Ultrasonic cleaners.

[Ollie78]

Does anyone use an ultrasonic cleaner.
I am considering getting one, primarily to clean my kremlin spray gun as its very annoying to clean properly and has loads of tiny holes and stuff.
Wondering if the cheap generic ones are good enough? Why the ones with analogue knobs are more expensive than the digital control ones etc.

Any knowledge or experience helpful.

Cheers
Ollie

Edit
Possibly in the wrong section, thinking about it, feel free to move it.

 

[bourbon]

Somebody has been reading my mind! I'm thinking of a small one for exactly the same thing. I'm following closely.

 

[Droogs]

They are a very useful thing to have around for sorting out small parts in tool restorations etc. Just try to get one with the biggest tray you can for the added flexibility it gives. The cheapie ones on Aliexpress are pretty pants and very small. Mine cost around 130 quid when I got it 4 years ago, it's a Skymen model.

 

[scholar]

Does anyone use an ultrasonic cleaner.
I am considering getting one, primarily to clean my kremlin spray gun as its very annoying to clean properly and has loads of tiny holes and stuff.
Wondering if the cheap generic ones are good enough? Why the ones with analogue knobs are more expensive than the digital control ones etc.

Any knowledge or experience helpful.

Cheers
Ollie

Edit
Possibly in the wrong section, thinking about it, feel free to move it.

What liquid would you use for this? Water I presume.

I use acetone to clean my spray gun (only use water based product) - I suppose acetone in an ultrasonic is a no no?! Whoosh

(I think La Scholar has an ultrasonic cleaner for jewellery, but beyond that, I have no idea about them other than seeing them frequently used on various restoration videos).

cheers

 

[Ollie78]

What liquid would you use for this? Water I presume.

I use acetone to clean my spray gun (only use water based product) - I suppose acetone in an ultrasonic is a no no?! Whoosh

(I think La Scholar has an ultrasonic cleaner for jewellery, but beyond that, I have no idea about them other than seeing them frequently used on various restoration videos).

cheers

Well, water with a detergent probably.
However I have seen people put small components like carburettor parts inside jars/ plastic tubs with petrol and solvents which they then float in the water. They don't seem to explode !
I normally flush it well with water, then gun wash ( recycled cellulose thinners).
Then poke it with tiny brushes and needles to clean the holes out.
Once in a while it needs a real deep cleaning.

Ollie

 

[Ollie78]

They are a very useful thing to have around for sorting out small parts in tool restorations etc. Just try to get one with the biggest tray you can for the added flexibility it gives. The cheapie ones on Aliexpress are pretty pants and very small. Mine cost around 130 quid when I got it 4 years ago, it's a Skymen model.

I was thinking a 10 litre should be big enough ? It,s the sort of thing I think would be useful once you have it. What is the problem with the cheapo ones? I was looking at vevor ones on amazon but it's a bit confusing as there are several models of each size.

Ollie

 

[gog64]

I’ve got a bigish 15l “cheapie” one, if I remember right it was from Amazon. I use it for cleaning carbs, small parts etc. and it works really well. I’ve tried a few different ways of using it, but at the mo I’ve got it full of distilled water and use some big glass beakers with different solutions in, for example a carb / parts cleaner. I also use it for cleaning jewellery (different solution) and it works brilliantly. I wouldn’t use it on anything with stones or enamel though. The beakers are held upright with a rack / bit of twisted wire. I do use it to clean my spray gun, but not every time. More of a deep clean if that makes sense?

What do you want to know?

 

[Droogs]

cheap ones tend to take a lot longer to have any effect. Probably to do with output power

 

[Distinterior]

I've watched a guy on YouTube using one, mainly to clean Carburetor parts (Mustie 1) and I always thought there was a proprietary cleaner that had to be used in them.....I never imagined that it would be just water...!!

Edit.
Just had a quick search and found this as an example.....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Carburetto...ocphy=9045052&hvtargid=pla-762224335837&psc=1
Isn't the liquid heated as part of the process...?

 

[robgul]

I have one - about as big as a rectangular domestic chip fryer - use it for cleaning all sorts of stuff from bike parts to tools to filters for our coffee machine (and then disinfected!) - saves loads of time and you can leave it running. Capacity is about 3ltr and I fill with water and about half a cup of Screwfix NoNonsense degreaser (cheap as chips). The mesh basket is a bit open and small parts fall through - I have an old wire tea strainer that I put very small parts in and then put that in the machine's basket.

Something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Commercial...id=1641217068&sprefix=ultraso,aps,631&sr=8-21

Beware of the very small machines that are low powered and have barely the capacity of a pair of earrings.

