doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com ultrasonic cleaning solution??

Have a unit (Lyman) inbound and want to use it to clean double gun actions (old Parker and Fox). What solutions do folks recommend that won't mess up the case colors? Also, can I put the entire receiver in there (bottom plate and trigger guard removed), or do I need to totally take apart? Thanks mucho.

We use Simple Green with good results, no longer use solvents as they may cause breathing problems.

Spic and Span in powder form works wonderfully and is easily disposed of.

I always use this mixture, 1 cup of alcohol(Ethanol)4 cups of water (distilled) and one teaspoon of detergent your choice, It is sort of a universal cleaning solution and it does work well not to harsh on your self and what you are cleaning.

Simple Green and non sudsing (sp?) ammonia.

I like mineral spirits.

You like ALL spirits!

I can't understand why anyone would use a water based cleaner to clean an old double guns action. If you are using tap water with your spic and span, that has a household softening system, you have about 40mg of salt, mixed in 12ozs of that water.
Mineral spirits is good, as is kerosene, or a blend of both. I've also used lacquer thinner. None of them will cause rust, or, damage color case hardening. If you have a really greased up old gun, nothing cuts the stuff off like old fashioned dip type carburator cleaner-it doesn't hurt case colors, either. I wouldn't use it in an ultrasonic cleaner, however. If you have a problem with the smell or the fumes from a solvent, heres the hot tip-do it ouside.

Best,
Ted

Vehicles with a carburettor�s wow over here you will only find a Carburettor on a classic car or motorcycle you would be hard pressed to purchase Carburettor cleaner. Don�t be too hard on water it is the greatest universal solvent there is, given time it has removed mountains. Mixed with Alcohol it works well and have enough Alcohol in the mix it will even remove water. There are some residues found on old guns especially ones that have not been cleaned for a lifetime or two mineral spirits have a hard time dissolving, a lot of the Brit old time makers used a lot of shellac in all its many forms for all sorts of reasons and the amount you may fined on old gun parts could surprise you!

Ted, one can use a water base cleaning solution because it's safe and it works well in a ultrasonic cleaner. I've used it for decades. Usually, only a few hours will loosen the worst grime, then I brush off the loosened grime with a tooth brush. Then I rinse the item well under very hot tap water, heating the metal. I use compressed air to blow off and out all water while the metal is hot, then spray with WD 40 or similar and let it cool. Later, I blow off any extra WD 40 and wipe clean .

I am not sure if you are recommending one use kerosene, lacquer thinner , etc. in an ultrasonic cleaner. Sounds dangerous to me and then you have the problem of proper disposal.

I've used them all in an ultrasonic cleaner, Daryl. NOT carb solvent, mostly because its too expensive these days to subject to evaporation. Stinks, too, but removes just about ANYTHING that isn't supposed to be there in a matter of minutes. You can reuse it 'till the cows come home, and my local recycle event takes the stuff when I'm done.
I still change the oil in my cars at home, and the yard that takes my drain oil tells me to run the dirty solvent through cheese cloth and dump it in the drain oil. They burn it in oil powered furnaces in the warehouse. The tank that holds the drain oil is about 10,000 gallons, and I was assured several cups of solvent would hurt nothing.
When I was a kid, I watched a guy boil his trigger assembly from an 1100 in water, which, evaporated instantly when he pulled it out. Slick, but, there was still grunge hidden everywhere in the assembly. Then, we dismantled it, and wire brushed the parts with kerosene. If we had done that to begin with, we could have skipped the boiling water thing.
My thoughts. You can do what you like, but, I try to keep water away from my tools. My dial calipers, micrometers, gauge blocks, and guns are as water safe as I can make them.

Best,
Ted

Ted, if you did use lacquer thinner, mineral spirits, or kerosene in your ultrasonic cleaner and no problems, then you are a lucky fellow. Think lottery tickets, today.

Its not luck, Daryl, but, one does have to be smarter than the chemical at hand. The flash point on lacquer thinnner (the hottest solvent of the bunch I mentioned) hovers around 20 degrees. So I typically use that cleaner in the winter, when we have no shortage of days less than that. That dramatically cuts down on evaporation, as well. The shop is well ventilated, and another fan is on hand if needed.
Mineral spirits are flammable but are nowhere near what any alcohol or acetone is capable of-flash point on acetone is about -4 degrees if I remember correctly, and I still use that stuff for some operations. Cautiously. Not in the buzz cleaner, either.
Common sense goes farther than luck. But, as I posted earlier, if you are comfortable with water, go for it.

Best,
Ted