Branson Ultrasonic Cleaner - Instructional Guidance needed

[middle.road]

Have an old D-50 here. Decided to try it out and see if it works.
It does, but the dude operating it has no idea what he's doing.
I removed the bottom cover, checked out the wiring, replaced the rubber feet, minor repair to the power cord.
Can't find a manual for it.
I've run a couple of parts through it using mineral spirits - the 18N chuck and the 6" sine plate.
I'm just 'selecting' the 'C' bottom however the solution and the parts get very hot.
And that is to say 'burn your fingertips' hot when you go to remove the piece. Didn't notice so much on the 18N but yesterday I was dump and grabbed the sine plate without gloves on...
Is this normal? 'H' is not selected or lit.

 

[benmychree]

I can't imagine one wanting to get mineral spirits that hot, sounds like an open invitation for fire.

 

[extropic]

I can't read the nomenclature in the picture. However, if we assume C=cold and H=heater or hot, recheck the wiring and make it so. I assume there is a separate switch for powering the ultrasonic transducers. Correct? I've seen the heater switch independent of the ultrasonic's power, so you can warm things up before you start cleaning, but, in that case, you have to remember to turn the darn heat off (separately) when you're done.

Placing your part(s)s on the bottom of the tank (I know you did ) is too much "load" for the ultrasonic transducer and can kill them.
Also probably why the parts got so hot.

I have a minute so I'll write most all I know about ultrasonic cleaners. First, don't set anything on the bottom of the tank (I still know you did ). The reason is the cleaning action is due to exciting the fluid to "scrub' your part. NOT to shake your part. For large items (relative to tank size), make a bridge(s) or rack and suspend (wire?) the part(s) submersed in the fluid. For small parts, place them in a glass or metal container full of your chosen cleaning fluid. Suspend the container from a bridge. Don't set the container on the bottom of the tank (remember?). In this case, the tank can be full of water (save on cleaning fluid) because it's just conducting the pressure pulses (and heat). I don't use plastic containers because of the heat and possible damping effect on the pressure pulses. AFAIK, baskets are available for all sizes of UCs but I wonder about their efficacy. You still have to fill the tank with cleaning fluid and I wonder if the basket mesh tends to disrupt the pressure pulses rather than propagate them.
Having a metal lid on the tank is good so evaporation condenses on the lid and precipitates. If the lid is domed (high in the middle) the condensate will run to the edges and outside the tank (messy). The lid needs to be shaped so the condensate drips back into the tank.

 

[Diecutter]

I have a Branson model 1200 which does not have a heat setting, just on \off. The liquid warms up to about sauna tub level after running a while.

 

[middle.road]

Thanks for the replies Gang!

Yeppers you got me there, I set the pieces on the bottom...

And yeah, I don't want the spirits getting hot. I was hoping to just do a cold cleaning. Lucky I didn't start a fire with my noobness.
Worked out real well on the 18N, let me tell you.

I've used the bigger tanks before but never this model. Usually they had freon in them for de-greasing. (Yeah, it was a few years ago...)

 

[extropic]

After another look at your picture, I see the giant H on one switch. I assume the switch is illuminated to indicate when the heater in powered. Make it so.

Yeppers you got me there, I set the pieces on the bottom...

Everybody does. That's how I knew.
It's probably not economically feasible to repair when the transducer(s) dies.

 

[extropic]

I've used the bigger tanks before but never this model. Usually they had freon in them for de-greasing. (Yeah, it was a few years ago...)

I also had access to such equipment. It was really great when it was "free" (for me) to use.

True story: At work, I was always a late arriver and a late stayer. The vapor degreaser was in the plating lab, in a building we'll call BN. I didn't work in BN and had no "official" authorization to use any of the equipment there (it was tacitly allowed for some). One night I went in there, (no one else around) and cleaned some parts (legitimate company parts, honest). Job accomplished and another fine day in paradise. Eventually I went home.
The next morning, when I awoke, there was news coverage on TV about a fire in building BN. OH $H## !!! Talk about a rude awakening. I called my Boss immediately, but she was out of the office so I told the secretary that I had been in the plating lab and left about 9 PM. I said I would find my Boss as soon as I got in. When I showed up, the Fire Dept. was cleaning up, the building was still evacuated and the Boss types were present, waiting their chance to enter and evaluate. I went to them and reported when and what I had done the night before. The big Boss listened (while mentally imagining a bullseye on my forehead) and I was excused, to return to work, without summary execution. It turned out, the fire had started because the main plater guy had failed to turn off the heater on a plastic tank that he had emptied.
Nothing to do with the vapor degreaser or me.

No one ever said another word to me about the incident. I thought I should have gotten some sort of recognition for fessing-up. Oh well.

 

[addertooth]

As long as you remember to not turn it on unless the tank is AT LEAST half full, you may find the transducer lasts a rather long time.
I have used ultrasonic cleaners since the 70s, they tend to be work horses.

 

[middle.road]

After another look at your picture, I see the giant H on one switch. I assume the switch is illuminated to indicate when the heater in powered. Make it so.



Everybody does. That's how I knew.
It's probably not economically feasible to repair when the transducer(s) dies.

Yeah, it's an 'H'. I lights we depressed. I had it OFF during use.
Might mess with it today, last 'good' weather day (80's) before it drops into the 60's tomorrow. (What happened to 70's, I have no idea...)
Figure out a basket/holder for it, and remove the cover and get some picts to post and ask for some help from the electrical dept. here.