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Elma Watch Cleaning Machine


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If you can find a supplier the "Pearl"  sometimes named "Janta" which are copies of the Elma. I have been using the "Janta" for over a year now and can not fault it. It is manual in all respects including for the very basic model which I use which has no timer so I use a kitchen timer. Mine was supplied with 4 jars (1 spare) + a basket. See pic which is the exact model I have. PS I paid under £500 including delivery.

 

216436415_ScreenShot2020-08-13at09_24_02.png.f8dff8c06c6ef441ecd9186b7af8d2a0.png

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  • 1 month later...

Hi,

 

Please excuse but I am new to the site and have acquired an Elma Super Automat, the same as the one in this post. Member Rafal mentions he has a manual in German. Could someone please tell me how to get a copy as the link is dead?

 

I have the same problems he had and am keen to get started on cleaning some watches to repair.

 

My name is Tom and I live in Scotland and, as I say, new to this, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Tom

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Thanks Rafal.

 

I have just found your reply. It seem there are lots of others as well. What a friendly bunch.

 

Good to meet you and I got the link this time, great. I messed up with the basket motor. As it had a 240Volt cable going into it, I tried it on the mains supply out of the machine only to get a loud bang. It's a 12vdc  motor under the cover on mine! I contacted Elma and they said it shouldn't have been but it looks original. They couldn't supply any paperwork. Do you have a wiring diagram for it at all?

 

It used to turn the basket OK and went up and down and round and round but is out of synch.

 

I will need to get the armature re-wound I think. 

 

I liked your pictures on the site but mine has slight differences. I have three discs where the small motor is. I now have no supply to the basket motor so plan to strip it down and see where that should come form. I think it's from the Siemens bridge rectifier at the back. The spring in the clock is bust as well so I need to work on that as well.

 

I will let you know how I got on.

 

is yours still working well and what kind of watches are you interested in?

 

Regards,

 

Tom

 

 

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Hi Tom,

 

Mine machine is working fine but slightly out of sync (I still didnt figured out why as in the biggining it was completly fine, no issues), so I use manual overide button to move between cycles, its abit tricky as I have to watch metal disks which turns things on/off if not it will jump to another cycle (it cause a bit of an issue as it wont spin long enough to remove fluid between jars).

 

Regarding documentation - one Ive scanned for you was received from Elma after I contacted them, they told me that they dont have any shcemtics for this machines, I only got electronic schema for RM-90 if I recall correctly which is much more advanced and newer. Because machine is not working as I would like it, Im thinking to create a new electronic system for it based on arduino or something like that, Im not a programmer so it might be too diffcoult for me. If mainboard replacement for RM-90 would be cheaper I could use that for my machine - just got that idea  right now :). Still some parts are the same between those two machines - jars, possibly motors, heating plate etc.

 

Im mostly interested in American pocket watches, actually South Bend only :).

 

Regards, 

 

Rafal

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My thanks to Rafal for the copy of the manual, which I am in the middle of translating using Google Translate. It should do complete pdf's but mine doesn't for some reason so I am doing it line by line.

If you read this Rafal, could you please tell me, if possible, the wiring positions of the three red wires on the back of the timer? When I took it off, it had two wires on one position and one on one of the others. The spring in mine was broken so I repaired that and, using an Ohmmeter, find it connects a+b when off and a+c when on. I took a picture on remove, but it got deleted in error so I am now not sure where the three red wires belong.

 

I also connected a 240V supply to the basket motor and fried it as it is a 12Volt motor but had a 240V wire going into the casing. Turns out there is a Siemens bridge rectifier in front of the clock timer.  Stupid of me not to check first so now need an armature rewind.

 

I am slowly getting the hang of finding my way round the site but I think I may have posted my messages in the wrong place.

 

Thanks,

 

Tom

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hi  Tom,

 

Im not sure if you can make use of this picture as from my experience those machines had different setups ?

It seems that this timer is not really seting time for spinning but opens circut to stop synchro motor from progressing program which is set with those bronze wheels when end switches opens and close on tooths. At least in mine. Only 2 screws have wires connected to them as far I can tell.

 

Rafal

 

IMG_20201010_174738.jpg

Edited by Rafal
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  • jdm changed the title to Watch Cleaning Machine
  • jdm pinned this topic

Thanks for that Rafal.

 

This is how I have connected mine as well. The sheet you sent me , when translated, says to set the timer to one minute and it will raise the basket motor to the start position the when you press the start button, it will start the machine on its cycle. I can't get mine to do that though. Are you able to see where each of the red wires terminate?

 

I seem to have lost the feed to the basket motor, which did work, and I suspect it is soemthing to do with these red wires. I know one is the main supply from the connector block as the mains wire enters the machine but the other two, I can't see so I may have to completely strip it down. If I do, I will try and make a wiring diagram and send you a copy but, as you say, they are all slightly different. Mine has three wheels driven by the servo motor and only one at the other side, with the four segments, which I assume is for the four stages. I can drive it by lifting the contact on that wheel.

