Ultrasonic Cleaner

[Alex_Kung]

On another thread about airbrushes I was saying that I clean my airbrush using an Ultrasonic Cleaner.

I thought I would post some information about these cleaners.

These machines create, through cavitation, microscopic bubbles that knocks off contaminants off the surface of parts. It is not a polisher like a tumbler is.

There are fake machines that claim they are an ultrasonic machines but all they have is a vibrating motor that shakes the cleaning fluid. You can normally tell by the cost of the machine. The really cheap units have the vibrating motor. Saying that, some of the local members and I did find some real ultrasonic cleaners at a local electronics discount store.

Ultrasonic Machine Test
How can you tell is you have a real Ultrasonic machine? Take a piece of tinfoil and drop it in the Ultrasonic machine with water. The thinner the better. If it is a true Ultrasonic machine the tinfoil will start to develop tiny holes in it.

Cleaning Fluids
Never run an Ultrasonic Cleaner with no fluid in it as it can damage the machine. There are chemicals that you can purchase for an Ultrasonic cleaner. Some people use water. Others add some soap to the water. Whatever works for you as there are no set rules for what cleaner to use. Some people use diluted Simple Green. I use Castrol SuperClean Degreaser at 100%.

If you need to justify the purchase with your significant other you can say it can be used to clean their jewelry, eye glasses and chandelier glass.

[jaydar]

I use an ultrasonic cleaner after about ten sessions with an airbrush. I fill with water and add 2 capfuls of Simple Green.

It will remove all kinds of paint.

I remove the nozzle and needle before cleaning.

Joe

[stubeck]

Figure I'd bump an old thread instead of creating a new one.

Does anyone have a model I can get on ebay they recommend? I'm concerned about getting a fake one up there, and wondering if this, https://www.ebay.com/itm/Stainless-Stee ... rk:12:pf:0, is real or if I should get something a bit more expensive like from these guys, https://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-Ultras ... rk:14:pf:0. I'm mainly looking to clean my airbrush and also to clean old paint jars to use in the future.

[Joaquin]

There are fake machines that claim they are an ultrasonic machines but all they have is a vibrating motor that shakes the cleaning fluid. You can normally tell by the cost of the machine. The really cheap units have the vibrating motor. Saying that, some of the local members and I did find some real ultrasonic cleaners at a local electronics discount store.

Can you recommend some ultrasonic machine?

[Alex_Kung]

Unfortunately there are so many different brands that only doing research will help with your choice.

The 2 in the links posted recently look like Ultrasonic cleaners. The second one quotes the 42KHz frequency as does the first one and the Amazon link.

The first link also is a plug in and has the timer. Fake ones may run on batteries and have only an on off button.

The only real test is putting aluminum foil in the water and to see if it eats holes into it. Results can vary depending on the strength of the transducers.

There are fake machines that claim they are an ultrasonic machines but all they have is a vibrating motor that shakes the cleaning fluid. You can normally tell by the cost of the machine. The really cheap units have the vibrating motor. Saying that, some of the local members and I did find some real ultrasonic cleaners at a local electronics discount store.

Can you recommend some ultrasonic machine?

[flashman]

Unfortunately there are so many different brands that only doing research will help with your choice.

I agree with Alex. Also, I'm not at home to check the brand of the one I have (I'm not finding one that looks like it on Amazon). But I can give you some tips on what to look for:

1. Check the info for tank size/dimensions, and get one that's large enough to hold your airbrush (or its disassembled components), or whatever else you plan to clean with it.

2. Make sure the frequency it runs at is at least 40,000 Hz. Even higher is better.

3. The timer should go up to at least 480 seconds (8 minutes), to avoid having to re-start the cleaning cycle multiple times. Mine has 480 second maximum which is more than some others, but I often wish it was longer. But there may be danger of the motor burning out. Higher priced cleaners should be able to run longer.

4. A built-in heater is a good plus, as I've read that the warmer the cleaning solution is, the more effectively it cleans. But YMMV (your mileage may vary) on this.

5. Avoid the temptation to get one just because it has a low price. You may get lucky with a cheap one, but remember that you usually get what you pay for.

6. As soon as you get the cleaner home, do the "Ultrasonic Machine Test" that Alex mentioned, using a small piece of aluminum foil in water. If the foil does not develop many tiny holes within at least 5 minutes, return it for a refund and get a better one! (Cleaning all the tiny circles of foil out of the tank is a bit of a pain, but worth it to know your cleaner is effective. )

If you haven't already seen it, check out the Cybermodeler Online article on ultrasonic cleaners. It's what convinced me to get an ultrasonic cleaner: https://www.cybermodeler.com/tips/tools.shtml

Good luck with your hunting!

Cameron

[Alex_Kung]

Some of the smaller Ultrasonic cleaners do not come with a heater but some solutions will naturally heat up when the unit is in use.
ZEP Heavy Duty Degreaser is one that I find heats up.
I mostly use Castrol Super Clean Degreaser for cleaning my airbrush (but be aware that it will eat aluminum and might affect some white metal parts if left in there overnight.)

[Joaquin]

I have seen this in ebay. There is another version with degassing function. What do you think about?

https://www.ebay.es/itm/Skymen-Stainles ... Sw87RapzDM

[Joaquin]

I have seen this in ebay. There is another version with degassing function. What do you think about?

https://www.ebay.es/itm/Skymen-Stainles ... Sw87RapzDM

[flashman]

There is another version with degassing function. What do you think about?

I was not familiar with a "degas" function in ultrasonic cleaners, so I googled it and found this explanation: https://www.besttechnologyinc.com/faq/d ... ing-tanks/

Degassing makes sense and could explain why, when I did the ultrasonic machine test on my cleaner using fresh water from the faucet, it took several minutes of running before the holes started appearing in the aluminum foil. But I personally feel that, unless time is an important factor for you, all you need to do is run the machine several extra minutes longer when using a fresh tank of solution to let the ultrasonic cavitation remove any gas. And it may not really be necessary at all if you are not getting your solution from a pressurized or aerated supply. For example, if you are just pouring your cleaning solution from a bottle or jug into the cleaning tank, there shouldn't be any gas to remove. If you are using tap water from a faucet, especially if the faucet has an aerator, I can see the need to degas it. But if your solution was not under pressure, degassing shouldn't be a big problem.

Paying more to get the degassing function seems a bit of a waste in my opinion. But others may feel it's worth it.

Cameron