Cleaning Fluids

[ricardopalamino]

9 hours ago, jdrichard said:

That is friggen nuts. I am always amazed at the ingenuity of humans. Electrical engineers needed to be involved somehow:)


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Bingo , you are correct ,...engineers were involved .  Simply speaking , [ so even I can understand it ] , like a magnet , electro magnet to be more precise , a current is induced to attract the balance with the coil to some magnets in the base plate , the circuit is interrupted , then the hairspring  causes the balance to return in the opposite direction , a current is induced to attract the balance in the other direction , once again the circuit is interrupted and the cycle starts over .

If I didn't explain the exact operation , I'm pretty darned close .

[Geo]

Good info on the electric watch, but the thread is drifting too far from the title.  It's far better to start a new thread with the correct title; it helps others when searching for specific information.

[jdrichard]

Bingo , you are correct ,...engineers were involved .  Simply speaking , [ so even I can understand it ] , like a magnet , electro magnet to be more precise , a current is induced to attract the balance with the coil to some magnets in the base plate , the circuit is interrupted , then the hairspring  causes the balance to return in the opposite direction , a current is induced to attract the balance in the other direction , once again the circuit is interrupted and the cycle starts over .

If I didn't explain the exact operation , I'm pretty darned close .

So I'm an electrical engineer and completely understand your explanation. The big question is how does one clean one of these babies and is any of the mechanical watch cleaning solution relevant

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[ricardopalamino]

14 hours ago, jdrichard said:

So I'm an electrical engineer and completely understand your explanation. The big question is how does one clean one of these babies and is any of the mechanical watch cleaning solution relevant

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Taking Geo's good advice , I have started a new thread....Cleaning an electric watch .

[jdrichard]

Taking Geo's good advice , I have started a new thread....Cleaning an electric watch .

Can't find it


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[ricardopalamino]

19 minutes ago, jdrichard said:

Can't find it


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Check now . You were too fast for me .....

[StuartBaker104]

I've always cleaned parts by hand, but now looking for specific experience of cleaning fluids, having just acquired an ultrasonic bath.  I don't get time to work on more than 1 watch a month at the most.  For hand cleaning I've been using renata essence, but since it's flammable and evaporates quickly I didn't  think putting a jar of it in an ultrasonic bath would be such a great idea... however, it appears that the bespoke ultrasonic fluids are also listed as flammable, but not quite so bad.

Cousins sells 4 main brands - Bergeon, Elma, Greiner and L&F.  I'm leaning towards the Elma WF Pro cleaner and Elma suprol rinse  which can be had in 2.5 l containers, are water free, ready to use but would appreciate opinions before I spend my money. I note that the cleaner contains ammonia so whilst it will brighten metals which tarnish, it is important to limit exposure.

Thanks

 

 

[rodabod]

I use the Greiner concentrate as it's nice to have it water-based. Works well. I bet the others work well too. 

[clockboy]

I found the Elma gave of fumes so if used you will need plenty of ventilation. 

[dman2112]

I use L&R ultra fine cleaning solution and watch rinse in my ultrasonic. I run 10 min on clean and 5 min on rinse


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[transporter]

How do you find the L&r ultra fine?does it bring the components out nice and shiney?

[dman2112]

I love it. Brings the shine back to everything. Very little smell even when heated. Only thing I don't put it in is old Seiko barrels and it trashes the solution. Those I clean my hand first and then put in the ultra


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[Tiktok]

If you are using a ultrasonic bath rather than a  multi jar cleaning machine could you not use water in the bath but then place your parts in a separate container with the chosen cleaning fluid in it and put the full thing in the bath, then you could use a simular container for a rinsing fluid and just transfer the parts.

Containers you put your fluids in could even have a lid on to keep the fumes under control. You can also only use a smaller amount of fluid, rather than filling the full ultrasonic with fluid.

