Ultrasonic cleaner.

[68vitesse]

Been trying to convince myself to buy an ultrasonic cleaner, either 6 or 10 Litre, any thoughts from those who have used them.

Looked at quite a few YouTube videos which would suggest the larger one, with putting item in sealed plastic bag or pot with the cleaning solution so as not to contaminate the tank.

Regards

Paul

[JohnD]

I have a very small one, it's for spectacles or dentures.   Used for those, or for small parts, and it is dramatically effective!   Dirt swirls out of the finest seam.    I just fill it with warm water with a dash of washing up detergent.

If you have followed Project Binky, they used a big one for internal engine parts and the gear box, and those came up sparkling, so the technology works.     It's the cost, and the low frequency of use that make me reluctant to buy a big one.

JOhn

 

[68vitesse]

2 hours ago, JohnD said:

It's the cost, and the low frequency of use that make me reluctant to buy a big one.

If I look at some tools I've bought, i.e Plasma cutter, I know what you mean.

Thanks for the reply.

Regards

Paul

 

[ahebron]

The frequency of use of a tool has absolutely nothing to do with the need to purchase it in the first place.
Personally I work on the theory if I need a tool once I will need it twice but at present I too have a plama cutter I have used once to cut out 6mm stainless steel spacers for the Vitesse body mounts.

It always looks easy on Youtube!

[Ian Foster]

I have a small USC which I have used to clean up carburetor parts and I have also lent it to friends for the same purpose.

With carb cleaning detergent, it does do a good job

I would think 6L would be OK for most jobs.

Ian

[Colin Lindsay]

2 hours ago, ahebron said:

The frequency of use of a tool has absolutely nothing to do with the need to purchase it in the first place.

I can list a Go-Pro camera, 8-track music recorder, sheet metal folder, air nibbler and probably many more plus a horrendously expensive music recording computer programme that I bought over the last few years, and have never used in anger. I just had to have them, the intention was there, but they never actually made it to the front line of usage yet... and it's amazing how quickly, after the 'must-have' purchase, that the realisation sets in... why?

[68vitesse]

57 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

that the realisation sets in... why?

High dopamine?.

I did buy a 10L ultrasonic cleaner, utube videos showed the use of zip lock bags and other containers with various solvents, including petrol, being used at same time.

Regards

Paul.

[Pete Lewis]

not got a ultrasonic  tank  ive always got by with a old bowl or oil can with the side opened out  5ltr tin of Jizer or Hyperclean  and a brush   well couple of years back a got a 

degreasing tank with pipe and pumped brush    its  useless even  with un diluted concentrated  cleaner that wont take the shine off a banana  so there it sits  completely  un loved 

so its brake cleaner or  chuck the solution away safely and get some Jizer   

reckon the clue is the supplied  stuff is all friendly and useless at its job 

 

anything  big can be a deterrent as stowage means getting out is a faf as its lack of use means its buried 

bit like the exercise bike you use to hang your shirts on syndrome 

Pete

 

 

[chrishawley]

I've got two ultrasonic cleaners and have used them regularly.

The expensive professional Elma one from Cousins UK is superb and makes light work of cleaning small and complicated parts (e.g carb bits, cast brackets, piston) but no great advantage where larger parts (e.g. a timing chain cover) are concerned because brush /thinners/detergent is just as easy.

Then I've got the little Micky Mouse USC - £30ish off interweb. Junk. Won't deal with anything serious. But an Elma machine would be £200 - £1000 at current prices.

And BTW; Ever using volatile/inflammable solvents in a USC is Extremely Dangerous.  A good USC will allow the tank to be heated to just short of 100C.  That's roughly the same as boiling petrol in the kitchen kettle under the belief that nothing could possibly go wrong.

 

 

[Colin Lindsay]

30 minutes ago, chrishawley said:

That's roughly the same as boiling petrol in the kitchen kettle under the belief that nothing could possibly go wrong.

It does make the coffee taste funny, tho.

[dougbgt6]

When I worked at British Airways we used ultrasonic baths to clean keyboard key tops. Check-in terminals were the worst, we used to call operatives chicken brains, happy days.

My daughter had a contract with the jewellers who sold her her engagement and wedding rings, once a year they cleaned them for her in an an ultrasonic, they came out sparkling. It occurs to me an ideal present for the lady wife this Christmas, if I had one.

Doug

[ahebron]

9 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

It does make the coffee taste funny, tho.

Coffee tastes funny anyway.

Cup of tea every time any reason.

[ahebron]

Used my Ultrasonic cleaner to clean a pair of Amal concentrics we are fitting to a car.
Already clean carbs came up cleaner still then I sprayed them with a spray of electrical cleaner and corrosion stopper spray as they started to corrode with white powder soon after removal. Cleaning fluid mix of simply green and water turned almost black.

[PeteH]

1 hour ago, ahebron said:

Amal concentrics

Blimey, that takes me back to my "motorcycle" days. Never known them used on Cars,? though I cannot see why not. Every day is a school day.

Pete

[Ian Smith]

Hello folks, a bit late to the party (as usual ).

 

For what it's worth, I've been looking on Youtube, about electrolytic cleaning. It looks really simple (like me)  and is relatively inexpensive. I'm not sure it's Ok for hi-spec electronic gadgetry, but for things like chassis parts, it might do the job. 

A colleague has a similar set-up for the steam loco he's restoring, and results are very good.  I just need a very long plastic  box to retain the fluid. 

Any prior knowledge by the collective is, as usual, gratefully received.

Cheers,

Ian. 

[Peter Truman]

On 06/11/2021 at 23:16, dougbgt6 said:

My daughter had a contract with the jewellers who sold her her engagement and wedding rings, once a year they cleaned them for her in an an ultrasonic, they came out sparkling. It occurs to me an ideal present for the lady wife this Christmas, if I had one.

Brought the wife one several years ago, her Jeweler warned her against overdoing the cleaning as  the U/S cleaner could weaken the claws that hold the expensive part (jewel/diamond) so it would be vunerable to falling out!! So now I have to pay the Jeweler every two years to inspect the collection and declare their SAFE! that present is like anything I buy the kids comes with a life time guarantee even consumables. 

I use it to clean my expanding watch strap amazing how much dirt us classic car owners accumulate when working and cleaning our cars!

[ed.h]

I use one as a cleaning step before electroplating.  I clean the parts well as i can with solvents and wire brushes or wheels then in the US tank it goes.  When I hit the switch, I immediately see plumes of crud come from recesses and crevices.

Ed

 

[PeteH]

This was Available recently in Aldi. No longer available online, but odd stores may still have them? OK for small parts?.

https://www.aldi.co.uk/white-ultrasonic-jewellery-cleaner/p/712990573305601

 

Pete

[ahebron]

My one is an ex dental one that I bought off a local online auction site.
It was made in the UK and when the transducers cracked I got in touch with the manufacturer but they never bothered replying.
I replaced the one disc transducer with a pair of cones and a new driver from Aliexpress.

It works fine and having  no timer means it can run for hours if needed.
Transducers will crack if the items being cleaned are put directly into the cleaner not in the supplied basket