| Electronics > Repair |
| Ultrasonic cleaner size: 10L vs 6L |
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| SteveThackery:
--- Quote from: mendip_discovery on July 11, 2024, 07:54:26 pm ---I never worried about the bubbles as I thought that was part of the idea of these cleaners as the cavitation is what is doing the cleaning. Then again I don't put boards in mine. --- End quote --- It is the cavitation, but not of those visible bubbles. The bubbles that do the cleaning are microscopic. I've just checked my supplier: most watch cleaning solutions are waterless, but there are a few that come as a concentrate which you dilute with water. They claim to have an anti-rusting additive. |
| watchmaker:
I agree with the electro cleaning, although I use ultrasonics. The reason watchmakers use ultrasonic is because of the requirements for getting a parts account. But every jeweler is familiar with elector cleaning. The disadvantage of ultrasonic is its very reason for use; cavitation. I have seen the plating of Omega mvts removed and the bimetallic balances of high grade vintage watches destroyed by either too much power (this was adjustable on older machines) or being left in too long. The brass on the balance becomes very friable and it's action is destroyed. As for Rolex vs Omega, this is a religious argument. And we all know how well that worked in Switz before the Federation. |
| SteveThackery:
Thanks for that information, Dewey. There is something I don't understand. How can electrocleaning remove contaminants such as grease and oil from a surface? These are waterproof and non-conductive, so I don't understand how current can flow to or from such surfaces. https://www.sharrettsplating.com/blog/what-is-electrocleaning/ This webpage seems like a good overview of the subject, but it says that the bubbles are formed "under" the contaminants, but that doesn't make sense to me for the reason given. |
| SteveThackery:
--- Quote from: watchmaker on July 13, 2024, 10:43:19 am ---The brass on the balance becomes very friable and it's action is destroyed. --- End quote --- It's also worth pointing out that ammoniated cleaners are popular for (especially) clock repairs, but prolonged immersion of brass in ammonia destroys its integrity. I've read that it dissolves the zinc from the brass, but I don't know if that bit is true or not. |
| coppercone2:
--- Quote from: SteveThackery on July 13, 2024, 08:49:28 pm ---Thanks for that information, Dewey. There is something I don't understand. How can electrocleaning remove contaminants such as grease and oil from a surface? These are waterproof and non-conductive, so I don't understand how current can flow to or from such surfaces. https://www.sharrettsplating.com/blog/what-is-electrocleaning/ This webpage seems like a good overview of the subject, but it says that the bubbles are formed "under" the contaminants, but that doesn't make sense to me for the reason given. --- End quote --- well its not quite that simple. You require a degreasing step, and the most common electrocleaners use a base, or mixture of bases. TSP, hydroxides, carbonates, which will dissolve grease. I don't think it will get something like a drop of tar off your cleaning work. I thinks its more along the lines of at the exposed area, super active 'stuff' is formed by electricity, and the bubble, that kind of undermines and pulls the grease adjacent to the clean spot off. And if you ever play with paint stripper you will notice what it does to grease or paint. It swells up and wrinkles and seems to absorb the chemicals. I would not be suprised if the thinner areas of grease turned into electrically conductive 'gels' after being exposed to the solution. This effect is present, but you need much less concentration of it for electrolytic cleaning to start doing work for you. If you wanna just scrub it off, you pretty much need severely caustic mixtures (i.e. 50% NaOH) It does not just uniformly dissolve, you start seeing like... crap being lifted from the surface and floating around (big "chunks" that can be filtered out of the solution later). To me, this implies that the electrocleaning is disturbing a base level bond near the surface of the metal with the contaminant. It very much reminds me of what happens to a frying pan thats caked and soaking in soap for a day after you first start to agitate it with a brush, but without the brush. The only thing I don't like is the smell of it. Its very faint but I just find it very disagreeable. |
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