ultrasonic cleaner - redux!

[alantani]

the names have been changed to protect the innocent!   

Hey Alan, I was wondering if you use an ultrasonic cleaner for your reel hobby?  If I had to guess I would think you would.  I'm gonna start looking into them, and was wondering if you had any recommendations or cautions for me? What type of solvent do you use?  Thanks

dude, you're getting sucked into this stuff pretty deep, aren't you!  ok, so here's the deal.  i got an ultrasonic cleaner, filled it with green soap and used it for a year. worked great!  very time consuming.  then realized that the reels that i was just cleaning reels for guys were just coming back dirty all over again.  it was pointless because these guys were not taking care of their reels.  to use the alcoholics anonymous speak, i was just enabling them.  it's still in my garage and i haven't used it in a year.  now i clean reels with an old toothbrush.  if that won't do the job, then it's just too bad.  if they have to go through the ultrasonic cleaner, i'd have to tack on another $20 and i don't want to do that. 

now, a good friend of mine has 6 senators that are trashed.  i'm going to pick a day when my wife is away all day and i'm going to throw them into the dishwasher.  let's just hope that i don't get busted.  alan

[BigT]

Good luck using the dishwasher, Alan.  I put one of my knives and a scaler in our dishwasher once.... and only once.

She came home.


Cheers, BigT

[conniek]

Dishwasher? that is so funny. we use a bransonic ultra sonic and it does a great job. Of course, we not cleaning huge reels either.
We have the 1310, IMHO, it sure beats the tooth brush and Kool Whip container with simple green. 
can i toot my own horn this moring? we made june issue of BASSMASTER mag. Wahoo!!!!!!!1

[alantani]

post a link!

[dylan]

I bought an ultrasonic cleaner.  Got it at the place that rhymes with "arbor crate".  They have a larger one (most of what's less than 100 bucks are  pretty small).  Have used it a little, seems to work well so far.  I have a little experience with them from work.  Also cleaned some of the boss's jewelery and made some points. 

it cleaned up some bearings, then repacked them with my new bearing packer (Thanks Alan!).  Worked well.

I suggest NOT using using carb cleaner and other hardcore solvents in these things.  those solvents are flammable (explosive) and bad for you (toluene is carcinogenic I think, one of the ingredients in carb cleaner).  the ultrasonic cleaners warm them up so more evaporates...

[alantani]

dylan, if you have a link to that ultrasonic cleaner, go ahead and post it.  stuff like that is no problem.  alan

[dylan]

here's the one i use:    http://www.harborfreight.com/25-liter-ultrasonic-cleaner-95563.html
only about 70 bucks regular price; i got it on sale and w/ coupon for about 50. 
it's 2.5 Liters, so plenty of room for a glass jar with IPA (isopropyl alcohol) in it.  I use that to clean bearings, degrease, etc.  
will try the citrus & simple green some more too.  

has worked well for me on maybe 5 bearings and the wife's jewelery thus far.

dylan

[Phinaddict]

My low cost solution to an ultrasonic  cleaning system is to use  our old,  Sonicare toothbrush. Works pretty good with a variety of cleaners- carb cleaner, simple green, white gas.