Seeking Ultrasonic Cleaner Advice

[PhilMilazzo]

I'm ready to dip into purchasing an ultrasonic cleaner. Being a babe in the woods on these things except for the physics involved, I solicit the advice and experience of those who have gone before me. I need something small-scale to clean a few nibs at a time at the very most, he said. I guess I want someting AC-powered. What other features will help me along? A timer maybe? Do I use plain water? The usual ammonia/Dawn/water mix?

 

The units seem to be available at low cost, but the fewer mistakes I make in trying to find the "right" one, the more I'll have for pens, which is of course the whole idea. Thanks everyone and excuse me if this topic has already been covered.

[framebaer]

The best one that I know several repair folks including Richard Binder and myself use is

 

http://www.micromark.com/ultrasonic-cleaner,8024.html

 

It is a rugged model that takes lots of abuse in the shop!

 

 

Edited March 4, 2012 by framebaer

[OcalaFlGuy]

This is what you need right here. Yes, I've had the same one over 3 years now.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MVVZ8I/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details

 

It's the perfect match between small and portable and big enough to do the job.

 

Works good. Last long time. Inexpensive.

 

For cleaning solution I usually bump the plain Ammonia up to about 20% in water. Be sure and run a clear water rinse cycle afterwards.

 

And here, tossed in for freebies is your Ace #1 sonicator tip curtsy of Ron Zorn. Get yourself a thin plastic fast food type cup, NOT styrofoam. I use about the bottom 1/3 of a Wendy's Large frosty cup. If you are using a cleaning solution, fill the cup with that and put your parts in it and float the cup inside the cleaner full of water. You'll drastically reduce the amount of cleaner you use and the sound waves will pass right through the thin plastic and still clean the parts inside.

 

You might also go ahead and spring for a bottle of Koohinor Rapido-Ez technical pen cleaner. You won't need to use it very often but for India ink or some badly ink stained parts it's the only thing that may work.

 

Careful with what you sonicate, if in doubt, ask in the repair area before you do. The micro movements inside the cleaner against the plastic tray may take off thin plating, or some internal friction fit parts may unfit. Some pen materials shouldn't be soaked.

 

Tell your SO you're getting it to clean their jewelry with. Then reappropriate the cleaner money to other pen needs.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[OcalaFlGuy]

The best one that I know several repair folks including Richard Binder and myself use is

 

http://www.micromark.com/ultrasonic-cleaner,8024.html

 

It is a rugged model that takes lots of abuse in the shop!

 

Jim, your link is Tango Uniform.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[framebaer]

Thanks Bruce.

[Sparafucile]

I've had a L&R Quantrex for over 20 years [Google it], and it still runs like a Swiss watch! It's much more "industrial" than the others suggested in this thread, and it's expensive. But it REALLY cleans precision parts thoroughly!

[Joe in Seattle]

I've had a Branson 200 for several years. Going strong

[PhilMilazzo]

Thanks everyone for the advice and thanks Admins for moving my request to the right forum.

[willard]

Sorry if this OT for an FP forum, but as I just made the research I might as well report it. The Haier Ultrasonic promotes something that may be taken with a grain of salt:

 

> Cleans most fine Jewelery, Eyewear, DVD's, CD's, Video Games and More.

 

Perhaps it's good for jewelery and eyewear, but I have my doubts about DVD's, CD's, and the like. These doubts are being confirmed somewhere on the Internet:

 

An ultrasonic cleaner is a complete waste of time for an object that is as flat and smooth as a DVD.

In my real life, I'm a chemist and spend a lot of time using ultrasonic baths for a multitude of reasons. With a DVD, I would be concerned about any invisible flaws that will be subjected to the very intense, localized energy from the ultrasonics. i.e., you could create more problems than you are trying to solve....

 

http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/270553-Cleaning-DVDs-With-Ultrasonic-Cleaner?s=64ae32db0a00be0d49375f2caecc3d08&p=1641186&viewfull=1#post1641186

 

I hope this will help someone who wished to increase the WAF of such tool by making the kids happier with their DVDs.

Edited February 14, 2014 by willard

[Hooker56]

Willard-

 

Thanks for the DVD info. I have had one for about 1 1/2 years for pens. I think it is 1/2 liter size +/-. It definitely cleans the heck out of jewelry, eye glasses, watchbands, etc.

 

@Bruce- Thanks for sharing the cup trick. I've thrown alot of inky ammonia down the drain when cleaning just one or two nibs. It seems to work best when filled to 'FILL' line...never thought about using less cleaning media in a cup

[ac12]

@Phil

You have to be careful what you put into an ultrasonic cleaner (USC).