Edited March 27, 2017 by Tiktok

[dman2112]

That's exactly what I do. My ultrasonic cleaning machine is large as I use it more for weapons cleaning. When I'm cleaning a watch, I fill two small Pyrex glass cups with solution. One rinse and one clean. I put the parts in Bergeon baskets and place them in the Pyrex. Works like a champ


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[dman2112]

Also the l&r solutions in the small sizes I use don't really have any fumes


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[transporter]

Thanks for the info, I too was mainly using the eccense of renata for hand cleaning and some off the shelf ultra sonic cleaning solution,  I was looking at the L&r stuff at cousins but was undecided at what one to get, ill use isopropyl alcohol as a rinse agent as it's basically the same as an expensive bottle of branded rinse agent.

Now ive got to stump up the £8.50 extra postage from cousins due to it being a hazardous material!!!!!

[StuartBaker104]

Thanks everyone. Summary of above sounds like any of the main brands would be fine and zero votes for delivery by post.

I think L&R probably gets it. I had collected some jam jars to put in the ultrasonic before it arrived, but will need some smaller ones.

[dman2112]

Thanks everyone. Summary of above sounds like any of the main brands would be fine and zero votes for delivery by post.
I think L&R probably gets it. I had collected some jam jars to put in the ultrasonic before it arrived, but will need some smaller ones.

Pyrex 100ml beaker. Amazon


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[Alastair]

I use these for small parts like Accutron index-wheels in the ultrasonic--

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2ml-test-tube-sample-vials-container-with-snap-cap-x-25-Freepost-/120916343579?hash=item1c272cfb1b:g:8VkAAOSwPe1Tz5aQ

The advantage is--being a sorta softish plastic, parts bouncing round due to the ultra dont get damaged as could be possible using a glass bottle/vial/beaker, being semi sealed you can use any cleaning fluid you like in them with just water in the ultrasonic tank keeping cleaner fluids costs down
--Yup. I'm a cheapskate!

Edited March 28, 2017 by Alastair

[StuartBaker104]

21 hours ago, Alastair said:

I use these for small parts like Accutron index-wheels in the ultrasonic

Very useful... I have one of those in my queue for this year. I know the plastic attenuates the ultrasonic waves, but I guess you have found they still clean like this. What cleaning fluid do you use?

 

On 28/03/2017 at 10:26 PM, dman2112 said:

Pyrex 100ml beaker. Amazon

Thanks for the good idea... but even better if they had lids like jam jars, which was part of my plan.

[Alastair]

Ive used a variety of fluids but currently index-wheels get 3 minutes each in naptha then isopropyl-alcohol. and dried off on pith with an air-bulb.

[mmitchelmoss]

Jut to piggy back off of this discussion, I am using an ultrasonic cleaner as described in the discussion above. I put soapy water in the machine. Into that I place mason jars that have my cleaning and rinsing solutions. I put my parts into those little parts baskets and place them in the mason jars. This seems to work well for the parts. 

Given that the mainspring is a larger and more unwieldy item, do you just stick it into the jar by itself, since it won't fit into the baskets? Is there a better way to clean it so that it doesn't get damaged?

[transporter]

Well I can now highly reccomend the L&R ultra fine cleaning solution, mine arrived today and I used it on an old waltham pocket watch movement. WOW, its the best cleaning solution ive used, every part nice and clean and also shiney, followed by two rinses and a low powered hair dryer .

I'm seriously impressed and will be looking forward to now saving time and getting great results in my next job on the bench.

[dadistic]

On 4/7/2017 at 4:17 PM, transporter said:

Well I can now highly reccomend the L&R ultra fine cleaning solution, mine arrived today and I used it on an old waltham pocket watch movement. WOW, its the best cleaning solution ive used, every part nice and clean and also shiney, followed by two rinses and a low powered hair dryer .

I'm seriously impressed and will be looking forward to now saving time and getting great results in my next job on the bench.

Are you using this with a mechanical or an ultrasonic cleaner? 

[transporter]

Ultra sonic, but I do like to hand clean aswell, now this is where you tell me I didn't read the small print and the ultra fine fluid cannot be used in an ultra sonic machine now isn't it.

must say I don't think it makes a difference as to how it's used, it does the job, I use it in a separate jar by itself in the ultra sonic machine.

Edited April 10, 2017 by transporter