What Did You Buy Today?

[Gaffer]

Be cautious with your mix if you’re going to do aluminum parts in it. Things like purple and simple green can etch aluminum and leave it with a dull gray finish.
Grease is particularly tough in an US cleaner and usually needs a more aggressive solvent to break it up.
US cleaners don’t actually need detergents or solvents to clean. They make micron sized bubbles in the water which then cavitate and that breaks up the contaminants on an object. Its why they do such a good job on things like carbs. They create the bubbles inside the passages which scour the surfaces. They get in places you normally can’t get to with normal means.
Detergents are most often required in order to hold the contaminanets in suspension (emulsifiers) so they can be carried away.
But sone contaminants, like grease, are a bit more difficult to scour, so you need the emulsifier to “give it a hand”…

Thank you. I did not think about aluminum.

 

[ChazzC]

Thank you. I did not think about aluminum.

Keith Appleton speaks highly of CarbuSonic cleaning solution, intended for ultrasonic cleaning of carburetors, which are usually made for Aluminum. CarbuSonic does not seem to be available in the U.S., but other carburetor-specific cleaning solutions are out there that are supposed to be safe for all metals.

 

[pontiac428]

I've found that the ultrasonic gives any solvent or detergent a big kick. I only run water in the ultrasonic bath, but I have beakers and jars for solvents and cleaners that I use extensively. Even Ospho Rust or evaporust get a big kick out of ultrasonic disruption.

If the ultrasonic source in that big Vevor unit is truly 360 watts, then that thing must be an ass-kicker extraordinaire. Mine puts out only 18 watts as sonic energy, no idea what the input is, but the disruptor itself is enough to heat the bath to steaming after an hour or two without a heating coil (my unit is not heated).

 

[ChazzC]

I've found that the ultrasonic gives any solvent or detergent a big kick. I only run water in the ultrasonic bath, but I have beakers and jars for solvents and cleaners that I use extensively. Even Ospho Rust or evaporust get a big kick out of ultrasonic disruption.

If the ultrasonic source in that big Vevor unit is truly 360 watts, then that thing must be an ass-kicker extraordinaire. Mine puts out only 18 watts as sonic energy, no idea what the input is, but the disruptor itself is enough to heat the bath to steaming after an hour or two without a heating coil (my unit is not heated).

Using smaller containers is the way to go: less costs in chemicals and less hassle filling/emptying the machine. As much as I’d like to have the available capacity of the 15L model, I’d have enough difficulty justifying the 6L and finding a home for it, since unlike Keith Appleton I can’t just set it up in the kitchen. Although, maybe I could commandeer a corner of the laundry tub (“Stationery Tub” as my parents called theirs - don’t know why, unless it was to differentiate it from the wooden laundry tubs they grew up with).

 

[great white]

Using smaller containers is the way to go: less costs in chemicals and less hassle filling/emptying the machine. As much as I’d like to have the available capacity of the 15L model, I’d have enough difficulty justifying the 6L and finding a home for it, since unlike Keith Appleton I can’t just set it up in the kitchen. Although, maybe I could commandeer a corner of the laundry tub (“Stationery Tub” as my parents called theirs - don’t know why, unless it was to differentiate it from the wooden laundry tubs they grew up with).

Mine is a 20L laboratory grade Brandson. I managed to buy a large one from a local electronics business that was going out of business. Its like a Cadillac of ultrasonics.

But I seldom need the full 20L capacity, seeing as I’m usually cleaning carb parts and such.

So I fill the tank with straight water and then use smaller stainless steel containers in the water to fill with my cleaning mix.

Less cleaning solution needed and I can use several containers to clean more parts. I can also use different cleaners at the same time in the ultrasonic, if I need to.

It also means I can drain the tank directly to my septic or toss it out the door on the ground because the main tank is just water

Fairly common practice to use smaller containers in the larger tanks actually.

 

[ChazzC]

Mine is a 20L laboratory grade Brandson. I managed to buy a large one from a local electronics business that was going out of business. Its like a Cadillac of ultrasonics.

But I seldom need the full 20L capacity, seeing as I’m usually cleaning carb parts and such.

So I fill the tank with straight water and then use smaller stainless steel containers in the water to fill with my cleaning mix.

Less cleaning solution needed and I can use several containers to clean more parts. I can also use different cleaners at the same time in the ultrasonic, if I need to.

It also means I can drain the tank directly to my septic or toss it out the door on the ground because the main tank is just water

Fairly common practice to use smaller containers in the larger tanks actually.

Unfortunately, we didn’t do this at Service Merchandise when I was a Diamond Consultant: spent a lot of time searching the hot, murky solution for a link that fell off a bracelet during a complementary cleaning (a sales ploy to get more time with a potential customer). Also learned that ultrasonic cleaning could take gold plating off when my manger believed a customer that a ring was 18k gold and it turned out to be plated - customer got a free repair & quality plating and the manager used it as s teaching moment: “remember to test everything, and if taking in something for repair put ‘gold colored ring marked 18k’ just in case it’s phoney.”

 

[matthewsx]

Mine is a 20L laboratory grade Brandson. I managed to buy a large one from a local electronics business that was going out of business. Its like a Cadillac of ultrasonics.

But I seldom need the full 20L capacity, seeing as I’m usually cleaning carb parts and such.

So I fill the tank with straight water and then use smaller stainless steel containers in the water to fill with my cleaning mix.

Less cleaning solution needed and I can use several containers to clean more parts. I can also use different cleaners at the same time in the ultrasonic, if I need to.

It also means I can drain the tank directly to my septic or toss it out the door on the ground because the main tank is just water

Fairly common practice to use smaller containers in the larger tanks actually.

I had a huge tripple tank US cleaner that was Branson based, could fit an entire Briggs & Stratton engine block in that thing. Only had it hooked up to 3 phase as designed for a little while but the heat makes a huge difference too. If I were to get a small one I'd probably buy an immersion heater to use with it.

Anyway, this was my solvent of choice.

1 Gallon Degreaser

Amazing deals on this 1Gal Degreaser at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

But, definitely scrape and scrub any heavy soil or grease before dipping into the tank.

John

 

[matthewsx]

Unfortunately, we didn’t do this at Service Merchandise when I was a Diamond Consultant: spent a lot of time searching the hot, murky solution for a link that fell off a bracelet during a complementary cleaning (a sales ploy to get more time with a potential customer). Also learned that ultrasonic cleaning could take gold plating off when my manger believed a customer that a ring was 18k gold and it turned out to be plated - customer got a free repair & quality plating and the manager used it as s teaching moment: “remember to test everything, and if taking in something for repair put ‘gold colored ring marked 18k’ just in case it’s phoney.”

Man, Service Merchandise....

That takes me back

John

 

[great white]

I had a huge tripple tank US cleaner that was Branson based, could fit an entire Briggs & Stratton engine block in that thing. Only had it hooked up to 3 phase as designed for a little while but the heat makes a huge difference too. If I were to get a small one I'd probably buy an immersion heater to use with it.

Anyway, this was my solvent of choice.

1 Gallon Degreaser

Amazing deals on this 1Gal Degreaser at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

But, definitely scrape and scrub any heavy soil or grease before dipping into the tank.

John

My Brandson has a heater built in to it so no worries.



edit: whoops, looks like I’m spelling “Branson” wrong…lol!

 

[ChazzC]

Anyway, this was my solvent of choice.

1 Gallon Degreaser

Amazing deals on this 1Gal Degreaser at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

John

Simple Yellow, and it’s Super Heavy Duty. 90 warranty if you’re not satisfied - you think I could take back the almost empty jug and get my money back because it ran out?