Home Made Watch Parts Cleaning Machine

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This is my home made, self designed six stage cleaning system plus a clean jar with some absorbent paper in the bottom to blow dry the basket for 10 mins.

I could have used an inexpensive drill press holder instead of making the drill stand but they seem to be all on back order. I made the carousel from three layers of 3/8" particle board laminated together. I used some rubber shelf liner material in the bottom of the holes so the jars would grip. I bought an inexpensive 3/8" drill that reverses and I just spin the basket one way for about ten seconds and then reverse the agitation. I do a 2 min detergent wash in a warm water based degreaser (modern non toxic non flamable eco friendly that I've used to clean paint brushes) or non water based ZEP 505, a spin out and three stages of IPA rinse, a final spin out then under the blow dry for 10 mins.

This was my beta prototype but it works so well that I didn't bother to "pretty it up". I've serviced two dozen watches with it in the last two months and it has help me bring some DOA's back to life.

I don't spin train wheels for fear I could snap off pivots and I also clean the pallet fork and balance separately in something hexane based.