What can I keep watch parts in while they're in the ultra sonic cleaner?

[GregG]

I use an ultrasonic cleaner as part of my cleaning routine.  I use the little mesh baskets to group together pieces in the same part of the watch.

I used to use the brass ultrasonic screw together baskets.

https://www.esslinger.com/brass-ultrasonic-cleaning-basket-with-stainless-steel-mesh-1-diameter/

However those have a lot of nooks and crannies that very small parts can get stuck into, and I've lost more than one piece inside the basket and they're nearly impossible to get out.

I switched to the stainless steel basket types

https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/indian-mini-baskets 

These work much better since it's impossible to lose parts in it.  However, extremely small parts such as springs and dial screws can migrate through the spacings the mesh.

I've resorted to putting parts inside a glass beaker, and then putting the breaker in the ultrasonic, but that reduces the efficiency of the cleaning.

This makes it easier to reclaim parts, as they will fall to the bottom of the breaker rather than the bottom of the ultrasonic, but I'd prefer if nothing fell out obviously.

The risk comes when i have to swap out cleaning fluid and run the risk of something that fell to the bottom of the breaker accidentally being flushed out with the used cleaning fluid.

How do you guys keep all your parts together when cleaning?

Thanks

 

 

 

 

[jdm]

6 hours ago, GregG said:

However, extremely small parts such as springs and dial screws can migrate through the spacings the mesh.

Actually very small parts tend to hide under the folds of the solid ringns on lid and thimble. As the mesh is still smaller that these parts.

Anyway I wonder if you have found an objective advange in U/S cleaning screws and anti-washer? I never did, I don't wash these parts exactly to not put them at risk, yet when I put them back these are both visually and functionally abolutely perfect.

[oldhippy]

Why not wash the tiny parts in Ronsonol lighter fluid. All you need is a small screw top jar. I always maintain all parts should be cleaned.  

[GregG]

1 hour ago, jdm said:

Actually very small parts tend to hide under the folds of the solid ring s on lid and thimble. As the mesh is still smaller that these parts.

Anyway I wonder if you have found an objective advange in U/S cleaning screws and anti-washer? I never did, I don't wash these parts exactly to not put them at risk, yet when I put them back these are both visually and functionally abolutely perfect.

I keep the parts on the baskey just for the purposes of remembering which screws go to which plates.  If the bigger pieces are in the thimble and the small screws are in there with it, may as well clean them.

11 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Why not wash the tiny parts in Ronsonol lighter fluid. All you need is a small screw top jar. I always maintain all parts should be cleaned.  

Unfortunately i don't have a permanent setup. If i had a bench to do my repairs, I'd probably do that. But every time i want to work on a watch, i have to pull out everything, and set it up.  And when I'm done, i have to pack everything up and put it away.

Edited May 23, 2021 by GregG

[oldhippy]

You can leave parts in that fluid for days and no harm will come to them, but you do need a small jar with screw lid as it evaporates very quickly  

[jdm]

1 hour ago, GregG said:

I keep the parts on the baskey just for the purposes of remembering which screws go to which plates.

For that I recommend the classical tray with dome cover. Recently I started using a smaller one which is stackable https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/compartment-boxes-with-divides-round

[mikepilk]

I have exactly the same problem, and was about to order some of the brass baskets from Cousins.

I use glass beakers, suspended above the floor of my (very small) ultrasonic (filled with warm water) - one for Elma cleaner, and one for isopropanol. I don't think you lose much energy through the glass - more through plastic. 

Like you, I clean groups of parts at once, but got fed up fishing all the bits out of the bottom of the beakers. So I bought some of the cheap stainless steel mini baskets to sit in the beakers. Problem is they're not well made and small components can get stuck around the edges.

I need better quality small stainless containers.

[SuspectDevice]

Have not had a problem with the Bergeon 4734 basket yet but they are expensive ($38.00)

[jdm]

Few postings have been moved to our proper topic, thank you for your understanding.

[oldhippy]

23 minutes ago, jdm said:

Few postings have been moved to our proper topic, thank you for your understanding.

Have you been house cleaning again. 

[rodabod]

One bit of advice regarding those mini baskets - if you are using ammoniated cleaning fluid then the brass baskets then these will be broken down slightly by the fluid which effectively contaminates the fluid. It’s not a massive problem, but it makes the process slightly less efficient as you will saturate your cleaning fluid more quickly. 