 

Thanks for the quick response to my question. Do you have any other literature on them? I am  keen to try it out.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Tom

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Ok, I'm at that point where I'm thinking of splashing out on an Elma Solvex SE.  I've tried for months now to win an auction for a several beat up 1950s machines and my wife can't stand it anymore and offered to buy me a new one!  Am I crazy?  It's a lot of money for just a hobby.  I don't want to be that "All the gear, no idea" guy.  Talk me into it or talk me out of it.  I'm fed up with hand cleaning parts.  Help.

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2 hours ago, AshF said:

Ok, I'm at that point where I'm thinking of splashing out on an Elma Solvex SE.  I've tried for months now to win an auction for a several beat up 1950s machines and my wife can't stand it anymore and offered to buy me a new one!  Am I crazy?  It's a lot of money for just a hobby.  I don't want to be that "All the gear, no idea" guy.  Talk me into it or talk me out of it.  I'm fed up with hand cleaning parts.  Help.

Hi,

Do you repair 52 watches per year? Even if you do, it means 1 watch per week or 1-3 hours per week spent on cleaning. Not a lot, right? Think of cleaning the parts as Strip and Survey - study your watch, check under microscope every component. If you ask me, I do not need "washer and drier", as everything can be easily cleaned with peg-wood sticks, Lighter Fuel or / and ZENITH FORMULA 67 WATERLESS CLEANING SOLUTION NON- AMMONIATED either manually using various brushes, or in UT bath 3-5 minutes at 35-40C.

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Hi un less you have the through put to justify the cost and are able to get a return on your investment  I guess the answer is no  I myself use a small jewelry cleaner(ultrasonic) and mini jars, (single portion jam) as used in hotels.  The jars contain the cleaning fluid of your choice and are placed in the U/s which contains warm water up to the level of the cleaning fluid and then started for several mins,  a cost effective way of cleaning and it works whether you use IPA or Ronsonol, Naptha or whaterver. I reckon the cost was  £19 for the cleaner  £10 for the IPA/ ronsonol.   Si for me save your bucks for somthing you really need and can justify.  And take the wife out for a drink.

,   

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And don't forget that setting up your Watch Cleaning Machine ? requires some permanent space, accessories, and it takes time to prepare it, then clean it after cleaning watch parts, etc. Not sure if you are actually saving time. 

And also, what i do not like about WCMs & UT bath is that in some cases this way of cleaning removes a bit more than you would like to be removed... Like this black "ink" will be all gone.

WCM - Copy.PNG

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I get that hand cleaning in going to be better for the movement and I give you time to inspect each part.  But this is a hobby for me, and as such it needs to remain fun.  I do not find manually cleaning parts fun.  Maybe I've just not got my cleaning system correct yet.  I tend to have to rodico the dirt off each part after cleaning which can take me upwards of 3 hours for even a basic movement.  I have an ultrasonic cleaner but it just doesn't seem to make any difference.  Maybe I should spend some time (and money) trying different things.  I've read (extensively) what everyone else does and know that what's right for one person isn't right for another.  Yet when I watch videos of professionals, they always use a nice watch cleaning machine...

I'm not an impatient man, more efficient.  I'm also not looking for a quick fix or a solution, just a better way of working.

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1 hour ago, AshF said:

I get that hand cleaning in going to be better for the movement and I give you time to inspect each part.  But this is a hobby for me, and as such it needs to remain fun.  I do not find manually cleaning parts fun.  Maybe I've just not got my cleaning system correct yet.  I tend to have to rodico the dirt off each part after cleaning which can take me upwards of 3 hours for even a basic movement.  I have an ultrasonic cleaner but it just doesn't seem to make any difference.  Maybe I should spend some time (and money) trying different things.  I've read (extensively) what everyone else does and know that what's right for one person isn't right for another.  Yet when I watch videos of professionals, they always use a nice watch cleaning machine...

I'm not an impatient man, more efficient.  I'm also not looking for a quick fix or a solution, just a better way of working.

It is important to read, learn, listen to what others recommend, but the final decision is yours, right? If it makes you happy - go for it.

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  • jdm changed the title to Elma Watch Cleaning Machine
  • 3 weeks later...
On 5/4/2017 at 2:52 AM, maclerche said:

Are there any of you who use a Elma Junior cleaning machine?

I need some technical information and possibly. pictures or video of a working machine!

 

I have the same one. Motor and driving mechnism is working. But connection from motor pulley to cleaning head is missing. That could help me if you can open the arm cover and inside pulley connection. 

ElmaJunior9.jpg

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello

Recently I bought a knock off, old style Elma watch cleaning machine. Love it. The spring that controls the motor going up and down the support shaft is quite firm and the tension knob can be a killer on the hands. So I found a scrap piece of wooden corner trim and cut it down to 16 cm to make a brace or stop. Works great! 

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Wooden Brace.jpg

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Ok, so, to start off... I am well out of my element here.. I'm more of a blacksmith than a watch and watch repair guy... That being said, I happen to come into ownership of an Elma watch parts cleaner after helping a friend clear out his great aunt's property after the estate sell. I have had one hell of a time trying to find out what exactly it is, much less any information on it. And what I have found has been minimal to say the least. I've seen several Super Elites sold on eBay, yet I have not seen one exactly like mine. I'm fishing for a some sort of insight as to what I have, and what I should do with it. I am not much of a forum kind of guy, and I am definitely not tech savvy, so I apologize for my unpreparedness with this. 

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