Ultrasonic Cleaners

Started by Tyee II, March 13, 2019, 06:12:24 AM

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Tyee II

I have seen posts on this board regarding ultrasonic cleaners. i have a small unit and would like to clean some reels with it. I have primarily Penn Conventionals and would like to know what parts can and should not be cleaned. What should I be using for cleaner ? I have seen that Simple Green is used for this application. Diluted or not ? Can non metal parts be cleaned in this ? I look forward to all of your replies.

Thanks
Mike

Christopher M Songer

#1
Hi, Lots of different variations but to start with I use Simple Green gallon concentrate cut 1 to 1 with water in a large glass jar for all metal parts only.  you can reuse this jar of cleaning solution over and over. Maybe 4 to 6 reels. I wipe off most pieces with a paper towel to get the gross grease off first.  No need to fill the entire tank with Simple Green solution. Plain water is just fine. Then put the glass jar in. Make it a tall jar so it does not submerge.
Plastic, graphite frames and painted names or anodized pieces may discolor quickly or the paint fall off old parts. I use warm water with Dawn dish soap in the main tank for all the other parts. To be more efficient and if your US cleaner is large enough I place my non metal pieces in the soapy water after I place my glass jar of Simple green metal parts in the tank. Then it is all cleaned at the same time. 6 Min seems like a good amount of time for most everything.
If your Penns are crusty with salt, soak metal parts affected by corrosion overnight in vinegar, rinse and then clean.    
Always go forward, never go straight

foakes

Quote from: Christopher M Songer on March 13, 2019, 08:14:53 AM
Hi, Lots of different variations but to start with I use Simple Green gallon concentrate cut 1 to 1 with water in a large glass jar for all metal parts only.  you can reuse this jar of cleaning solution over and over. Maybe 4 to 6 reels. I wipe off most pieces with a paper towel to get the gross grease off first.  No need to fill the entire tank with Simple Green solution. Plain water is just fine. Then put the glass jar in. Make it a tall jar so it does not submerge.
Plastic, graphite frames and painted names or anodized pieces may discolor quickly or the paint fall off old parts. I use warm water with Dawn dish soap in the main tank for all the other parts. To be more efficient and if your US cleaner is large enough I place my non metal pieces in the soapy water after I place my glass jar of Simple green metal parts in the tank. Then it is all cleaned at the same time. 6 Min seems like a good amount of time for most everything.
If your Penns are crusty with salt, soak metal parts affected by corrosion overnight in vinegar, rinse and then clean.    

Exactly right!

Best,

Fred
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Reel 224

A little tip* I lined my basket with Brass screen so I can put all parts in the basket. I got the material from McMasters.

Joe
"I don't know the key to success,but the key to failure is trying to please everyone."

thorhammer

DO NOT PUT ALUMINUM IN SIMPLE GREEN ANYTIME ANYWHERE FOR EXTENDED PERIOD. I learned this the hard way and now have a purplish Daiwa SL 300H. Dawn is fine. I find it takes heat in some cases to really break things up so I'll leave in an hour or so for the bath to hit 70 C. that breaks most wax set points in the grease globs i usually see then they are emulsified by the soap.

Christopher M Songer

I buy dog Pee Pee pads at a discount store and put that under my work area. Keeps the table clean and when it get a little too dirty or wet I toss it out. For my metal (non aluminum) parts I strain off the cleaning solution through a wire kitchen strainer I got at the resale shop. I use another glass jar to catch the used cleaning solution. Rinse cleaned parts in tap water right after the US cleaning. You do not want any residue. When the cleaning solution gets a little funky I put a paper towel (Costco) in the wire strainer and it catches a LOT of crude and reuse for another reel or two.
Always go forward, never go straight

thorhammer

Chris, great points! Mine came with a mesh basket but about 3/8 mesh, I need to line it. prolly a dozen AR springs out by the hoze nozzle.

to strain parts, I use a kitchen strainer about 5 1/2 inch diameter. It fits nicely into oxyclean detergent containers left over, then i can reuses the soak. I also vonegar soak  / strain in the same type containers.

Gobi King

I posted the thread, I bought the HB larger cleaner.
I have not used it yet.

FYI: I read that one should not bearing in a US cleaner.
Shibs - aka The Gobi King
Fichigan

Tyee II

I came across 2 L&R T14 cleaners. One is solid state and one transistor. Not sure of the difference, they do seem to have different frequencies but both do the job. One has a basket and the other has 2 roughly 2 cup beakers. I cleaned a couple of reels using the basket unit with dawn soap for the side plates, spools /large parts and the beakers with a 50/50 simple green mix for all of the small parts. This worked extremely well.
The units are fairly small with either continuous on or a 12 minute timer. 12 minutes cleaned all but the hardened grease in the steps and corners of the sideplates. A little work with a dental pick and another 6 minutes in the dawn soap and the were spotless. Thanks for the input in the previous posts. I have something that it looks like will work for my needs.

Tiddlerbasher

Quote from: Gobi King on March 13, 2019, 08:43:54 PM
I posted the thread, I bought the HB larger cleaner.
I have not used it yet.

FYI: I read that one should not bearing in a US cleaner.

I use the us for bearings.
Stainless/steel/brass bearings will be fine. I don't use it for ceramic (full or hybrid) they can disintigrate. I had some knackered ceramic hibrids I tried - One was fine the other turned to 'sand'. I never knew exactly which ceramics they were made from. I don't take risks any more.

steelhead_killer

I went to the restaurant supply place in town and bought a bucket, metal cone filter holder and large cone filters.  They use them to strain cooking grease and other things.  I too use individual glass jars for the small parts and throw the frames and side plates into the basket.  This leaves the cleaning solution rather greasy after time in both the jars and in the UC itself.  I then pour the cleaning solution through the filter and into the bucket.  The filter traps the heavy grease and after a second time through the filter it cleans the solution fairly well.  Enough to use it for additional reels and extending the life of the cleaning solution.  FYI

Andy
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day0ne

Quote from: Tyee II on April 04, 2019, 01:29:58 PM
I came across 2 L&R T14 cleaners. One is solid state and one transistor. Not sure of the difference,

transistor = solid state. Same thing
David


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