homemade solution for ultrasonic cleaning

[laguna230diver]

just wanted to share my progress in cleaning regs.

Bought a little 35w ultrasonic cleaner from Brookstone (like sharper image used to be)

The thing worked alright with just water... ok it didnt work much at all.

did some research and I've mixed and matched and produced a nice little combo that made this thing AWESOME.

first, mix 50/50 water to white vinegar, throw in a squirt of simple green.
Put this combo in a large beer mug.

put this mug in the empty ultrasonic cleaner bath, fill the bath to the full line with just water. Add a little surficant just to the ultrasonic bath water(i use dish detergent) and voila

it works greeeeat
you can watch the corrosion come off, and it hasn't damaged anything... yet haha

any other reccomendations?

-brandon

 

[donkey]

Maybe this is a silly question, but why not dump the water/vinegar/simple green mixture directly into the cleaner's bath?

 

[H2O 70]

Are you sure that you're not just really seeing the results of the acid water mix?

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Simple green is great at cutting grease and oil. That then allows the acid based solution to do a better job on any salt, corrosion, etc.

However, I am pretty sure it is a base and adding it to even a mild acid could be interesting - and just weakens/neutralizes some of the acid.

You will get excellent results by cleaning first in simple green, then in the Acetic acid/water mix.

 

[laguna230diver]

the reason I dont dump the solution directly in the bath:

Solution gets dirty after a few really harsh cleanings, and this makes it MUCH easier to change and enhances the longevity of the ultrasonic machine because i have no harsh chemicals in it. This also allows me to throw in orings, rubbers, or plastics in the bath away from the chemicals.

What I am seeing is definately a result of the acid, but it is greatly maginfied by the ultrasonic. You can see little bubbles rush across the items being cleaned, and you can see clouds of corrosion come off of anything I throw in. I also tested it out with chrome, PERFECT results. And to make sure its not wearing away any thickness of metal I tested with some threads on an old first stage and plugs. They screw in fine with no extra tolerances. So far it seems to be working great.

 

[Couv]

the reason I dont dump the solution directly in the bath:

Solution gets dirty after a few really harsh cleanings, and this makes it MUCH easier to change and enhances the longevity of the ultrasonic machine because i have no harsh chemicals in it. This also allows me to throw in orings, rubbers, or plastics in the bath away from the chemicals.

What I am seeing is definately a result of the acid, but it is greatly maginfied by the ultrasonic. You can see little bubbles rush across the items being cleaned, and you can see clouds of corrosion come off of anything I throw in. I also tested it out with chrome, PERFECT results. And to make sure its not wearing away any thickness of metal I tested with some threads on an old first stage and plugs. They screw in fine with no extra tolerances. So far it seems to be working great.

Ultrasonic Cleaner Test

Here are some hints from Gilldiver and Zung on testing your Ultrasonic Cleaner and solutions. If you're going to put a container in the cleaner, you should run these test with water to see if you are in fact getting any action from your machine. And remember, HOT water is best when using these devices.

I look forward to your update.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/4996781-post28.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/5009331-post33.html

Couv

 

[laguna230diver]

this sucker eats right through the foil!

 

[Zung]

I second DA's point: the base of Simple Green neutralizes the vinegar. The combined actions of vinegar and ultrasonic could do a lot damage otherwise. I'd rather do an ultrasonic + Simple Green or any washing stuff first, then a vinegar bath, and no more than about 5' each. If you're really anal, the remaining crud is easily removed with a tooth pick.

 

[Couv]

I use a similar approach. First a good long soak in dish detergent and water-overnight if possible. Next I do as much manual cleaning that I can. Then the metal parts get a 50/50 (vinegar/water) in the US cleaner-but usually not more than 3 min...that part is just to get at the bits my brush and scrub pad can't get to. Then a good rinse in water and baking soda to get the acid off, then a rinse to get the baking soda off.....sounds more complicated than it is.

c

 

[gypsyjim]

the reason I dont dump the solution directly in the bath:

Solution gets dirty after a few really harsh cleanings, and this makes it MUCH easier to change and enhances the longevity of the ultrasonic machine because i have no harsh chemicals in it. This also allows me to throw in orings, rubbers, or plastics in the bath away from the chemicals.

What I am seeing is definately a result of the acid, but it is greatly maginfied by the ultrasonic. You can see little bubbles rush across the items being cleaned, and you can see clouds of corrosion come off of anything I throw in. I also tested it out with chrome, PERFECT results. And to make sure its not wearing away any thickness of metal I tested with some threads on an old first stage and plugs. They screw in fine with no extra tolerances. So far it seems to be working great.

I am no chemist, but the little bubbles running across the surface are what the sonic cleaners are all about. The bubbles are the result of "cavitation", the sound waves cause the small bubble to appear in the solution, and then "collapse". This collapsing of the bubbles is what lifts or scrubs debris from the surface. We used to get very good result with Top Job, with a bit extra ammonia adde, on jewelry. Chemical action was not the goal in the jewelry industry, just the deep scrubbing that reaches places you can't get at with a brush, and the breaking down of solids by those bubbles.

I used to have a real monster, tunable ultra sonic from an old GE lab, that was designed to use carbon tetrachloride to clean electronic parts. Even had a vapor chamber, which with the carbon tet, must have been a real hazard to use. But that beast was large enough to clean big stuff, and I re-tuned it for detergent solutions, but I lost it in a fire a few years back.