Jump to content

Ultrasonic cleaner


Willow

Recommended Posts

Most clock cleaning fluids are ammonia based, they can be used with or without a ultrasonic tank, I use a 10 litre plastic storage box to soak parts when cleaning, how long I leave them soaking depends on how dirty and tarnished they are but it's also important not to leave them too long as they will become pickled or dulled looking. Horolene is very good but expensive, Priory polishes make a brass cleaner which is the same formula as Horolene ( comparing safety data sheets)but about half the price it is used diluted 1 part cleaner to 7 parts water.

Obviously being ammonia based they are quite smelly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ultrasonics are a bit of a no-no for earlier work, especially where brass has been work-hardened as it creates microscopic fractures which deteriorate when treated to ultrasonics. By “early”, I’m taking Victorian and earlier, and mainly plates. 

However, they are still very useful for some parts - I used an Elma ultrasonic for cleaning some fusee cones and steel chains earlier. I used Horolene which is very powerful for the brass cones, and L&R watch cleaner for the chains as it is oil-based an so would not subject them to water where possible. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, rodabod said:

For light duty, the Chinese made stainless steel models are ok. But they do not last for ever. Make sure you use a basket which suspends the mass from the base as this interferes with how the bath resonates. 

I re-used a soup plastic container - after eating the soup :)- to hold my cleaning liquid and the parts I wanted to clean and I placed it in the middle of the tank surrounded by water, it was not suspended at all, but standing flat on the bottom of the tank. Would it be the reason why my cheap Chinese ultrasonic cleaner gave up so early and died? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, luiazazrambo said:

I re-used a soup plastic container - after eating the soup :)- to hold my cleaning liquid and the parts I wanted to clean and I placed it in the middle of the tank surrounded by water, it was not suspended at all, but standing flat on the bottom of the tank. Would it be the reason why my cheap Chinese ultrasonic cleaner gave up so early and died? 

Well, I have destroyed around four of them so far. I was told by a friend who uses them for automotive work that you must use a basket to preserve the machine, so I reckon this probably shortens the life of them if you don’t use one. 
 

The only time I won’t use a basket is when my inner container of soap and parts floats inside the main bath of water. This stops the pressure of your container from interfering with the case resonating. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did notice some small deposits of brass at the bottom of my horosolv tank recently which did make me wonder where it was coming from. I think it’s probably best not to leave it too long if you do you use it, and especially on the plates. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have recently ruined the coating of the plates of my PUW60 movement which is not that old that mentioned above.

PUW60

Unfortunately I don't have pictures about the plates themselves, but you can see that yellow section under the balance wheel where the coating ended up at the bottom of my cleaning container, i did not understand first what are those shiny bits.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • that band is old as stated, there is a kit that pops up from time to time on selling sites for the repair of these type bands, some of this type are adjustable on a few links, one adjustable type allows you to align the round opening in the expansion slit [like yours] with the rivet to separate, but if yours won't come out then the rivet head is too big and will have to be done with some rivet removal and replacement, I suppose if you could make/optain the correct rivets that one could alter the said band, the tops/caps do lift off after raising the tabs....  
    • This is a watch from a friend who sent it to a neighborhood watchmaker for a battery change. It came back with the watch stem in a ziplock bag and the dial skewed 20°. The watchmaker told him that the stem was faulty and the watch cannot be repaired. I opened up the watch and found that one dial foot was broken off and still stuck in the movement, while the other was bent until it was flat against the dial. The stem could be inserted but it couldn't be pulled out to quickset and time adjusting positions. I did a full disassemble, cleaned and oiled the movement. But when it put in the battery, the second hand runs super fast. Like it gains 30 mins every hour. Any advice on fixing this problem? TIA.
    • I determined that the balance staff is rotating, not the roller table, so my second attempt at riveting was unsuccessful. I have ordered a new balance staff and will take measurements when it arrives. The balance staff i originally ordered (and now reordered) was specified as: Replacement balance staff: (A. Schild Caliber 984 1002 1021 1124 Original Balance Staff Part 723) so it should be correct. Measurements: (see pic below for terminology) xxxyy is a place holder until the new balance staff arrives. Lower pivot: Old - .08 mm New - xxxyy Lower pivot to balance seat: Old - 1.53 mm New - xxxyy Roller shoulder: Old - .42 mm New - xxxyy Hub: Old - xxxyy New - xxxyy Balance shoulder: Old - .86 mm New - xxxyy Collet shoulder: Old - .56 mm New - xxxyy Upper pivot: Old - broken New - xxxyy
    • Hello and welcome from Leeds.  We're here to help. 
    • I was just about to adk that, probably they have unnecessary waiting lists to make their watches appear more exclusive than they actually are.
×
×
  • Create New...