 

[TheTiddles]

A trick for making best use of more expensive solvents is to put them in a plastic bag with the component and then that bag in the water

 

[Ollie78]

I’ve got a bigish 15l “cheapie” one, if I remember right it was from Amazon. I use it for cleaning carbs, small parts etc. and it works really well. I’ve tried a few different ways of using it, but at the mo I’ve got it full of distilled water and use some big glass beakers with different solutions in, for example a carb / parts cleaner. I also use it for cleaning jewellery (different solution) and it works brilliantly. I wouldn’t use it on anything with stones or enamel though. The beakers are held upright with a rack / bit of twisted wire. I do use it to clean my spray gun, but not every time. More of a deep clean if that makes sense?

What do you want to know?

Just wanted to know if it will work for my use case really, which it sounds like it will from the replies so far. Don't want to buy one if it's not going to be good, or accidentally buy a rubbish one.
Was looking at this sort of thing https://www.amazon.co.uk/CO-Z-Profe...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

I suspect most "brands" are all from exactly the same factory by the look of them. Some have analogue controls and others a digital setup, do you think it's worth the extra fiver to go to 15ltr?

Ollie

 

[Inspector]

One more use for them.
My wife uses hers to de-gas and warm polyester casting resin before adding the MEKP catalyst. Gentle stir and it is poured into the molds.

Pete

 

[Droogs]

@Ollie78 yes

 

[robgul]

Just wanted to know if it will work for my use case really, which it sounds like it will from the replies so far. Don't want to buy one if it's not going to be good, or accidentally buy a rubbish one.
Was looking at this sort of thing https://www.amazon.co.uk/CO-Z-Professional-Ultrasonic-Instrument-Commercial/dp/B01FDIFAG2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=1HPYIJ0JT2GNN&keywords=ultrasonic+cleaner+10ltr&qid=1641221542&sprefix=ultrasonic+cleaner+10l,aps,71&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFLRDNVTUgxRlBWSUEmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAzNDk4MjIzRFVVSk1LTjFZWk9OJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAwMzk3NDcxTzQzVDJYUzNBV0E3JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

I suspect most "brands" are all from exactly the same factory by the look of them. Some have analogue controls and others a digital setup, do you think it's worth the extra fiver to go to 15ltr?

Ollie

Yep - I'd go for the bigger model. The machine is pretty much the bigger brother of my machine - the drain **** is a useful feature, mine has to be disconnected from the power and emptied by tipping down the sink.

 

[Ollie78]

One more use for them.
My wife uses hers to de-gas and warm polyester casting resin before adding the MEKP catalyst. Gentle stir and it is poured into the molds.

Pete

This is a use case I had not thought of at all, I wonder if it will degass epoxy ? Does she put the resin in a cup and then that sits in the water ?

Ollie

 

[clogs]

mine was over £400 about 5 years ago.....big enough to put 2 Weber 45 DCOE's at the same time...Carbs for a Lotus Cortina or the like.....even use it to clean m/cycle cylinder heads n carbs....
brill bit of kit....
bought the analogue type as dont trust digital....
it boils the water if u want it to and has a 20 min timer...... I bought 5gal of specialist ally cleaner...
there's many dif type of cleaner liquid....
for realy dirty, baked on oily mess u may need 2 or 3 goes.....
it'll certainly make a good job of ur s/gun......
word of warning if u use the wrong cleaner all can go dark grey black....as me how I know.....lol...

 

[Inspector]

This is a use case I had not thought of at all, I wonder if it will degass epoxy ? Does she put the resin in a cup and then that sits in the water ?

Ollie

Yes the resin goes in a mixing cup and sits in the water bath. The US cleaner has a heater in it and she turns it on and pre-warms the water before putting the cup in. When it has been in for a while and warmed up she removes it, drys the cup exterior and then mixes the drops of catalyst and pours. The warming reduces the open time but being thinner flows around the feather blanks better. I think you could do epoxy if it isn't mixed and keep in mind once mixed it will kick off faster so the working time is reduced. Polyurethanes like Alumilite don't play well with water and some have very short working times already.

Pete

 

[nickds1]

I have had a 100W 5Litre one for many years and use it all the time for cleaning jewelry, vintage electronic components, mechanical parts from the workshop, cycle chains & cassettes etc.

I use a pH-neutral non-foaming cleaner (Tikopur) but it's expensive.

Ultrasonic cleaners are agressive and delicate items should only be left in for the minimum time necessary. The water should be clean and particulate-free. A cleaner with a built-in heater is useful. I tend to run mine around 40C.

Also when cleaning jewelry, never use on soft stones like opals as they will be destroyed.

 

[kinverkid]

A trick for making best use of more expensive solvents is to put them in a plastic bag with the component and then that bag in the water

I use mine the same way. Glass jars will reduce the effectiveness. I use it to clean my airbrushes amongst other things. Cellulose thinners in a nylon sealed bag suspended in warm water.