I have a Harbor Freight 44991 mini mill that I bought it in 2006 if I recall right – it’s been so long that I don’t actually remember at this point. It’s served me well but like anything, stuff happens with age. In this case, the mini mill way covers were breaking down due to oxidation and repeated flexing.
I’ve replaced the way covers a few times over the years but this time had a challenge finding any in stock. In general, my goto spot for mini mill parts is LittleMachineShop.com and I recommend them to anyone with a mini mill or lathe. They’ve been out of stock for a while now and I wanted a solution sooner instead of later. I was adjusting my mill, cleaning it up in general and wanted to get the covers on so the ways would stay clean.
If you are new to machining, way covers aren’t just cosmetic. They keep debris off the ways (the machined surfaces that move on the X-Y table). If you don’t keep the ways clean you run the risk of something getting under the table and throwing it off or even just making cranking the handles harder.
So, I needed to find another source but where? I had to figure out an alternative. Way covers have a diameter and length – how hard can it be if I searched using the measures and adapted whatever I found? The answer is that making your own is surprisingly easy. The way covers for the 44991 mini mill, and the two dozen or so brands that are actually the same machine made by Sieg in Shanghai, are 200mm wide and that’s the key – looking for millimeters vs. inches.
My initial mistake was to try and find a cover with a width between 7.75 and 8 inches. Then it dawned on me that the machine’s parts are actually metric and the width was 200mm. I figured if I could find a long enough length I would just cut it down and that strategy worked. By the way, that’s a 12″ IGaging Absolute Origin caliper. It’s a rare job where I need to measure something bigger than my 6″ Mitutoyo caliper can handle. For those rare occasions, the IGaging caliper has been good enough for me.
Armed with that, I immediately found way covers on Amazon. They are really long but you can cut them down with a plain sharp knife and straight edge no problem. Click here for the listing. At the time of purchase, they had one review. I was in a rush and figured I would gamble $10.19 not including a 5% off coupon. It was shipped from China and took about two weeks to arrive.
Guess what? They are actually really decent. Instead of rubber, these way covers are some kind of rubberised fabric. I’m not even sure rubber is the correct term and cutting them down to fit is fast and easy with plenty left over for a few more replacements (I stored the remainder in a heavy ziploc industrial bag and actually purged it with nitrogen. Yeah, I work with plastics so I have access to that stuff. Just sealing it in a good ziploc-type bag and keeping it safe would probably work too.
Let’s Step Through The Process
I did my covers one at a time starting with the front. The cover is held in place by a bracket on each end. Each bracket is held in place by two Phillips round head screws. Remove the brackets and the covers. Note the front cover has two sizes of screws when you go to reassemble it.
Each way cover is held in place by a metal strip and two Phillips round head metric screws. Note, on the front way the front and back screws are two different sizes so pay attention what goes where (the larger diameter screws are to the back if I recall correctly). This is either my second or third set of rubber way covers. They slowly break down with time and use.
With the cover off, I cleaned and lubed the ways and also the threaded rod. I then moved on to make the cover.
I removed the front cover and took the time to clean and lube the ways and threaded rod.The old way cover is to the right. The 200mm x 1500mm new way cover is to the left. It turns out the folds are 1.5cm on both so I just counted the peaks and made my cut. If the fold height didn’t match then I would have fit it based on the smoothed out length.I cut the length of new cover I needed and then used the old brackets to mark the hole locations.I marked the holes and then used a revolving hole punch plier to approximate the openings. I actually own a hole punch set but I don’t know where I put it – that would have been more elegant than my nibbling around the circle with the pliers but I got the job done.
I then did the same for the back and installed the way covers on the mini mill. The next time I do them, I may glue a plastic strip on each end to make it a tad more secure at each end but what I have is working great.
Looks much, much better and the ways are once again protected. It’s a tad floppy at the ends and next time I will add either a small steel or plastic strip the full width of the cover, scuff both sides for a good grip and join them with Starbond black super glue. The cover is perfectly serviceable as-is for now but am keeping that in mind for the future. By the way, that is a Dayton CNC 12″ workholding plate. I have two of them and they’re great. Here’s the link and the wait time is about 2-4 weeks. The positioning strips are from a vendor called Bulk Man 3D on AliExpress. All the holes and fasteners are 1/4-20 and the metric strips can accomodate 1/4-20 socket head screws in case you are wondering.I’m not sure what this material is but have a suspicion it will hold up better than the rubber. Time, use and exposure to lubricants will tell though. I’ve only had them on for over a week but cutting oil and penetrating oil don’t appear to have affected the material thus far.
Summary
The new way covers are working great. You can make your own and have plenty left over for the next time plus it is cheaper regardless. I have no problem recommending you buy this way cover and cut it to fit. I do suspect it will hold up better than rubber given it is fabric reinforced and not just plain rubber and we’ll see if that proves to be true.
I hope this helps you out.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
Do you have an old HK grip, or any other plastic item, you want to rejuvenate? Or maybe you bought one of the contract grips, washed it and now it’s a dull grey and all of the scratches stand out and you want to make it look better? It’s easier than you might think.