[Graziano]

These stainless steel baskets are great if you can get hold of them. Smaller grained mesh than bergeon screw baskets. All parts screws, cap jewels, some bridges will fit. Never had to search for parts stuck to mesh. Plates go straight into the jar along side these baskets. Just tip parts out when dried using hair-dryer. No lip or edges 

Edited May 24, 2021 by Graziano

[mikepilk]

4 hours ago, Graziano said:

These stainless steel baskets are great if you can get hold of them. Smaller grained mesh than bergeon screw baskets. All parts screws, cap jewels, some bridges will fit. Never had to search for parts stuck to mesh. Plates go straight into the jar along side these baskets. Just tip parts out when dried using hair-dryer. No lip or edges 

They look ideal. Any idea where to get them ?

[JohnR725]

8 hours ago, oldhippy said:

Have you been house cleaning again. 

On paper housecleaning looks nice puts things in separate categories but?

Problems with housekeeping are the emails with links to the discussion are broken so I was going to reply to something yesterday I can't because I have no idea where it is?

Then if you're in the middle of replying to something lot at times I don't instantaneously do these things it takes a while to make sure everything looks right that I haven't missed something and I thought I submitted the reply but later on I noticed it was missing? I think I was doing it in the middle of housekeeping. So housekeeping isn't always good.

 

[LittleWatchShop]

17 minutes ago, JohnR725 said:

On paper housecleaning looks nice

But it increases entropy somewhere else.

[JohnR725]

6 hours ago, rodabod said:

One bit of advice regarding those mini baskets - if you are using ammoniated cleaning fluid then the brass baskets then these will be broken down slightly by the fluid which effectively contaminates the fluid. It’s not a massive problem, but it makes the process slightly less efficient as you will saturate your cleaning fluid more quickly. 

The above quote is interesting and presents a interesting problem may not be quite the right word?

So technically the above statement is correct but how big of a problem is it really? I'm currently looking at the two small brass baskets I have been I'm seeing in zero signs of etching or pitying or even tarnishing pr frosting. As these are for home cleaning I was very conservative with my solution and. So the first gallon went bad before I finished using it. The second gallon I started on the so what is just say it's been through 1 gallon of cleaning fluid with zero problems?

But for anyone on the group every time of ammonia hated cleaners come up I'm the first to scream  use extreme caution. As an enthusiastic students at school the watchmaster cleaning machine had a timer of 10 minutes so obviously 10 minutes is a good amount of time. I only remember one example of this which is why I'm wondering how bad the problem really is. Not that you have to have more than one bad example. The solution turned a really pretty blue color and the shiny beautiful brass plates were frosted. I've also seen the same kind of frosting with the water-based L&R water-based clock solution properly diluted but it was probably hot at the time.

I'm guessing the real answer to this problem is ammonia works great makes things bright and shiny but limit your exposure.

6 hours ago, Graziano said:

These stainless steel baskets are great if you can get hold of them.

Looks like we went to the same basket store? Just now looking at mine looks like we have the exact same ones.

The baskets with the snap on lid go with the watchmaster cleaning machine. Baskets come in two sizes and unfortunately I usually astronomically expensive when you find them. Even look on eBay currently the large basket is either $45 for one or 85 from somebody else. Then the separate baskets usually go with the holder and they are almost $200. So it's a lot of times hard to find them separate but they're probably on eBay eventually they just tend to be pricey.

Then as nice as eBay is used To be a better place to buy stuff. Unfortunately the sellers have been enlightened by eBay prices. The national Association of watch and clock collectors has chapters scattered across the Planet. Then at least up until last year or so they used to have physical meetings where people buy and sell things. But the real gem was the regional meetings where many chapters came together hundreds of people hundreds of tables of stuff to buy and that's where like probably 95% of all my tools came from. But as I said the sellers have been enlightened by eBay the prices art is good anymore.

[Graziano]

5 hours ago, mikepilk said:

They look ideal. Any idea where to get them ?

Keep your eye on auction sites, they are hard to find but they come up for sale every now and then. I haven't seen any new ones from suppliers like the ones that I have, only the cheap ones which I don't like using for the same reasons as mentioned before.