heavy duty. Cheers, Tom

[Carl Erickson Jr]

I do not use a sonic cleaner, but I can understand the reluctance to use a flammable liquid for that (any) cleaning. When I was on active duty, the issued cleaning solvent was non flammable dry cleaning fluid that was used instead of the old GI standbys of mogas or diesel.
I do not know its effect on color case, but I do that it was effective on the gunk of machine guns.

[CraigThompson]

Lyman makes two cleaning solutions for the sonic cleaner . One specifically for brass/copper and the other for steel .

I use them both regularly , as to whats in either I have no idea . But to date they've worked very well .

[Jack Cronkhite]

Ditto. Works well for me.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Thanks Tom for the info, Gary

[Mark Beasland]

I use Dollar store cleaner degreaser (LA's Totally Awesome) 1 part cleaner 4 parts water. It's cheap, works good, non flammable and no damage to colors, real blue or springs.

[Jean Swanson]

I have an ultrasonic cleaner that is some 35 years old that measures 12" L, 6"w, and 6"deep that I can put all the action parts into, as well as the complete action frame. I use Brownell's ultrasonic cleaner and moisture displacement solution mixed as directed . I have had excellent results using their products.

Allan