Clean the grip
I recently boought a bunch of the the surplus HK33 “contract grips” that were made by SME Arms and Ordnance manufacturer, Malaysia under license from HK and most of them really needed cleaning – everything from cosmoline to brown masking tape with numbers were on them.
The first thing is to really clean the grip. I use a Vevor 30L ultrasonic cleaner[click here for a review I did on mine] with Simple Green HD and water in it but you can use any warm-to-hot soapy water and something to scrub with to clean it up. Use compressed air to blow it dry real quick before any exposed steel surfaces rust.
These HK33 grips are a mess. Most are beaten up to some extent. Many were covered in cosmoline – that grip on the top that is shiny is coated in it. Some even had old dry masking tape wrapped around the actual hand-grip portion.
If you aren’t interested in ultrasonic cleaners, you can also have very good luck with hot soapy water. I used to recommend brake cleaner but that has really lost its cleaning power as various regulations have really reduced its strength.
This is a 30 liter Vevor ultrasonic cleaner filled with Simple Green Pro HD heated to 158F (70C). It gets rid of pretty much everything in 15 minutes including most if not all of the paint in the lettering.
Dealing with scratches and small nicks
Major repairs can be a challenge. Filling them with black epoxy or black super glue creates visible repairs. Black super glue to close a clean crack works surprisingly well. Starbond makes a black super glue that is superb at closing cracks plus bonding clean surfaces together in general – click here to see it at Amazon
For minor scrapes and scratches, the best approach I have found is to use 0000 (sometimes called “quadruple ought” or super fine) steel wool and vigorously rub down surfaces to get rid of scratches and any plastic sticking up from getting nicked. The benefit I have found with it vs. sandpaper is that it doesn’t destroy the surface finish as easily.
This is an actual HK German SEF grip converted for use on an MP5K. I used 0000 steel wool to knock over any sticking out plastic and reduce minor scratches. I find careful use of steel wool helps me improve the surface some without destroying the pebbled finish on the plastic.
Restoring the black color
Black plastic fades as the surface layer loses its oil/moisturizers. The trick to try and replace those lost chemicals and bring the color back.
Black plastic that has been ultrasonically cleaned is greyish and you can see all of the scratches. If you don’t know it’s coming you can have a “what just happened” moment.
The treatment I use is made by Car Guys and is called “Plastic Restorer”. Again, make sure the grip is clean and then rub this stuff in. I use nitrile gloves and work it in. You want a thin film there. I let the stuff sit overnight and buff it off with a shop towel the next day. It does a nice job and will last for sometime. I’m not exactly sure how long – I’ve been using it for almost six months and nothing has faded yet.
On this HK SEF grip, it’s been cleaned and I used steel wool to knock down any rough spots. Next up is applying Car Guys Plastic Restorer.The actual cream that comes out is an odd blue grey color. I wear nitrile gloves, put the cream in my glove and then apply enough to leave a film. It does need to have a light film – not super thick but something like this. It has to sit to work, I try to let it sit overnight if I can. They say at least 10 minutes but I find the longer the better. You then wipe it down and remove any residue on the surface,This is the same grip. It sat overnight and then I wiped it down the following day.Same grip – other side.These are four of the grey ashen grips shows above after following this process.Same grips – the other side.
Summary
I did not know why black colored platics fade with time. Now I do and the Car Guys Plastic Restorer works on more colors than just black. Click here for it on Amazon – there’s a reason there are over 31,000 reviews and a score of 4.4. It’s that good. So, whether it’s plastic on firearms, cars or something else, this stuff might really help you bring the color back.
One perk is that it does seal and provide UV protection after it is applied. I’ve been using it for six months and nothing has faded yet but then again, no finish lasts forever so I would bet that some day I will need to touch things up.
Note: This stuff isn’t for headlights and it doesn’t fix physically damaged plastic when there is a thick crust of oxidation or scratches. It’s meant to bring the color back is all.
I hope this helps you out.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
There are some things I like on MP5Ks and some things I don’t. I usually dislike the triggers but my MKE AP5-P has a fairly decent trigger as MP5 and MP5Ks go. My MKE also had a factory contoured grip. Of all the HK grips out there, the contoured is the one I like best but there is one I like even more – the “Magpul SL Grip for HK94, HK93, 91 and Semi Shelf Clones”. That one heck of a long product name – just remember the model – MAG1070-BLK.
This is the Magpul “SL Grip Module for HK94/93/91/MP5 & Semi Shelf HK Clones” – Model MAG1070-BLKZenith ZF5-P. Very nicely made pistol. Relatively bland grip.Century Imports’ MKE AP5-P. It’s excellent. I like the contour grip more but that’s a personal preference.
A few months ago, I installed one on my Zenith ZF5-P and really liked it. Whereas the MKE has a contoured grip, the Zenith has a basic straight grip that is only slightly more ergonomic than a rounded rectangle. I’d read a few posts about guys converting over the Magpul grip, so I did the same. You know what? I realy like it.
