aluminum can cleaning

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hardcase
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aluminum can cleaning

Post by hardcase »

I've only had to clean my YHM Cobra once since I got it last winter. It was my first can. I used Hoppe's 9 and Hoppe's Elite for a quick dunk (Hoppe's 9 in a quart jar), then brushed of the crud from the components with a nylon brush and compressed air at about 120 psi. Then use white lithium as a spray lube/corrosion inhibitor, especially on the threads.

Apparently the "dip" ( vinegar and H2O2) is not a good cleaner for aluminum.

Enclosed are the links to the safety data sheets for the above. http://www.copquest.com/knowledgebase/M ... leaner.pdf
http://www.copquest.com/knowledgebase/M ... olvent.pdf

Is there any reason why I can't continue to use either one of these?

I'm not looking for every little bit of crud but would like to get the big chunks out.
Deathray
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Re: aluminum can cleaning

Post by Deathray »

Today I learned that Hoppes #9 had ammonium hydroxide in it. (I seriously had no idea)

Hydroxides are not the best thing going for aluminum, but because there is so little of it I wouldn't worry unless you're leaving it soaking for days at a time. (and with the price of that stuff I doubt you will) I wouldn't worry about the oleic acid, it has a pKa of ~9.5 from the literature I've found. That is a very, very weak acid. Not surprising since it's just a carboxylic acid stuck on the end of a long aliphatic chain.

Another option for you to explore is Ed's red. Just be careful about O-rings since the acetone will typically destroy those. It is an inexpensive mixture that cleans very well. http://handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=9
bani
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Re: aluminum can cleaning

Post by bani »

iirc soda blasting is an option for aluminum baffles.
hardcase
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Re: aluminum can cleaning

Post by hardcase »

Anything wrong with kerosene if it is cleaned off and dried? I've used it before to soak older gun parts when kerosene was clear but this was before the government started putting red dye in it.
dark2023
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Re: aluminum can cleaning

Post by dark2023 »

What should I use on un-anodized aluminum baffles? (HunterTownArms Guardian 2)
A gun is meant to protect your life, not your wallet. Things can be replaced, people cant.
Fuzzy
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Re: aluminum can cleaning

Post by Fuzzy »

BRAKLEEN is generally considered safe n all metals, as is BERRYMAN'S CARBURETOR CLEANER. The Berryman's comes in a 1 gal. can with a dip basket, and it will remove carbon about as good as anything I've seen ... it also is good at removing paint, so caution is advised.
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Bendersquint
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Re: aluminum can cleaning

Post by Bendersquint »

dark2023 wrote:What should I use on un-anodized aluminum baffles? (HunterTownArms Guardian 2)
Get rid of the unanodized baffles, or at least anodize them. Then soda blast them.
seattlite
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Re: aluminum can cleaning

Post by seattlite »

From a Surefire customer rep, he stated that using MPRO7 and an ultrasonic cleaner with the Ryder baffles is GTG.
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Bendersquint
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Re: aluminum can cleaning

Post by Bendersquint »

seattlite wrote:From a Surefire customer rep, he stated that using MPRO7 and an ultrasonic cleaner with the Ryder baffles is GTG.
Surefire is giving out bad advice by telling people to ultrasonic clean their aluminum can.....unless they are offering recores when they are damaged.
Historian
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Re: aluminum can cleaning

Post by Historian »

From many empirical past studies lightly coating aluminum
housings and inserts with Permatex Anti-Seize has
prevented binding under high temperatures and
made cleaning of undesirable contaminants easy.

Is there some information that contradicts these
observations that someone knows?

Just curious.
seattlite
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Re: aluminum can cleaning

Post by seattlite »

Bendersquint wrote:
seattlite wrote:From a Surefire customer rep, he stated that using MPRO7 and an ultrasonic cleaner with the Ryder baffles is GTG.
Surefire is giving out bad advice by telling people to ultrasonic clean their aluminum can.....unless they are offering recores when they are damaged.
From the Surefire warranty website: "...To help protect your investment SureFire offers reasonable rates to repair damage to our products not covered by our warranty, such as a core rebuild for a suppressor damaged by improper use. You will be provided with a quote for approval before work begins."

So I'm thinking that if I have a bunch of emails from SF customer reps that says MPRO7 and Ultrasonic Cleaner is GTG...I could argue for a recore....however, I dont have a Ryder...but I think I found a decent reason to justify getting one.
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