Hornady Magnum Sonic cleaner

[benny]

Well came home from hunting today and was putting the rifles back in my safe, looked over at the reloading bench and saw a dark brown stain on the top. As I got over to the bench it was obvious that my sonic cleaner had leaked. I dumped out what was left in the tank into a coffee can and wiped out the bottom. It look like the screen rack while setting on the bottom of the holding tank must have interacted with the vinegar, distilled water and baking soda solution I was using and eat holes in the tank.

I wouldn't have thought this solution was that strong to eat though a Stainless Steel tank.

Anyone else have this issue before? Wonder if Hornady will send me a new tank?

[xd ED]

Well came home from hunting today and was putting the rifles back in my safe, looked over at the reloading bench and saw a dark brown stain on the top. As I got over to the bench it was obvious that my sonic cleaner had leaked. I dumped out what was left in the tank into a coffee can and wiped out the bottom. It look like the screen rack while setting on the bottom of the holding tank must have interacted with the vinegar, distilled water and baking soda solution I was using and eat holes in the tank.

I wouldn't have thought this solution was that strong to eat though a Stainless Steel tank.

Anyone else have this issue before? Wonder if Hornady will send me a new tank?

Depending on proportions, the baking soda and vinegar will neutralize each other. And neither would - together, or alone - eat through that metal in a short time.

Perhaps it was a galvanic reaction between the screen, and tank, but I doubt stainless would be the sacrificial metal in any such reaction.
Is it possible it was mechanical wear from vibration that wore through the stainless tank?

Is it possible the mixture simply foamed up/boiled over, as I would expect a mixture of vinegar and baking soda to do?

[benny]

The tank has holes in it , I last used it about a month and a half ago to clean 250 pc of .44 brass. I cleaned it up now and found about half the tank of fluid in the top handle pocket of the plastic ammo cans I had stored under the bench. It flowed out the bottom of the cleaner and down the holes from the bolts holding my reloader to the bench.
It could have been wear from the basket resting on the tank while running, I can't remember if I used the little handles to hold it up or if I laid it right on the tank bottom. I will get a model number tomorrow off the unit and see if Hornady has any parts for it.

[mmcnx2]

If you had the rack sitting on the bottom it would not take long for the sonic vibration to make a hole. Basically you are rubbing two pieces of metal against each other a few million times a minute with no lubrication - something is going to give. I think all the new units have plastic baskets. Also I would not tell Hornady about the home cooked solution - it may not have played a part but then again depending on the chemistry it could have.

[usnret]

They don't make that cleaner anymore.

[noylj]

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, is to touch the bottom of tank. Nothing should touch any part of the tank.
Vinegar can leach out zinc. Baking soda simply neutralizes the vinegar to form salts.
Normal is a squirt of Dawn, a teaspoon of citric acid, and hot water, with a water rinse to remove the little residual acid. Even RCBS removed the acetic acid from their initial US case cleaner solution.

[benny]

I took it apart to clean it out better and looked closer at the holes. The basket looks like it has corrosion right about where the holes are in the tank, the unit sat for a month and a half with out being used before it leaked out but the used solution was left in it.

Oh well I just learned an $80 lesson!!

Benny