Here it is on the Zenith. By the way, that is Magpul’s cool ESK Extended Selector Lever. I have links to them at the bottom of the post.Here’s the second one on my MKE AP5-P.
Doing the Conversion
The Magpul SL grip wasn’t designed for use on a MP5K but what you need to do is pretty straight forward if you have the tools and at least some basic knowledge of locating holes to be drilled.
Let’s go over some basics – first off, the steel “tail” that sticks out of the Magpul will need to be cut off. I’d recommend using something like a hacksaw, reciprocating saw or a bandsaw. I have a metal cutting bandsaw so I used that. Please notice I did not list a Dremel or similar rotary tool with an abrasive wheel. They risk making the steel so hot that the plastic could be damaged.
The first step was to cut off the tail. I did it flush with the end of the plastic and cleaned it up with a belt sander.
Next, sand the tail end smooth. Take off as little material as possible as it will help you get a solid lockup.
Take off as little material as you can until the grip fits and the end cap, brace or stock can fully seat. By the way, I should have cleaned up a bit more before this photo – the dust you see if from me sanding Hungarian Grey-Blue AMD grips that we make. The dust is not from the Magpul grip – it will be black flecks of plastic and a bit of metal from the steel reinforcing channel inside the rear.
As you may have noticed, many MP5K-type weapons, such as those from MKE and Zenith, use two small pins to retain the grip assembly – one in the front at the bottom and one in the top rear. With the semi shelf and a snug fit, you just need the single rear pin to hold the grip’s rear end up and in place.
The front of the grip has a plate that interfaces with the semi shelf on your MP5K. Magpul includes instructions for SP5 owners that they may need to remove a little material for a good fit and I would assume this extends to the SP5K but I don’t know this for sure. With both my MKE and Zenith, no adustment was needed.
That little rectangle welded just to the right of the front grip pin hole is the semi shelf.This is the locking plate for the grip that interfaces with the semi shelf at the bottom slot in the photo (if the weapon were held upside down, it would be the slot at the top .)
In terms of locating the hole, take your current grip and measure backwards from the front locking plate to the center of the hole. Then, measure down from the top of the grip. Use these two measures to locate where you need to do your cutting and then setup your mill accordingly or at least a good drill press because all you are doing is plunge cuts.
Measure the hole from the locking plate to where the center of the hole is on your existing grip – this is the horizontal measure. I’d recommend using calipers to do this. You then need to do the vertical location by measuring from the top of the grip to the center of the existing hole. The more precise you can be, the better your results will be.
Cutting the rear hole.
Critical: You must make an insert from hard wood, plastic, or aluminum. If you don’t, the walls of the grip will flex and your holes are going to be a mess. I learned this the hard way. The width left to right is about 7/8″ and then you can decide how you want to handle the vertical. I’d recommend surrounding the area where you want to make the cut. I run my insert the whole length of the inside top to provide a firm support both for the clamps and the plunge cuts. You don’t wany anything to flex.
If you don’t have an insert to keep the grip open, they will flex as you attempt to cut them and you’ll make a mess. This is 7/8″ left to right. I then made it the length I wanted. The “leg” on the left bottom is to help it stay in position in the grip. The hole on the right shows you where the 6mm end mill plunges into it.
The first step is to cut the reliefs where the pin goes. The head of the takedown pin is about 9-9.1mm wide. A 9.5mm cut doesn’t give you much room to adjust. 10mm is just a tad wider and gives you more room to adjust your cuts later with a circular file and not have the head unable to sit down in the recess. The reliefs need to be cut about 3mm deep.
That is a 10mm end mill and I just finished a 3mm deep cut. A 9.5mm head would give you a tighter fit around the head of the pin but 10mm gives you some adjustment room.
Next is to cut the 6mm holes for the pins. I’d recommend against a drill bit as it might get squirrely on you – both in terms of deflection or the bit getting caught on one of the holes in the steel reinforcement. Get a 6mm carbide end mill, make sure your grip is held securely and do a plunge cut.
A 6mm end mill was used to plunge cut the center hole for the pin.Here is the MKE Pin with an OD head diameter of 9.1mm. The countersink was cut 10mm wide and 3mm deep. This gives a bit more room for adjustments.
If you do use a drill press, check your runout. If you have more than 0.5mm on one side, you risk cutting to big of a hole. You want to be somewhere between 6.0 and 6.1mm. If you go too wide, the retaining wire may not get a good enough hold to keep the pin in place.
Cleaning Up
Use a fine file or diamond abrasive stick to remove all material left over from cutting inside the grip so you have a smooth surface.
It’s time to test fit the grip. It may go in great all by itself or you may need to adjust it just a tad with a circular file. I’d recommend a 6mm tapered circular file so you have a lot of control.
This 6mm tapered Bahco file is great for adjusting holes. Click here to see it on Amazon.Use a circular file to adjust the grip until it fits. Don’t rush – take off a bit and test, take off a bit and test until it fits. That is the Bahco 6mm file I mentioned earlier. It’s great for this kind of work.
