RMS reload cleaning Q?

[Bobrogg]

How and what do you guys use to clean the hardware between launches?

 

[astrowolf67]

I use baby wipes. The RMS motors clean up very easily if you clean them as soon as possible after launching them. I just wish there was an easier way to clean inside the forward closure.

 

[Bobrogg]

Thanks for the info. After the last launch I ran them through the dishwasher with some good results, but I couldn't figureout a good way to clean them at the launch site.

 

[hokkyokusei]

Ugh! Not sure I'd want that residue in my dishwasher!

 

[loopy]

Originally posted by astrowolf67
I use baby wipes. The RMS motors clean up very easily if you clean them as soon as possible after launching them. I just wish there was an easier way to clean inside the forward closure.

Wow - that was almost word for word what I was gonna say. An old toothbrush (that you no longer use in your mouth...) works well for the threads and the foreward closure.

Loopy

 

[JMTravis]

I use a spray bottle with half & half water and vinegar and some paper towels to clean up after a launch. Seems to dissolve the residue very well! If for some reason you can't clean the motor right away you could always soak it in the mixture this seems to work very also.

 

[BlueNinja]

You could probably use a bottle brush soaked in the water/vinegar to good effect. This is what I will try at the next launch, and i will report back.

 

[cls]

I use vinegar & a bottle brush, followed by a water rinse, both in the field and at home.

thanks for the tip, I am going to get a box of baby wipes for the next launch.

vinegar is a really good way to clean up wet epoxy too. it's cheap, non-toxic, non-allergenic, and does a great job cleaning it out.

 

[Donaldsrockets]

I use soapy water, an old toothbrush and paper towels to clean my RMS casings. I also keep a bag to dispose of the spent reload components.

I usually tear a piece of paper towel off and clean the inside of the forward closure with that and I sometimes use a toothpick to clean off ejection charge residue in and around the touch hole.

I also found that the best time to clean them is when you can comfortably hold the casing in your hands without burning yourself on it.

 

[Bobrogg]

Originally posted by hokkyokusei
Ugh! Not sure I'd want that residue in my dishwasher!

I know the dishwasher solution doesn't sound like a good idea and your right, at the time I wasn't thinking about the residue. Thanks all for the great tips!

 

[Lee Reep]

Simple Green solution, if not too bad, and Hoppes No. 9 gun cleaner for really tought residue.

But do not soak casings overnight! Lots of these cleaners will dull the anodizing.

 

[BlueNinja]

Originally posted by Blue_Ninja_150
You could probably use a bottle brush soaked in the water/vinegar to good effect. This is what I will try at the next launch, and i will report back.

Works good. My casing looks like new. What I did was insert the brush first, then squirt vinegar/water on top of it so it flowed through the bristles.

 

[Donaldsrockets]

Vinegar works good for removing baked on crud. I bought a 24mm RMS casing from a fellow club member and it had some baked on propellant residue. What I did was I first attached an ejection cap to the forward closure and filled the casing with vinegar and let it sit for an hour or so. I was then able to wipe the casing clean without scrubbing my life away. You can also do this to the other end if needed.

If you buy used RMS casings, I would reccommend that you do this before using them yourself.

 

[aksarben10]

I use baby wipes and Hoppes No. 9 gun cleaner never needed anything else.

Scott

 

[rbeckey]

Love the smell of Hoppe's No. 9!
For transporting soiled casings, you could make an appropriate sized container out of Schedule 40 PVC and some fittings. Put the casing and closures in and fill with vinegar and screw on a cap.

 

[DPatell]

I use degreaser and WD-40, an old toothbrush, and lots of paper towels.

 

[firemanup]

Hoppes No. 9 for blackpowder.. is all i use and it seems to clean everything up pretty well... I've not tried the standard No. 9 yet.

The longest i've left a casing without cleaning it has been overnight and it's had no problem with it...