I've heard that home ultrasonic cleaners can be quite useful for cleaning out fountain pens and cleaning jewelry. Does anyone have any words of wisdom? I've heard fairly good things about this unit:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000BVGNJ/104-4463425-6414335?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=284507
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Ultrasonic cleaner
- Thread starter Grouch
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- Dec 6, 2005
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I've been using an ultrasonic cleaner for over 15 years, mainly to clean coins, jewelry, pocket knives, and other small items I find while metal detecting. I also use it to clean knobs and other parts when restoring old radios.
As Gollnick said, don't use it to clean pearls. I avoid cleaning bone handled knives, too.
I use a small amount of ordinary liquid dish detergent mixed in with the water. New ultrasonics usually come with a small sample of cleaning solution.
Look for an ultrasonic cleaner with a stainless steel tank and a basket so the item to be cleaned doesn't sit directly against the tank itself. The size of the tank will be the limiting factor as to which items you can clean, so the bigger, the better.
There are usually several used and new ultrasonic cleaners for sale on eBay. Some of the more expensive cleaners have built in timers and heaters, but they aren't really needed. None of my 3 cleaners has a timer or heater. The stainless steel tank is a must.
As Gollnick said, don't use it to clean pearls. I avoid cleaning bone handled knives, too.
I use a small amount of ordinary liquid dish detergent mixed in with the water. New ultrasonics usually come with a small sample of cleaning solution.
Look for an ultrasonic cleaner with a stainless steel tank and a basket so the item to be cleaned doesn't sit directly against the tank itself. The size of the tank will be the limiting factor as to which items you can clean, so the bigger, the better.
There are usually several used and new ultrasonic cleaners for sale on eBay. Some of the more expensive cleaners have built in timers and heaters, but they aren't really needed. None of my 3 cleaners has a timer or heater. The stainless steel tank is a must.
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2002
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- 3,179
I use an old Nestea jar full of soapy water to clean the metal off my Sharpmaker ceramic "stones". Just set it in the cleaners tub with a little water to transfer the vibrations.
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The $35 are not true ultrasonic cleaners... it is a cleaner that vibrates via a small motor instead of using ultrasonic waves.
A true UC like Parnass mentions below will disolve a piece of aluminum foil within minutes and can pit brass if it is left in too long. A truly powerful piece of equipment.
Not to be a downer, but the cheapies are pretty much doing their cleaning via the solution. A soak in a mild/warm solution like Simple Green would be just as effective.
A true UC like Parnass mentions below will disolve a piece of aluminum foil within minutes and can pit brass if it is left in too long. A truly powerful piece of equipment.
Not to be a downer, but the cheapies are pretty much doing their cleaning via the solution. A soak in a mild/warm solution like Simple Green would be just as effective.