Note, test fitting the grip by itself is one thing. Doing it with the stock, brace or endcap in place is another. You may find further adjustments with the circular file are required. Also, you can make things fit sometimes by moving or tapping the grip or whatever is on the end around. The sheet metal of the receiver can flex and sometimes it gives you just enough alignment to push the pin on through. I often tap (not bang) them in with a small hammer with a non-marring head.
You want everything to be snug. You’ll find the front pin doesn’t matter if everything is tight. If you really want a front pin, you would need to make a custom pin given the width of the Magul’s front lower “ears”. It would also only be cosmetic because you would be inserting a steel pin into soft plastic that does not have a reinforcing plate.
The moral of the story is to keep the front-to-back length of the grip long so it is snug – again, don’t cut or sand off more of the black plastic than you must. Also, try to be as close as you can with the pin holes at least vertically. Because of how the grip is sandwiched between the mag well and whatever is on the rear, it’s not going anywhere. The rear pin is the final part to limit movement.
I used the file to slot the hole backward just a bit. Note how tight the grip is up against my SB Tactical brace. It’s not going to wiggle.
The Results
The MKE feels great. I will upgrade the selector the Magpul ESK but even with the stock MKE selector I like the feel more.
Summary
I hope this helps you out if you want to do this yourself. For folks who just want to do the final filing adjustments, we will converted Magpul grips for sale. Please click here to go to our store.
Here are the original Magpul grips in case you are looking for them:
Production Grip Comment
For our production grips. the holes are based on a new unissued German MP5K grip. Depending on a bunch of factors, the exact holes in the grip you get will vary a bit. Fitting will be required – front to back and the hole locations.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
If you are looking for an extended selector lever for your MP5 or MP5K, these are really nice.
I hate bad triggers and the worst triggers I have ever used were on HK MP5 and MP5K weapons. I have no idea of the design intent – maybe a real strong emphasis on avoiding an accidental discharge by having a long spongy pull and then a break somewhere around eight pounds. For someone who likes crisp triggers and a lighter pull, the HK triggers in general can be a rude awakening.
I recently picked up Zenith Firearms ZF5-P, which is a MP5K clone. Zenith Firearms is based in Afton, VA, and make their various rifles and pistols there. They used to import MKE clones from Turkey but severed ties and are actually making them here in the US.
I bought the ZF5-P for a few reasons – First, I got a good deal on it. That always helps. Second, I no longer had any form of an MP5 and kind of wanted to get back in. Third, and the subject of this story, I knew Timney made a well-regarded trigger pack for the MP5/MP5K. Fourth, I had an urge to tinker and needed a test platform.
Now Zenith makes a big deal that they machine their cartridge walls vs. bending sheet metal resulting in a better trigger. I was kind of curious to check that out as well.
For the rest of the article, I’ll just refer to the trigger as an MP5 trigger because the MP5 and MP5K share the same trigger pack. It’s the grip that differs.
The Zenith’s Original Trigger
Well, I was hoping for a good trigger out of the box because of Zenith machining the walls of their trigger pack but to be honest, it was just another MP5 trigger. I bought a new Century MKE AP5-P and its trigger was better than the Zenith’s also. It’s not that the Zenith’s trigger is bad – my point is that the unit I received was no better than any other MP5 trigger I’ve used.
I used a Wheeler “Professional Digital Trigger Pull Gauge” and did 10 pulls of the trigger after lubrication plus I had pulled the trigger maybe two dozen times since I bought it so there was a tad bit of wear in before testing. At any rate, the lightest pull was 7 pounds 5.9oz. The heaviest was 7 pounds 13.5 ounces and the average came in at 7 pounds 11.3 ounces. So, just shy of 7.75 or seven and three quarter pounds. Still long, creepy, spongy … pick the bad discriptor you like.
The Timney MP5 2-Stage Trigger
It’s nicely machined and ready to go. You just need to move the ejector, ejector axle and ejector spring from your old trigger to this one. It’s easy to do.
These triggers are compatible with SEF/ Semi-Auto trigger packs and their style of safety selector levers.
These triggers are NOT compatible with Ambi/Navy/FBI trigger packs or .22 clones, as they are different internally.
Timney provides clear installation instructions in the package plus they have the following video to help with the install.
Folks, that trigger is amazing. Here are pull test results: Minimum pull weight was 3 pounds 2.7 oz. Maximum was 4 pounds 0.1 ounce. The average was 3 pounds 10.3 oz.
I’d call it crisp and clean. Night and day better than the original Zenith trigger.
Range Time
My brother-in-law, nephew and I took the Zenith ZF5-P and a Century MKE AP5-P to the range. For an MP5, the MKE’s trigger is fairly decent but was seriously beaten by the Timney.
My nephew really liked the Timney trigger – we all did. By the way, one thing I really like is that a B&T low profile optics mount enables you to cowitness a Vortex Crossfire red dot with the iron sights.
Summary
I have never hid my dislike of MP5 triggers – I genuinely don’t like them and the only good things I can say are that they are reliable and you’ll probably never have an accidental discharge.
