Ultrasonic Cleaners - Instructions for use - Topic

Hi Folks

I have just purchased an Ultrasonic Cleaner. However there are no directions for using it to clean watches. From the sketchy info I have been able to gather from local Watchmakers, they use non water cleaners. The watch is placed in a plastic container, covered with the cleaning solution and the tub is placed in water in the Ultrasonic. They obviously don't use the heater because of solvent fumes.
My questions are:
(1) Do you use plastic tubs, like dip, humus tubs? If so, what type of plastic and do you leave the lid on while cleaning takes place?
(2) Do you use warm or cold water to put the tub in?
(3) How long are your wash and rinse cycles?
(4) Do you leave the Ultrasonic stainless lid on during cleaning?
(5) How high up the side of the plastic tubs is the water?

GordonGordon, guess everybody is too busy with the Holidays to reply to your post except me. Unfortunatly I have all the questions you have with the addition of one: Isnt it possible to make an ultrasonic cleaner using a battery charger?

I remember seeing a home ultrasonic cleaner made that way but am unable to find it.

Not meening to hijack your post. Maybe we can both get the info we need.IHC Life Member
Certified Watchmaker

Hi Gordon

What you have there is a good single tank with what looks like adjustable, temp and power setting, nice item, it could be used for watches by using various jars/vessels filled with clean/rinse solution using them one at a time. You would also need a drying station.
This tank will be great for cleaning cases, jewelry etc.
There are many types of multi station cleaning machines, some a series of jars with a basket set that can be lowered into the jars then rotated, typically clean , rinse, final rinse, heated dry, the popular ultrasonic watchmasters have a clean, post clean station dip, rinse, final rinse then heated dry, (See link below )
I use 3 cleaning machines, 1 large rotary type, each jar filled with about 1 quart of fluid a 4 jar system, I use two different types of cleaning chemicals 1st & 2nd stage rinse jars (L&R No3) with final heated dry. I also have two watchmaster ultrasonic machines (clean, dip, 2x rinse & dry) filled with different combinations of cleaning fluids, with these I can cover pocket watches to complicated wristwatches. Cleaning fluid is expensive typically $40 gal, a dirty watch can total the fluid in one go!, so saving particularly dirty watches to end of life of your fluids and doing a pre clean cycle sometimes works well, rinse can in most cases be cycled down, the small watchmaster machine pots hold about ½ pint and can be changed economically every watch if needed.



Cleaning machineIHC Life Member
Certified Watchmaker

Hi Ronny,

I would say as a rough guide use some LR112 ultra sonic watch cleaner in the first jar, and LR-121 ultrasonic rinse is the two other jars, I would also add a jar outside the machine to dip, between the cleaning solution and 1st stage rinse, to keep your rinse solution cleaner longer. I would use water in the main tank filled to same level as jars.
As a rough guide to timing 6 minutes in the cleaning solution and 3 in each of the rinses.
When you change out the fluids you can move the first rinse to the dip tank, final rinse to first and renew the final rinse with fresh, given that they are not contaminated.IHC Life Member
Certified Watchmaker

Hi Gordon,

A simple tilt & agitation and time to drain back into the jar as they come out will reduce contamination. The dip jar, once your have cycled your fluids a few times will if clean be from your first rinse jar when you change your solutions. Typically empty dip jar, thoroughly clean & dry pour carefully settled No 1 rinse into the dip (like wine leave the last bit in the jar!), clean No1 and dry, pour No 2 rinse into No1, clean and fill with fresh final rinse. If you are in any doubt at all about the cleanliness of the fluid discard them all. Sometimes you may see small spot of like gum on the movements or a uneven finish this is fluid contamination, discard ALL fluids, re-clean movements and consider discarding that fluid set also.
A simple tip is to have some sort of counter that you can keep track of how many time you have used the fluids, there is no definitive number but as a guide I have a simple clip that I move along each time, if I movement is dirty I will move it 2 or even 3 places. Just helps to remember how close to change you are. You could put some beads on a curved wire and use them as a counter for example. See photo of my simple method.

