Cleaning using compressed air in cans

[Old-Duckman]

they work great but are rather expensive. Has anyone used one of the electric "canned air" blowers for cleaning? If so, is it any good.

Various reviews on Amazon of many of them, some good some bad. I am wondering if they move enough air to blow solvent and excess lubricant from the innards of a handgun.

Before anyone suggests it, yes I do have a compressor but it is in the garage and I do my gun cleaning in the basement, I have used it when blowing the water out of an unmentionable after shooting surplus corrosive primed ammo...I do not want to do so as general cleaning practice.

Here is a link to one on Amazon that looks promising: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B77L5HN...aWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl&th=1

 

[hawkeye2]

It sounds like a better idea than the cans of air and would be cheaper but I would want to have one in hand before I passed judgment. Harbor Freight has a 3 gallon pancake air compressor for $70 and I would probably go with that as being more versatile. It also has a built in pressure regulator.

https://www.harborfreight.com/air-t...si-oil-free-pancake-air-compressor-57567.html

 

[DCAN]

Looks like a cool toy. I would need to find it somewhere other than Amazon. I try not to do business with them.

 

[M. De Land]

they work great but are rather expensive. Has anyone used one of the electric "canned air" blowers for cleaning? If so, is it any good.

Various reviews on Amazon of many of them, some good some bad. I am wondering if they move enough air to blow solvent and excess lubricant from the innards of a handgun.

Before anyone suggests it, yes I do have a compressor but it is in the garage and I do my gun cleaning in the basement, I have used it when blowing the water out of an unmentionable after shooting surplus corrosive primed ammo...I do not want to do so as general cleaning practice.

Here is a link to one on Amazon that looks promising: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B77L5HN...aWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl&th=1

Yes, I've been taking my wife's compressed air cans for blowing chips when milling steel and for blowing out guns when cleaning. I have a good compressor but it takes time for it to fill the large tank then dry it out after words. One does not want to leave a compressor on all the time as the water in the tank bottom will eventually corrode the tank to failure.

 

[ZUG]

Since you already have an air compressor why don't you go to Harbor Freight and buy a portable air tank then you could just fill up the portable air tank with your air compressor and take it inside when you are doing your gun cleaning.

 

[Old-Duckman]

Since you already have an air compressor why don't you go to Harbor Freight and buy a portable air tank then you could just fill up the portable air tank with your air compressor and take it inside when you are doing your gun cleaning.

Well I have a portable air tank too but mine has a hose that is permanently attached and it has a fitting that goes on a tire valve. Does the harbor freight allow attachment of other air fittings?

 

[hawkeye2]

Fittings can be changed easily though you might have to cut the existing one off and put on a quick connect. Lowes or Ace have everything you need and it isn't too costly plus you gain a lot of versatility.

 

[Old-Duckman]

Fittings can be changed easily though you might have to cut the existing one off and put on a quick connect. Lowes or Ace have everything you need and it isn't too costly plus you gain a lot of versatility.

Probably not a bad idea. I might do that but I wonder just how much use I would get out of it when using a typical air nozzle attachment. Using a typical attachment I don’t think you would get much time from a full tank (I think mine is a 5 gallon). Not sure that I want to go cutting the air hose on my tank. But thanks for the ideas.

I do have a small air compressor that I use for an airbrush. Maybe I could use that…I never gave that a thought.

 

[Crow Choker]

Interesting tool. I've used an air compressor for years for gun cleaning. Keep any water that may accumulate in the tank blown out, sometimes turn down the dial that controls the force of the air coming out of the nozzle. Fast removal of solvent socked debris hiding in crevices and hard to get areas. Ya need to make sure ya have a firm grip on parts so they don't fly off and/or get damaged. Have a long enough hose that I can take out of my shop door if needed. Also keep a can of pressurized 'canned air' handy for real delicate blowing.

Probably ten years ago or so I started using the air tank to blow out any oil that may be present for corrosion purposes in the cylinders of my stable of percussion revolvers. A quick shot into each nipple cleans out any oil that I used after cleaning the revolvers from any previous shooting. Always follow it up with a quick go around with a large size Q-tip to remove any preservative oil/fluid that may be on the cylinder walls. Many times I'll dip the Q-tip in some denatured alcohol. A quick look from the front of each cylinder while holding the nipple end to light while turning the cylinder to see if cleared finishes the process. Saves firing six percussion caps like used to be done when caps were cheap and readily available. Ah those days of $2-3 per hundred of #10's. I've "never" had a plugged nipple or a cylinder fail to fire using this method.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I have a small Harbor Freight compressor and I hate it. It works but it's terribly loud and takes forever to build pressure. I use it so seldom I will probably just put up with it.