The Timney trigger ranks as one of the best upgrades I have done to a firearm. If you want a better trigger for your MP5/MP5K, or a clone of them, then get the Timney trigger.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
I’ve heard about using ultrasonic cleaners on firearms for years but never really investigated them. Recently, I had a need to clean a bunch of HK33 grips that had cosmoline, oil, and whatever else on them. Actually, I knew well in advance because they were part of a project and I had to figure out how to clean up a 50+ of these used grimy grips.
The HK 33 grips had cosmoline on them.
My Cleaning Options
I knew cleaning that many by hand with a solvent would take forever and be expensive. Hot water and dish soap was an option but slow and time consuming. An ultrasonic cleaner seemed like a perfect solution. I talked it over with my friend Scott, who owns Michigan Gun Exchange. Scott has one in his shop and uses it to clean firearms. He showed me how it worked and I was impressed. This type of cleaning would be perfect.
Ultrasonic Cleaners
An ultrasonic cleaner cleans parts three ways – the liquid bath, ultrasonic vibrations and heat all combined at once. If you’ve every fought getting cosmoline or old grease that has set up, you know how heat is your friend.
Okay, it was time to research. I couldn’t afford or have the space for a giant unit. Doing some digging, the Vevor 30 liter unit got good reviews and looked like it would work for the majority of firearm parts I would need to put in it. I considered the length, width, height and the diagonal for really long parts. The stainless basket you put the parts in measures 18.3″ x 10.8″ x 6.7″. The diagonal is 21.25″.
Note, in terms of actual volume it holds, they say the unit is 30 liters in the title but also report that it measures between 29 and 30 liters or 7.7-7.9 gallons. They recommend the fluid be at least 75% full to protect the heating element plus you never run an ultrasonic cleaner dry or it can damage the unit.
By the way, on a larger unit like this, make sure it has a drain valve and the Vevor 30L does.
This is the Vevor 30L cleaner. The unit is simple to operate with the temperature on the left and the timer on the right,
Deciding On The Solvent To Use
Dedicated ultrasonic cleaner fluids are rediculously expensive. What a lot of gun guys do is to use 50:50 Simple Green and water. I started reading more on that and there was one small detail I wanted to avoid – aluminum left in plain Simple Green for too long is apt to react and cause pitting. The aluminum friendly formulation is Simple Green Pro HD.
I’d recommend using Simpe Green Pro HD because it is aluminum friendly. I know guys using the regular Simple Green at a 50:50 ratio and they aren’t having problems – my suspicion is that the parts in the liquid long enough for a problem to happen.
Simple Green’s recommended ratios for their Pro HD formulation are:
For heavy cleaning: 1 part Pro HD to 3 parts water
For medium cleaning: 1 part Pro HD to 5 parts water
For light cleaning: 1 part Pro HD to 10 parts water
Well, given how thick cosmoline, grease and oil can be, I went with the heavy cleaning 1:3 ratio and it worked great.
Two comments – first, I bought mine from Home Depot. They ship to a home for free in my area. Amazon is rediculously expensive due to the weight. Second, I didn’t find out until later that Simple Green also has an “Extreme Aircraft and Precision Cleaner” formula. I might try that in the future as they expressly made it to not react with plastics, composites, aluminum, etc.
Heating the Tank
One complaint of folks using the large ultrasonic cleaners is that their internal heaters take hours to heat the fluid up. Well, I can’t wait hours so did some digging on that front and bought an immersion heater. They all have a potential shock hazard so you do not want to put your hand in the fluid while heating it.
I bought an immersion heater made by HAIYEATBNB off Amazon. because it has a temperature regulator and got good reviews — it’s a game changer. Scott bought one after I told him how fast it heated the tank.
To be clear, the immersion heater is to dramatically speed up the heating of the solvent and then it is removed. A quick summary of steps is to put the heater in the fluid, plug in the unit and set the temperature, let it heat it up, unplug the heater, let it cool off a tad before you remove it and set it in a container so it doesn’t drip. The Vevor cleaner’s internal heating unit can maintain the temperature. The immersion heater is just fast forwarding the heating process.
The recommended temperature range for ultrasonic cleaners range from 130-180 degrees Farenheit. The theortetical “best” temperature for cavitation is 158F (70C) and guys report great luck between 155 and 165. Just bear in mind that the hotter you go, the more evaporation you will have also.
This is the HAIYEATBNB immersion heater. I like having the temperature control and the actual heating element contained inside the metal shield that has the stars on it. Yeah, I am sure the shape will cause some jokes but it works quite nicely.
The immersion heater sped things up dramatically. I could bring the tank up to temperature in 30-40 minutes. The exact time depends on the volume of liquid and what the starting temperature of the fluid is.
The immersion heater’s temperature gauge will not match the ultrasonic cleaner’s temperature gauge. If you want to know the actual temperature more accurately, you use a more precise instrument such as my Fluke 62 Max+ shown here. Note, the temperatures will vary depending on where you point it. At some point you just have to say “close enough” and call it even.
