Ultrasonic cleaner

[weldingnovice]

Got in from work today and:

arrived a lot quicker than expected

 

[Neilj]

Nice spelling on the label, do you think they meant trade not tarde?

 

[weldingnovice]

As is the norm binned the instructions and set about cleaning something.

Started filling it with hot water from the tap which showed up on the thermometer as about 60Deg. It has turned up before my cleaning solution, so raided OH cleaning cupboard and gave it a few lines of bicarbonate soda and a slug of fairy

Due to my impatience, and realising that yo heat 30L water would take an age used a 2.5l jug filled from the utility room sink instead of the cold tap in the garage was a bit of a mess on going back and forth may have to tee off hot supply and pipe up next to cold tap.

Didn't bother stripping the carb just pulled the power jet solenoid before dumping in the cleaner. Fitted in ok with room to spare

As I was topping up the water noticed temperature dropped without lid on and cooling affect of dumping cold alloy in there.

Was surprised at how noisy it was, but then thinking about it don't really know what I was expecting. Could see the cavitation originating from locations where the gubbins are spot welded to underside of tank.

Filled it to just above the handles don't know volume I as had lost count of tubs added and spilt the odd drop. Put the lid on turned temp up to 70Deg (for no scientific reason) and left it haven't had chance to look at result yet but not expecting too much as expect it needs some solvent in there to shift lacquer type gunge.

Full throttle is 80Deg BTW

 

[weldingnovice]

Going by speed of delivery going for trade not tardy

 

[weldingnovice]

Ok carb had 30mins in the cleaner with what was basically waterand this is how it came out:

Must say was a bit mmmm
Chucked a cylinder head in for good measure, and gave it another 30mins:

There was definitely an improvement, but still some muck as can be seen by the float chamber vents. Now I wasn't expecting a polished carb but it wasn't too bad to start with.

Think it has more to do with lack of cleaning solution than ropy piece of kit. Water is dirty so am going to change and have a better look at cavitation patterns to see if all gubbins working as should.

 

[Shox Dr]

I’ve had one for 25yrs. I mainly use limonene. Cleans whey past anything else I’ve tried, barring volatiles.
Tank holds about 20ltr but once you get the basket in its a lot smaller. Certainly not big enough for most carbs to be completely submerged. The taller tanks are better for some items.
I fill with boiling water, setting to max temp 69*. Usually the parts are clean before it holds that temp.

Placing the items in a bag and suspending in tap water, you save on chemicals and can have multiple items in different solutions in the same bath, and you dont have to clean the bathout

 

[awemawson]

Tell me more about your d’limonene. Do you have a link? Google is showing it as a food additive. Do you use it neat or diluted?

 

[Maker]

Think it has more to do with lack of cleaning solution than ropy piece of kit.

A piece of aluminium foil will show you its ultrasounding properly, drop a little bit in the tank and it'll poke tiny holes all over it.

 

[Shox Dr]

Tell me more about your d’limonene. Do you have a link? Google is showing it as a food additive. Do you use it neat or diluted?

Mybad Its limonene you require. Dilution depends on the limonene strength. As many water it down.

However you need very little, it continues to clean even when there is heavy scum floating and the liquid is black as night

 

[Maker]

It's active ingredient in some gritty hand cleaners (Loctite 7850 for example), definitely good stuff.

 

[Shox Dr]

It's active ingredient in some gritty hand cleaners (Loctite 7850 for example), definitely good stuff.

Its in many cleaning products. A by product of the citrus industry

 

[awemawson]

Yes I'm sure that it's in 'Fast Orange' that I use in the workshop as hand cleaner. I've still not found a bulk source of the limonene but having taken the plunge and bought a 30 litre ultrasonic tank I needed to get something on the way so have ordered this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30L-Ultr...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ultrason...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

[Neilj]

I've still not found a bulk source of the limonene

It seems to be all over ebay and various other places. Sold as a dietary supplement / health food (orange peel extract)!

 

[ukracer]

it needs to be good at 25 quid a litre though. lol

 

[Shox Dr]

it needs to be good at 25 quid a litre though. lol

1ltr of pure limonene would make 1000ltrs diluted

 

[Shox Dr]

It would be interesting to know what the difference is between sizes, regarding transducer size/number.

 

[8ob]

Soooooooooooooooo............ If I want to clean carbs is there a preferred solution for Ali and if the basket is full of bits does it slow down the process? As in do all the little ultrasonics become less effective when cleaning larger area`s

Bob

 

[awemawson]

Has anyone tried cleaning printed circuit boards with an ultrasonic cleaner? I'd imagine that you'd loose labels etc and maybe some component markings?

I'll give it a whirl when min arrives.

 

[weldingnovice]

It would be interesting to know what the difference is between sizes, regarding transducer size/number.

Is this what you mean?

Following on from what I had read somewhere on here had a butchers inside to check the earth and stand off spacers for the gubbins. Kept me scratchers out of the road of the wiring so as not to zap me self.

Earth goes from spade connector on mains connector to chassis via fixing bolt on the top gubbins near the fan. Hot melt glue fixing it at both ends same as those nuts that can be seen. Don't really know what I am looking at there TBH circuit boards look similar to the insides of inverter welders that I have seen on here.

I assume that silver jobbies are piezo something or others, as it happens they had hand written on them what I assume to be inspection/calibration numbers ranging from say mid 40's to low 70's? Can be seen in pic top left. Probably something to do with frequency. Nothing struck me as being in peril of imminent disaster, but definitely not the best quality of bits and bobs I have seen recently.

Mysteriously a Tunnocks tea cake wrapper was at hand to test ultrasonic function so chucked it in after a slurp or two of tea,,,,,

Couldn't get a better pic as foil reflected the light but if held up and looked at there was lots of little holes. I assume that is what would be expected?

 

[Shox Dr]

Soooooooooooooooo............ If I want to clean carbs is there a preferred solution for Ali and if the basket is full of bits does it slow down the process? As in do all the little ultrasonics become less effective when cleaning larger area`s

Bob

Have a go with some limonene, a litre will go a very long way. Suppliers dilute it down, high purity is like warm syrup ;golden and viscous. Start off with 1ml per litre of preferably distilled water.

This is what mine looks like after using citric acid.



The more you stick in it the longer it takes. Agitation with a brush helps on stubborn grime