Ultrasonic Cleaners

[joesquid]

Thinking about buying one to clean parts.  Dou you use one?  Can all parts be cleaned?  Size and feature recommendations.

Joe

[alantani]

One gallon, add hand dishwashing detergent,  not machine dishwasher detergent.  I tried to use it but it was too much hassle and took too long. It doesn't work when your goal is 10 reels a day.

[Midway Tommy]

If you use the search feature and enter ultrasonic cleaner you will find a lot of discussion on the subject.

[joesquid]

Alan,  That's why I haven't bought one yet.  Not that I'm doing 10 reels a day but I think I'd be too impatient.  How long does it take normally?

Tommy,  Thanks for the link.  I tried doing the search and only found this post.

[Dominick]

Joe, use the search link in tool bar.  The tool bar has Home, Help, then Search.  Type in the word "ultrasonic."  Yo will get a lot of info with suggestions on UC and cleaning solutions.  Dominick

[thorhammer]

Love mine- It's prolly 1/2 gallon. I usually put parts in about an hour. Like Alan said, not great if you're moving business numbers, but the finished product for the hobbyist is really nice. I use dawn mainly; simple green on occasion but NEVER on aluminum. Be careful cranking the heat on bakelite / plastic plates. It can fade or swell them. US of greasy chrome and then a white vinegar soak really can bring some old dogs back.


John

[steelhead_killer]

I have two. Use only one now. It's 12" x12x12 filled with half water half simple green.  Pieces that are too big for the mason jars filled with straight simple green just get tossed into the main tank with the jars. I run it for 20 min. Rinse with hot water. Clean. Separate big container of vinegar/water for removing the green stuff. I can do two reels at a time generally. I upped the watts on the this last one and it makes a big difference in the quality of the cleaning.  The cheap little guys just don't do the job I need done fast enough or in the capacity needed.

Andy

[Justus]

One gallon, add hand dishwashing detergent,  not machine dishwasher detergent.  I tried to use it but it was too much hassle and took too long. It doesn't work when your goal is 10 reels a day.

What is your favourite method to clean reels when u are not using an ultrasonic cleaner ?
Do u use any other "part cleaner machine" or do u clean them by hand with a brush and warm water?

Thanks Alan.

[Lunker Larry]

I just use spray nine and a toothbrush. I put the stripped down reel and parts in a plastic container I have, spray it with Spray Nine, scrub with a toothbrush, rinse with hot water and blow it dry.
Only takes a minute and minimal scrubbing. Small parts I just clean with WD40 and toothbrush. I haven't had any damage to any finish as the whole process takes 5 mins.
Having said that, my work is all done on fresh water reels so I don't have the corrosion and such that salt water reels get. I just have dirt and grease to contend with mostly.