Safety comment: There is the potential for electric shock with any immersion heater. We used them on our farm growing up and survived. I’m not too sure I would worry about any freaked out electric shock comments you see in all of the reviews on Amazon across most of the heaters I looked at. Simply put, avoid sticking your hand in there while it is heating. Standing barefoot in a puddle of water that has an earth ground while putting your hand in the solvent during operation of the immersion heater will get you shocked so don’t do that!! Sheesh.
Testing
I timed the ordering with everything arriving so I could immediately put the unit into use. If it was going to fail, I wanted to know as soon as possible so I could return it.
In terms of fluid, Vevor recommends you have at least three quarters full or you may damage the unit. If the fluid capacity is about 7.7 gallons then this puts it at 5.8 gallons of fluid. (The above photos do not reflect this just to be clear – I had about three to four gallons in when I snapped them.)
I then put in the immersion heater and watched the temperatures climb both on the heater and cleaner’s gauges and they didn’t match. That really wasn’t surprising to me. It’s hard to say which is more accurate but I decided to go with the temperature measurement from the Vevor cleaner. They claim their temperature reading is within +/- 5 degrees celsius which would be about +/- 9 degress Farenheit if I am doing my math right.
Given the size of the unit I could easily put two grip modules in side by side and that’s what I did. I didn’t try stacking them as that might reduce the cleaning effectiveness. I put the unit’s timer at five minutes and let it run. It was fascinating to watch the crud come off – even the red and white paint filler in the S-U-O symbols on the grip were dissolving.
The cleaner was fascinating to watch operate. I took this photo because you caan see the paint dissolving from the selector position marks.
I read a few complaints about the noise these things generate. The Vevor makes a buzzing sound for sure. Maybe it’s just me but it really didn’t bother me. I didn’t need it to be quiet – I needed it to clean stuff.
The timer went off, I then removed the units, sprayed them down with water to remove the cleaner and then used an air line to blow all of the water out.
The results were amazing. Scott had warned me that everything comes off – including the “sheen” of the black plastic resulting in a dull charcoal color. I then went on to do about a dozen more. In two or threee cases there was still some caked on cosmoline inside the grips that a second pass got rid of.
The results were very impressive. In just a few cases did I run a grip through a second time.
Have A Plan to Avoid Rusting Afterwards
I should tell you to have a game plan to avoid flash rust forming on steel items you clean. Ultrasonic cleaners will strip all the oil and grease off so that means untreated steel can form rust when exposed to moisture in the air. “Flash rusting” is a term for when bare steel is exposed to moisture in the air and starts to show visible rust within minutes of exposure.
Spraying WD-40 can help displace water – another option is to use compressed air if you have access to all surfaces – first but then you need something to prevent rust such as a light spray oil or whatever your preference is. My point is to think it through to avoid flash rusting after you clean.
Summary
At this point, I am very happy with the Vevor 30L ultrasonic cleaner. If you have ever wanted to get into ultrasonic cleaning for whatever you are working on, the Vevor units are cost effective and you just need to decide on what size works for you. Click here for a listing of Vevor cleaners on Amazon and here for all brands.
I hope this helps you out.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
I’m old enough to have grown up with iron sights. It wasn’t until I wasn’t until I was a teenager that I bought my first four power scope for my pump up Crosman airgun. In 1990, I bought my first red dot scope – a big Aimpoint thing that went on my .44 Desert Eagle. Today, 34 years later, I have all kinds of optics, lights and lasers. Do you know what most of them have in common? They all take batteries of one type of another. So, here’s a question for you – when was the last time you checked or replaced your device’s batteries?
My dad was in the 6th infantry at the end of WWII and he drilled into me the need to clean and lubricate firearms.  Every time we went plinking it was followed by running patches and then lubricating the .22 rifle. Maintaining firearms was second nature but back then there were no electronic do-dads on firearms. Now, years and years later and a few range trips where optics wouldn’t work due to dead batteries, checking batteries and having spares was added to the list.Â
Here’s what I want to share with you – if you want to count on your electronic gadgets, you need to maintain the batteries too.
Why bother checking?
First off, batteries have a finite capacity and that as we use them, they eventually run out and need to be changed.
Second, batteries have a shelf-life. In other words, they are chemical devices and at some point, the chemicals are depleted, no reaction can occur so no power comes out. The packaging may say the lithium batteries are good for 10 years – well, that is from when they were made and not when they went in your device.Â
Also, just when did you buy those batteries anyways? Get older and you’ll understand that last part more. If the packaging doesn’t have a date, I write down when I bought it and guess they are about a year old. I have Surefire CR123A batteries that hit 10 years – time flies by.
You might want to write either the date you bought batteries or the expiry date on the box. In this case, Surefire writes the expiration date on each battery – “04-2033”. I wrote the purchase date on the box so I can track orders but you use whatever system works for you.
As an aside, I take comments like “Our optic’s batteries will last 10,000 hours” or some huge number with some skepticism because they are usually estimated from testing and with a number of assumptions. Your real battery life might vary. So, that cool slide mounted optic you just bought with a huge hour claim — I’d recommend you know how to change the battery and keep a spare around just in case.