I have the Vevor model, and it's pretty good. I pre-clean everything with my Spin Clean, set the temp to 38 C. let it get to temp and do one album at a time for 8 minutes. I've tried doing 3 at a time for 15 minutes but did not like the results so I only do one at a time now. General consensus here is the unit I have spins too fast...and it should be slowed down but I have not gone down this rabbit hole. I "filter" my solution once through a coffee filter and after the second run I discard completely. Others have pumps and filters down to the micron level but for the 4 or 500 albums I have I will just dump and run new. I do them in batches then put everything away. You will be amazed at what the machine will pull out of the grooves, even after a run in the Spin Clean. I too have a Vevor tank. I clean one at a time at around 34C for a minimum of 5 minutes. I'll do another 5 minutes with a light scrub beforehand if the record is very dirty. This is followed by a thorough manual scrub with phantomrebel's formula, followed by a copious rinse and vacuum.

This sequence (US followed by manual scrub) may seem reversed to some, but I clean many records in the same tank solution before I change it. By scrubbing the record afterwards, I dont have to worry about debris in the tank contaminating the record when I pull it out. I've also found the US is more effective at loosening dirt than it is at removing it when compared to using the US alone.

Hi guys, I am picking up a 6L ultrasonic cleaner to use with Tergi-clean. A few questions:

1. How man records do you clean at a time?
2. What temperature do you set at?
3. How long do you clean for?

Any other helpful hints or input is greatly appreciated!

Thank you

Four
35 Celsius
10 minutes Vevor 6L Digital owner.
1) Four per load.
2) 30°C
3) 10 minute cycle.

No scientific data to back up, what I did. I set up a production run:
Load albums and start machine.
Internal to 10 mimute cycle:
I rinse in Spinclean.
Then Dry with wand/vac while manually spinning on old TT.
Dry missed water drops with cotton bar towels.
Set in drying rack.
I have three stacks of four album jackets on bartop. I move these as I replace old sleeves with new poly sleeves. I mark new inner sleeves with US. To show they have been cleaned.
So I have two production lines. Records on one bartop and covers on second bartop. Being organized so, saves time. Have to keep at it to keep up with 10 minute US cycle.
I have two dish drying racks. One for records out of US. One for final air drying, up to 12 records.

After cleaning, if a record is noisey. I clean it again, either by self or 2 records well spaced out.

If a record is very dirty, sometimes clean it first time by its self. Can pre clean with paint pad and or wood toothpick if I see finger prints and foreign material. Vevor here as well. But I've got the motor spinning at 1.3 revolutions/min.
I started out doing 4 at a time at 35°C for 15 mins, but now I do 9 at time at 35°C for 15 mins, then another 15 mins. I use distilled water with 99% isopropyl alcohol at 5% by volume. No rinse, out of the tank on the drying rack while the next batch goes in. When that batch is done the first 15 min cycle, the first batch gets lightly wiped down with microfiber and put away. Also have the 6L Vevor.
5L Distilled water in the tank, 4oz 99.9% alcohol, 4 drops of photoflo
30 degrees for 10 minutes - I checked the temperature with an instant read thermometer for the first few times I used it because some had reported variations from the digital readout on the tank. Mine was spot on.
5 records at at time then vacuum dry on Nitty Gitty cleaner.

This has produced great results on every record I've cleaned.
I think these US cleaners are fantastic and a great deal compared to some of the audiophile versions that can run into the multi thousands. i have a 6L Rovsun unit and a vinyl factory cleaning system
i do 3 records at a time
distilled water temp between 95-100F
i forget how many drops of Turgikleen, always have to read the label and wingit. 5-8 drops i think
i do 15 minutes of time (1 rotation every 5 min, 3 rotations total)

i rinse with warm tap water, immediately micro-fiber dry, let dry in a rack for 10m then back into their cages

if you want to see all the gunk that comes out, drain your water slowly when done through a mini-keurig or a coffee filter. let dry. see junk no longer on your records. No matter how you do it, you are going to have fun with this.
I'd say just try some with distilled water only and see how it goes.
I did plenty that way and they came out sounding great.
Then tried with some Fotoflo and recently got the Triton X-100 that I haven't used yet.
Air dry with a little computer fan on a rack. 30 c temp.
I do 5 records, 12 minutes, and never had much issue that didn't come down to some problematic records.
For instance, some late '50's to early '60's that had either been played to death or had been sitting in some paper sleeves for way too long.
Or could have been bad pressings to begin with I guess.
Vinyl looked immaculate, not scratches but the pops just didn't get much better.
But the majority I cleaned came out much improved if not nearly new sounding. I've had some that were simply beyond help but with few exceptions I have gotten pretty nice improvements. The background noise level is what I notice the most drop in. The visible gak in the bottom of that tank tells me its definitely pulling something out.

Anyone else notice their water turning a brown color after a while? Thinking that might be old cigarette tar washing out.