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?

Gordon

Gordon, 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.

Gordon, who is the manufacturer?

Hi Gordon,

A photograph of the machine would help a lot

Hi Phil and Chris

Thanks for your reply.

The brand is: Eumax made in China.

The model is: DSD80A3QS

The tank is stainless steel, has a capacity of 2litres and it is 80w. It also has a heater.

I have attached a couple of pics.

Gordon

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 machine

I have the L&R SweepZone with the tank and three beakers. Is water the best fluid to use in the tank? What three fluids are recommended in each beaker and what are the recommended cycle times? In my opinion, the directions that came with the unit are worthless.

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.

Hi Chris

Sounds like good advice to have a dip solution between the wash and rinse cycles. Between shifting the parts from wash to rinse; do you drain the excess fluid off them or do you dry them?

The dip jar contains rinse solution, I presume?

Gordon

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.

Hi Chris

Thanks for the info. I will take your suggestions on-board.

Gordon

Hi - like Gordon, I recently purchased a small (750ml stainless tank)Ultrasonic - still 42,000 cycles on mains - Chris mentioned jars: ie does that mean put parts in small glass jars (lid off/on?) and then fill machine around jars to same level? AND anyone (in Australia) know where I can get some LR 112 & 121 fluid?? Thanks... How does this affect the balance cap jewel?

Chris,

Thanks for the directions. I followed them and am very pleased with the results.

Hi Ronny & Phil,

Good the hear it worked ok, parts trays are needed to carry from jar to jar, I would leave enough water in the tank to raise to just below the level of cleaning fluid so the jars don’t float, lids on sealed at all times when machine not is use keep evaporation down and dust out etc. (off course you really need a proper cleaning machine end of day with a heater section also.

Balance cap jewels where a long subject of debate a while ago, on lightly soiled watch you can get away leaving them in place and get good results. You wont get a perfect clean things do trap and cause oil migration and contamination, it s a short cut and for a perfect job you need to split them, all of them!, afterward inspect under a 10X loupe or higher afterwards, often touch up cleaning is required with peg wood, alcohol & rodoco , as you do with all the parts.

Hi all!
I see two type of ultrasonic cleaner, 28 Khz or 42 Khz, what is good to cleaning pocket watch movement component? Thank you
Fabrizio