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My opinion on automatic cleaning machines

jdm

By jdm
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jdm Distinguished Member

jdm

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I fail to understant what an auto machine does better than manual or U/S cleaning. All what it does is heating the fluid and doing a little of shaking, plus of course chaning jars for you, oh the solace.. No doubt looks impressive to show off.

 

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oldhippy Distinguished Member

oldhippy

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When I was, a watchmaker, I would clean many at once in an auto machine. Never need to watch and move the thing from one jar to another. It gave very good results. It left me time to get on with other things like cleaning the cases or fitting a new glass. Or if I felt like it a walk round town, come back in say 20 minutes and its waiting for you. After having an automatic, you will not want to go back to a manual one.

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clockboy Distinguished Member

clockboy

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Agree with oldhippy. I miss my L&R varimatic a lot, cleaning was an absolute breeze.  It is broken & I will have to fix it myself (when time).  I now use a Indian made cleaner (Janter Pearl)  which surprisingly gives great results. But it is manual and is just not solidly built. The cleaner oldhippy has found is a lovely machine but I have not got a limitless budget. 

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jdm Distinguished Member

jdm

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15 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

When I was, a watchmaker, I would clean many at once in an auto machine. Never need to watch and move the thing from one jar to another.

Now when you look at the audience of this forum 70% are hobbyists than never work on more than a watch at the time, and never rush things. For them, the money and space taken by an auto machine is better spent elsewhere. Add that these old device have an habit of breaking easily (as the many threads here demonstrate) and there is only one guy in the UK that will will wok repair them, and you have another potential headache saved.

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clockboy Distinguished Member

clockboy

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2 minutes ago, jdm said:

Now when you look at the audience of this forum 70% are hobbyists than never work on more than a watch at the time, and never rush things. For them, the money and space taken by an auto machine is better spent elsewhere. Add that these old device have an habit of breaking easily (as the many threads here demonstrate) and there is only one guy in the UK that will will wok repair them, and you have another potential headache saved.

I agree. However I do find the ultrasonic cleaning method time consuming and inefficient. The parts seem cleaner and are dry when the machine has finished when using a pro machine without any fuss. It is down to budget and space.

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jdm Distinguished Member

jdm

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3 hours ago, clockboy said:

The parts seem cleaner and are dry when the machine has finished when using a pro machine without any fuss.

Cleaner than from an ultrasonic machine having been just shaken a little? Sorry, that is hard to believe.

And since oldhippy likes to share Ebay links for these machines I have merged these threads to keep the discussion in a single place.

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jdm Distinguished Member

jdm

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5 minutes ago, clockboy said:

The L&R varimatic not only washes the parts it also ultrasonic cleans as well. The parts come out clean and sparkly with a breeze.

I have looked at the L&R website and looks like they have dropped the automatic jar changing and are producing only U/S machines. http://www.lrultrasonics.com/industries/jewelry/

Maybe the professionals have found having to change solutions manually is not that a big issue after all.

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clockboy Distinguished Member

clockboy

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I was told by the guy who re- furbed the L&R that the vintage machines Ultrsonically cleaned in all three jars but the new L&R’s only ultrasonic in the first jar. Changing the fluid was not an issue as it lasts for approx 30 watches.

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