Not all parts can be cleaned in a USC.

• Some parts will absorb ink and turn the color of the ink.
• Some plated parts/nibs will deplate (I have a few nibs that were deplated, so I know this for a fact).
• You also do not want to drive water into someplace that you cannot dry, especially if there is metal (that could rust) or paper (that could disolve) in there.
• In Other Words...if in doubt, don't use it. Once destroyed/damaged you can't go backwards.

An USC is also not a cure-all. When I clean nib assemblies (section+feed+nib), even after I run it thru the USC till no more ink comes out, after an overnight soak (nib end down) I get a cloud of ink that came out of the feed.

 

Also a USC heats up the water/cleaning solution. Some pens parts do not like heat. If the water/cleaning solution feels more than warm to my finger, I change it out for cool water.

 

Enjoy the toy.

I always get a kick out of seeing the cloud of ink come boiling out of the feed.

[ian1964]

Really helpful, thanks

[ac12]

I was cleaning a pen today and ran into a situation I had not had before.

The nib seemed clean for about 2 minutes, nothing coming out.

Then after 2 minutes I saw a wisp of ink...OK keep running the USC. And gradually, more and more ink started to come boiling out of the nib.

I guess that top layer of dry ink was pretty hard.

 

It also takes a bit longer to clean into some of the small deep places like between the nib assembly collar and the section.

 

I usually clean with plain water, easiest and cheapest. This works fine 95% of the time.

If I run into a stubborn pen, I will switch to 10% ammonia solution.

On a real stubborn item (an ink well with unknown ink), I went up to 50% ammonia solution.

After that I would go to a commercial technical pen cleaner.

[OcalaFlGuy]

 

@Bruce- Thanks for sharing the cup trick. I've thrown alot of inky ammonia down the drain when cleaning just one or two nibs. It seems to work best when filled to 'FILL' line...never thought about using less cleaning media in a cup

 

I can't take credit for that. It's an El Zornoism.

 

Heck of a tip though, Especially when you're using it with the somewhat pricey Rapido-Eze pen cleaner.

 

It would also allow someone without a USC to perhaps take their plastic smaller container with their solution to a local

jewelry store and use their cleaner.

 

My favorite inner container is the clear plastic Wendy's frosty cups they no longer use.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[JotterAddict62]

Cleaning the pens in the ultrasonic cleaner is great, but do you clean out the

ultrasonic cleaner itself ?

[OcalaFlGuy]

The inside is usually a seamless stainless steel tank.

 

Wipes out with a paper towel easy peasy.

 

(Mine gets emptied out and wiped after every use.)

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[JotterAddict62]

The inside is usually a seamless stainless steel tank.

 

Wipes out with a paper towel easy peasy.

 

(Mine gets emptied out and wiped after every use.)

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

That is what I should do but don't.

[Icywolfe]

 

Cleaning the pens in the ultrasonic cleaner is great, but do you clean out the

ultrasonic cleaner itself ?

 

If there is any junk stuck. Just refll the tub with water and run the USC for a few spins. The Junk is in the water.

[StrawberryJam]

Not all parts can be cleaned in a USC.

• Some parts will absorb ink and turn the color of the ink.
• Some plated parts/nibs will deplate (I have a few nibs that were deplated, so I know this for a fact).
• You also do not want to drive water into someplace that you cannot dry, especially if there is metal (that could rust) or paper (that could disolve) in there.
• In Other Words...if in doubt, don't use it. Once destroyed/damaged you can't go backwards.

 

So heeding to this advice/caution, is there a list somewhere of what should not go into an ultrasonic cleaner? It sounds like gold-plated nibs might be at risk? What about rhodium-plated? I assume 14k/18k gold nibs are ok though?

 

Are there particular types of resins/celluloids that should not be exposed to USCs? Any other materials that are particularly sensitive?

[ac12]

@SJ

I would be wary of ANY plated nib. The problem is the strength of the bonding of the plating. Solid gold or stainless steel not a problem, as there is nothing to flake off. Similarly the black nibs would be another one to be careful of, depending on how the black finish is done (plated, painted or chemically treated).

 

One thing is to watch the color of the water/cleaning solution. I would change the solution when it starts to get dark. Leaving non-metal items in a dark fluid might drive the dark fluid into the pores of the material. In fact for light color pens, I would change the solution out more often, way before it got dark. So you would have to visually monitor the cleaning solution as you are cleaning the pen. I have had the solution in my SS cup that I put into my USC turn BLACK after less than a minute of cleaning a clogged nib.