Ultrasonic Cleaners

[Gordon A]

I have just tried using windscreen wash diluted in my U/S cleaner.

It seems to have done the job.

 

Gordon A

Bristol

[JeffP]

Many people suggest washing models in tap water.

Where I live, our water has so much lime in it that it leaves deposits. If you wash the car windscreen and just let it dry, you can see them clearly and they are then difficult to remove, needing something like a paper towel soaked in Viakal, or white vinegar. I'm not sure what either does to paintwork, so mine gets leathered after washing........

 

I was wondering about models? Repeated rinsing in hot water and leaving to dry/drying with warm air, will inevitably leave deposits.

 

Does anyone use distilled/demineralised water for rinsing?

 

Or is it not a problem most have encountered?

[ozzyo]

Many people suggest washing models in tap water.

Where I live, our water has so much lime in it that it leaves deposits. If you wash the car windscreen and just let it dry, you can see them clearly and they are then difficult to remove, needing something like a paper towel soaked in Viakal, or white vinegar. I'm not sure what either does to paintwork, so mine gets leathered after washing........

 

I was wondering about models? Repeated rinsing in hot water and leaving to dry/drying with warm air, will inevitably leave deposits.

 

Does anyone use distilled/demineralised water for rinsing?

 

Or is it not a problem most have encountered?

 

Hello JeffP, all,

 

I live in an area that has "soft" water, in that I can have an electric kettle that will be ten years old that has the element with only a light covering of scale. But some people that I know down south the scale covering to the same degree would happen in less then 6 months. Hard and soft water (lime scale). If you live in a hard water area, it can work to your advantage if you use a acid based flux as it will start to neutralise the latent flux (school boy chemistry).

 

To check this just get some Litmus papers red for the alkalinity of the water or blue for the acidity of the water. If your water is alkaline just add a teaspoon or so of vinegar until it's neutral. That should hopefully stop any white marks.

 

Back to a set of frames that I wanted to clean up. I started to clean them up in cellulose thinners and this was the result. From both sides and the front.

 

Then I decided to pop them into the U/C using caustic soda, to get rid of the rest of the paint. This was a mix of about 250grms of caustic soda to about 2.5 L (so1 to 10) of water and heated to 60degs. This is the colour of the sludge the I then had. I may have gone OTT in giving it an hour at 60degs. but I wanted to get all the paint off. When I started the liquid was clear and well you can see what it looks like after a bit of use.

Safety warning if you get liquid CAUSTIC SODA on your skin apply vinegar to your skin A.S.A.P.

 

This is what I was left with in the bottom of the U/C tank. To clean all this out I used green Cilit Bang (acid) and then clean water.

 

This is what the frames looked like after this cleaning, the next job will be the grit blast them, and then to get them all back together

 

As I've said before I don't worry about the staining , all I want is for the metal to be clean.

 

OzzyO.

[N15class]

Ozzy0

saves having to use blackening fluid before painting..

[ozzyo]

bump for PhilH

Edited April 19, 2013 by ozzyo

[Sandy Harper]

The U/C's are great and the process I have found to be ideal, but not necessarily for everyone, is to keep your model clean throughout your build. When finished building, scrub with Bar Keepers Friend, find someone with a grit blaster and give it a going over, then into the U/C for a couple of sessions.

 

After that lot the brass or N/S model will be as clean as it is ever going to be and ready for undercoat.

 

Sandy

[Andy Hardman]

Very interesting topic.

Dont mean to take it off topic too much, but a few people have mentioned grit blasters ....anyone have any info / experience with these to help a newby ??

On the flux issue, I started with Coralite and also Fluxite, and never saw any green deposits, but when I tried others, then it became more apparent - its either the flux, or that I am not cleaning up as good as I should !!!???

 

 

Thanks,

 

Andy

[billbedford]

The carrier used in 'plumbers' flux is soap. it can be removed by simply poring hot water over your model. The hotter then better.

[JeffP]

Andy, try a search, Ozzy has a grit blaster and has posted quite a lot of info about it, including some interesting photos.

[Torper]

Every now and again Aldi and Lidl  have U/S cleaners. They're small (but big enough for most 4mm purposes) and pretty basic - no heater, max 490 second cleaning cycle.  They're also cheap, usually under £20.  On the basis that you usually get what you pay for, are these any good or merely a waste of money?

 

DT

[Kenton]

 

 

The carrier used in 'plumbers' flux is soap. it can be removed by simply poring hot water over your model. The hotter then better.

As long as it does not contain low melt soldered components as boiling water is the best route to disassembly.

[stewartingram]

Must be time for it to reappear on the Aldi circuit again - I've been wating for a replacement for a long time since I dropped mine.

 

Stewart

[MarkC]

I got mine from Aldi about 4 weeks ago - great bit of kit for just under £20

 

Mark

[Torper]

Alastair and Mark - thanks.  It's now on the shopping list - as you say, it comes round fairly regularly in Aldi's specials.

 

DT

[stewartingram]

I got mine from Aldi about 4 weeks ago - great bit of kit for just under £20

 

Mark

 

Grrr.......missed it again

[R A Watson]

Normally in stock in Maplin at about the same price all of the time.

 

Wally

[Dorsetmike]

I'm in N gauge, I currently have a very small Jewellery  one from Lidl, about £6, I can just about fit wheel sets and once a Fleischmann motor, I've never used it for any kit work, not big enough! Had a browse through Amazon and see they currently have the JPL 2000 at £24.99, tank capacity is about 350mL, they don't quote tank size only external which is 198x124x110 or about 8"x 5"x4" so should take an N coach at around 6" (nowt bigger than 57 footers for me).

 

Any opinions on JPL products (and their 2000 model), looks like the Maplin one is the next size up, JPL Ultra 7000 (500mL)

[Kev_Lewis]

I have a JPL Ultra 8050D-H, which has a 2.5 litre tank.

 

Wouldn't be without it now.

 

Maplins currently have these for £80.

[kada33]

Hello to all

 

I'm looking at buying an Ultrasonic Cleaner, having looked at the models for sale at Maplins there are two possibles. The Ultra 7000 (£49.99) and the Pro Ultra 8050-H (£99.99).

 

I did watch the demo were it stated they were both the same volume. Is the later one worth the extra cost. Are there others else were at better value?

 

Regards

 

Dave 

[JeffP]

Plenty on ebay, and even at Machine Mart.

[scotcent]

I  just  bought  an  Ultra  7000  from  Maplin's  for  £29.99.  And  it  wasn't  a  special  offer.  Seems  good  so  far.

 

Allan  F

[Coombe Barton]

Just looked the first says 750ml, the second 2.5l

 

First no heater, second heats to 65degC

 

Are you comparing like with like?

[burgundy]

Out of interest, what volume do you need for a small 4mm scale loco?

Best wishes

Eric

[Enterprisingwestern]

There's a thread elsewhere on these, but my comment would be to watch the internal dimensions of the tank and make sure it's big enough to fit your models in, 264mm of the 8050 above will only allow a mk1 coach with corridor connections at a squeeze, and that's not allowing for the rounded corners of the tank.

 

Mike.

[kada33]

Hi all

 

Thanks for the the replies, I forgot to mention I shall be using it for 'O' Gauge. The Ultra 8050 is £94.99 on ebay, because I model in 'O' Gauge I would need the greater volume in Litres?

 

Dave