Improving Device Reliability
Let me share with you a few things to increase device reliability that concerns the batteries:
1. Know how to change the battery in each device. That might sound simple but sometimes somebody else installs a battery for you on a new optic and then you don’t know what type it is or where it goes so find out and practice doing it.
In the case of Vortex Crossfire red dots, the CR2032 battery is under a cap on the rotating brightness knob.
2. If you log work on your device, include batteries. I am honestly not this organized but some guys are.
3. If you have no idea how old or depleted a battery is in a device, change it. Some guys change batteries before they head to the range. I’ve talked to a few law enforcement officers that say they change the batteries in their lights before they go do something and that’s an option if you have time.
Energizer brand batteries will have a “Use by” date. If you look at the bottom of this CR2032 package, you will see the date is 3/2033. Lithium batteries have a 10 year shelf-life so these were probably made in 3/2023. By the way, a common scam on eBay and Amazon is to sell batteries nearing the end of their shelf-life at steep discounts so be careful who you buy from.
4. Test your device before you go to the range or at least every six months. Shorter if your device is mission critical. Now, just because it powers on doesn’t mean it will last – the battery might be near the end of its life but at least you have an idea. If you want to go the extra mile and have a multimeter, find out what the acceptable voltage range is for that type of battery and discard it when it nears the bottom.
5. Always keep spares – both in your house as well as your range bag. I can’t tell you how many shooting sessions were saved because I had a spare battery in my bag. On the flip side, I’ve had a few range sessions where the firearm had to go back in its case because an optic was dead.
Two days ago, while I am writing this post, I took my brother-in-law and nephew shooting the other day and the CR123A battery in my Vortex UH-1 holographic optic was dead. We were only able to shoot my 10mm Stribog because I had spare Surefire CR123A batteries in the Stribog’s carry case.
6. Buy quality batteries from a reputable seller. Did you know a lot of devices that use CR123A will not be covered if you use a no-name brand battery? Yeah – they had problems with cheap CR123As catching on fire and people wanting warranty coverage so the big device vendors expressly mention that cheap batteries will invalidate their warranties.
Also, not all batteries are created equal – some supposed alkaline or lithium batteries hold a fraction of a charge compared to name brands such as Duracell, Energizer, Panasonic and Surefire. Not to mention that cheap batteries may “pop” open and leak corrosive acids in your battery compartment. In short, don’t go cheap on the batteries for something you need to rely on.
7. Have a plan if the device stops working. This is critical – your red dot, laser or whatever stops working then what will you do? For example, practice shooting a pistol both with the device on and off. Do you have back up sights? Do you need to remove the optic to use the sights? What will you do?
Build For Reliability
Now, I need to expand a bit on that last one when it comes to optics. At this point in life, whenever possible, I want one of two things to be possible – my first choice is to co-witness the optic with the iron sights so even if the device stops working, I can immediately continue with the iron sights with no lost time.Â
You can co-witness a Vortex Crossfire red dot on a MP5K when you use a low profile B&T mount. It’s a pleasure to shoot and reliable. If the red dot should fail for any reason, I can just use the iron sights.
If that is not possible then I want the optic on a quick release mount that I can get off the weapon in a hurry. You’ll notice most of firearms have American Defense quick release mounts because they are quality and I can count on them. You can use whatever name brand you like but I would not recommend cheap no-name mounts because stuff bends, they don’t return to zero when remounted, etc.
On this one, an MKE rail was used. The rail allows you to use the sights but the optic will not co-witness with them. So, if I need to get the optic off in a hurry, it’s on a low-profile ADM quick release mount.
Practice For Resiliency
Resliency is the property of a material to bend and turn to its original shape. In your case, if an optic fails, how do you stay in the game?You can do all kinds of the stuff above and then life throws you a curve ball – what do you do?
Part of the answer is to mentally rehearse what you will do and then a very important point is to actually practice with the device turned off. How will you aim? How will your transition to a backup light or whatever? How do you get the optic out of the way in a hurry if necessary so you can use the backup sights that are blocked by the mount? It’s one thing to think about these things and another to do them. For example, the quick release levers for American Defense mounts have a small button that must be pressed for the levers to turn. You wouldn’t want to be fumbling around with them if you are in a rush – they move out of the way very easily with practice.
Rechargeable Batteries Introduce New Variables
“No more changing batteries” sounds great but there are still things you need to consider. If you have a device with a rechargeable battery, like a thermal or night vision optic, then remember three it takes time to charge them. To me, this is their biggest Achille’s heel – you can’t swap the batteries and go so plan accordingly. You need to also consider how long will it store a charge and how long will it run? Can you plug in a USB battery pack to extend the life or recharge it?
Even rechargeable batteries have a limited life – it may be three, five or seven years or they may tell you the number of times it can be charged and discharged but you need to have an idea.
