Ultrasonic Parts Cleaner

[SmartWerks]

I have a parts washer that I find not much use for what I really want it to do. I looked into buying an ultrasonic cleaner a while back, the small ones are cheap enough but as soon as you get upto the size of my parts washer so i can fit cam covers in they start to get quite serious money.

I see you can buy the transducers in various frequencies and wattage so I'm thinking of converting the parts washer into a ultrasonic Parts cleaner.

This is the parts cleaner I have

http://www.sealey.co.uk/PLPageBuilder.asp?id=20&method=mViewProduct&productid=10122

minus the turbo feature which i added myself!

anybody have any experience with these things or made/converted one yourself?

Thanks

mike

 

[Shox Dr]

I've had a Bransonic 4Gallon Ultrasonic cleaner for the last 15yrs. It does get used, but mainly for Carbs etc.

You need heating, whatever you make/get. I think a high pressure cabinet would be better

 

[marlinspike]

They were doing ultrasonic jewelry cleaners in Aldi for £20 the other week. About the size of an egg box. I did wonder if you could do small car parts or nuts and bolts in them.

 

[SmartWerks]

Whilst searching last night I found some build plans, lot more to it than meets they eye. So I'm revising my plan, I already have air agitation so I'm thinking if I add a heating element and use the same type of degreaser used in the ultrasonic machines that requires heat I should get good results, probably just take longer. It's mainly for baffled cam covers so they are as clean ad possible before being outgased in the oven.

any thoughts or experience with heated parts washers?

 

[Migmac]

They were doing ultrasonic jewelry cleaners in Aldi for £20 the other week. About the size of an egg box. I did wonder if you could do small car parts or nuts and bolts in them.

I got one of these for cleaning brass cases, it does a good job on these. Tried cleaning bits from my SU carb, it wasn't very good on these bits

 

[SmartWerks]

I got one of these for cleaning brass cases, it does a good job on these. Tried cleaning bits from my SU carb, it wasn't very good on these bits

Maybe worth trying a different cleaning solution intended for degreasing aluminium?

 

[Migmac]

Tried all sorts of cleaners but nothing worked that well. Only use it now for my brass, I suppose for £20 you can't expect a brilliant machine

 

[graffian]

I have a 120W 5 litre ultrasonic cleaner. It's not wonderful, it is heated, first time I used it I was really impressed,but
I have gone back to the parts washer. I mentioned it to a bloke who works at a big plastics place they
use an ultrasonic cleaner a lot, he watched mine cleaning a bike derailleur and said he thought it was about as much
good as theirs. One thing he did say was they used to buy special magic water[expensive] from the makers of the thing and it
was better than whatever they use now, I use water with a dash of truck wash[I put it in everything].
Cleans bike derailleurs so they look new but can take a few 1/2 cycles.

I would like to hear shoxdocs tank.
mine broke, one of the output trasistors went and when it happened you could hear the difference.
There is a youtube vid: bloke draws, with pencil, on a ceramic disk and instantly the line starts to come
off when the disk is put in the tank. The tank sounds pretty rampant, mine is a light buzzing.

 

[Shox Dr]

Just had a look it's only 4.2A, 110v. I know FA about them, just they clean some things really well. Mine pulses making little whirlpools.

Have you ever cleaned any jewellery, esp ear rings. Makes me feel sick

 

[graffian]

Just had a look it's only 4.2A, 110v. I know FA about them, just they clean some things really well. Mine pulses making little whirlpools.

Have you ever cleaned any jewellery, esp ear rings. Makes me feel sick

Thing I have cleaned most is chains, I ultrasonic them in petrol.
They get really clean but it's so slow, I brush clean them in a parts washer in no time.
Mine has waves in the water.

 

[Wedg1e]

Thing I have cleaned most is chains, I ultrasonic them in petrol.
They get really clean but it's so slow, I brush clean them in a parts washer in no time.
Mine has waves in the water.

View attachment 60340

My experience of ultrasonic cleaning is that anything moist isn't shifted, it's dry-ish crusted stuff that gets rattled loose by the vibrations. As you say, immersion in a solvent bath and agitation by brush is often more effective.

My tank is an American thing that I rescued from a scrap pile after the previous owner plugged it into 220V instead of the 110V that was clearly labelled on the back. The control electronics had gone pop and the heating element obviously won't run from 220, but I repaired the oscillator circuitry to get the thing buzzing and fitted an ex-washing machine mechanical timer. I use the detergent that we use in the one at work, but apart from Nursy's jewellery it rarely gets used...

 

[ibrooks]

Anyone ever tried the version where you fasten a sander to a tank? I've seen it done with a "mouse" style sander and a big plastic jar (think the old sweety jars). A dash of fairy in warm water and it was fairly amazing what it did to an SU carb.

I've been saying I'd try it ever since.

Iain

 

[CRB]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bain-Marie-/231486397887?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item35e5aa1dbf

?A starter?

...and another.....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Parry-bain-marie-/281610589338?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item41914c949a

?Will it ever stop?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chafing-Dish-/141582785447?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item20f6fddba7