Buying Batteries
Amazon is just about the cheapest place I have found to buy batteries. Look for name brands — I only recommend Duracell, Energizer, Panasonic and Surefire. There are dozens if not hundreds of brands out there and not all are good. Whether brand name or no-name, be sure to read reviews before you buy something from a seller other than Amazon directly:
Quick trivia for you – the “C” in CR means it is a lithium battery. The “R” means it is a round shape.
Summary
Electronics are everywhere these days and sometimes we don’t think twice about them. If you want to rely on your firearm and it has an electornic device on it, like a dot optic or light, always factor your devices’ batteries into your maintenance plans. That’s the first part and preventive maintenance certainly helps but you also need to plan and practice in advance if the optic or whatever device fails.Â
I hope this helps you out.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
A few weeks back I was trading emails with Brutus Manufacturing asking if my handguards could withstand 250 degrees for Cerakoting and I told him they would not begin to deflect (bend) until 263F so he went ahead and bought M72 handguard set.
I sent them a black handguard set and a few weeks later I got the first photo below in my email and it really intrigued me because guys have asked if I can replicate a bakelite look and the short answer is I can’t because of the materials I use. Seeing what they did genuinely surprised me.
I asked how they did the above because my handguard was plain black when I sent it to him. Turns out that one of their specialties is finishing various pieces such that they look like bakelite.
Here are two more pictures with the handguard on the M72B1:
Given the above , I offered to put more of his work up on my blog. I know what it feels like to have a small business and trying to get it off the ground.
Here is a gallery with more of his bakelite work
This is a tiled gallery meaning you can scroll down and click on a photo to see a bigger picture of it. From there you can navigate forward and backward through the images.
Contacting Brutus Mfg
I’m impressed by what they’ve done and if you want to learn more then reach out to them directly – I’m just hosting the photos so folks can see their work.
Brutus Mfg. doesn’t have a website yet so you reach out to them via email at br*********@gm***.com or on Instagram
I hope you found this post interesting.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
On September 20, 2020, we were driving up to visit my son and passed through Breckenridge, MI, when a cold war jet fighter on pedastals appeared on the left. It didn’t dawn on me until we went by it. We turned around and I got out and snapped some photos planning to write something later when I had time.
Well, three and a half years later, here’s the post. It’s funny how as you get older, time flies by. At any rate, I dug out the photos and decided to research the jet.
First off, it’s located at American Legion Post 295 in Breckenridge, MI. It’s on the North side of 46 between Spruce Street on the West and Wright Street on the East – the Jet is in front of the buildings and is hard to miss.
Next, the jet in question is a T-33A Shooting Star and the tail number is 51-4067. The “T” tells us this was a trainer version of the famous Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star – America’s first operational jet fighter.
A Bit of History
The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, developed during World War II, holds a significant place in aviation history as the United States’ first operational jet fighter. Designed by Lockheed’s Skunk Works team under the leadership of Clarence “Kelly” Johnson (who went on to lead the design teams for both the U2 and SR-71 – click here to read more about this amazing man), the P-80 was a groundbreaking aircraft that pushed the boundaries of speed and performance.
While not seeing combat in WWII, the Shooting Star proved its worth during the Korean War. It served in various roles, including fighter-bomber, interceptor, and reconnaissance aircraft. The P-80’s sleek design, powerful engine, and maneuverability made it a formidable adversary. However, it faced challenges against the Soviet MiG-15, which led to the development of the F-86 Sabre.
The P-80’s legacy extends beyond combat. The design served as the foundation for the T-33 Shooting Star, a widely used jet trainer that played a crucial role in preparing pilots for the jet age. The T-33, with its tandem seating and simplified controls, became a staple of air forces around the world, training countless pilots and contributing to the advancement of aviation technology.
The P-80 Shooting Star and its T-33 trainer variant stand as testament to American innovation and engineering prowess. They represent a pivotal moment in aviation history, marking the transition from propeller-driven aircraft to the jet age. While the P-80’s combat career was relatively short, its impact on aviation technology and pilot training was profound and enduring.
The Jet at Post 295
How exactly the jet arrived at Post 295, I don’t know. On one hand, it had seen its better days but on the other it is a clear monument to air power. I can’t help but wonder how many young people have looked at it and dreamed over the years.
Here are photos from that day:
We can see the Strategic Air Command (SAC) emblem near the top of the tail and it looks like someone spruced up the air inlet with a shark’s mouth. The elements are taking their toll on the plane. The machine gun openings have been filled in to the front – that is the slightly yellow area and darker patch just behind the nose.The two middle pylons attach where the landing fear were originally located. It looks like at least one bird realized it was a safe spot to build a nest.A view from another angle of the West side of the plane. The P-80 would have been armed with six .50 caliber machine guns plus a payload of 2,000 pounds of bombs or 8-10 rockets (I read different numbers and am not sure which is right). The ark just to the right of the nose on the lower section and the yellow patch above and behind it are where machine gun openings would have been. Looking at her straight on and slightly up. The jet is pointed South.One last photo.
Summary
If you are in the Breckenridge, MI, area and interested, drop by and see the Shooting Star. It’s an interesting piece of history.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
