Ultrasonic parts cleaners

I have read passing mention of these on this forum.I would be interested
to know if they are versatile enough to completely displace the solvent
type.
Do they produce any wastes which pose disposal issues?
It's not that I have any reason to be disloyal to my current employer
(Safety Kleen), but when I open my shop, I would prefer not to have to
work in noxious vapors all day.
I would apreciate comments pro or con.
Dan Burkhart
Oakville Ont


--
Dan Burkhart

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 12:40:32 +1100, Dan Burkhart
wrote:


I have read passing mention of these on this forum.I would be interested
to know if they are versatile enough to completely displace the solvent
type.
Do they produce any wastes which pose disposal issues?
It's not that I have any reason to be disloyal to my current employer
(Safety Kleen), but when I open my shop, I would prefer not to have to
work in noxious vapors all day.
I would apreciate comments pro or con.
Dan Burkhart
Oakville Ont

Dear Dan,

Thou subtile, perjur'd, false, disloyal man, think'st thou I
am so shallow, so conceitless, to be seduced by thy
flattery, that hast deceiv'd so many with thy vows? Return,
return and make thy love amends.

Beware of ultrasonic cleaners--they destroy aluminum parts:

"Do not use ultrasonic cleaning with aluminum component and
aqueous solution. That is the standard procedure for
introducing hydrogen into the aluminum for researchers of
hydrogen embrittlement of aluminum (the other techniques are
plasma charging and NaOH submersion). A quick experiment
would be tossing a piece of kitchen foil into the ultrasonic
cleaner with water. The foil will disintergrate within the
half hour."

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=ul...hoon2&rnum =1
or http://tinyurl.com/45a6t

Silvia

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 12:40:32 +1100, Dan Burkhart
wrote:


I have read passing mention of these on this forum.I would be interested
to know if they are versatile enough to completely displace the solvent
type.
Do they produce any wastes which pose disposal issues?
It's not that I have any reason to be disloyal to my current employer
(Safety Kleen), but when I open my shop, I would prefer not to have to
work in noxious vapors all day.
I would apreciate comments pro or con.

They produce the garbage that you were trying to wash off the parts in the first
place in a solution with water and any detergent, wetting agent, emulsifier you
might have used.

I've not used one on bike parts. They are unpleasant to be around - horrible
noise - but are easier and for fine stuff more effective than hand scrubbing.

Ron

Oddly enough, when used with petroleum solvents, the aluminum issue is
reduced to a minor problem with unfinished parts. No worries about
hydrogen embrittlement.

In regular water bath units, pack the parts in plastic containers
suitable for the solvent. Polyethylene food containers with airtight
lids work well with regular paint thinner or deodorized kerosine, just
never use them again for food! Leave enough room so the container
floats in the bath. Sonicate as usual.

Let your solvent settle for reuse, the only issue would be the solvent
will become loaded with lubricant. This is also not an issue because
eventually, no chain lubrication would be necessary! All of that chain
lube you use will itself become recycled!


--
Weisse Luft

Dan Burkhart wrote:

I have read passing mention of these on this forum.I would be interested
to know if they are versatile enough to completely displace the solvent
type.
Do they produce any wastes which pose disposal issues?
It's not that I have any reason to be disloyal to my current employer
(Safety Kleen), but when I open my shop, I would prefer not to have to
work in noxious vapors all day.

There are as many answers to this as mechanics but I also
disliked having a few gallons of stinky stuff around. The
fluid quickly becomes oily anyway. So we sold all the parts
washers here years ago.

Now we use Milwaukee Sprayers with auto brake wash ( mostly
alcohol) for general cleaning.

http://www.sureshotsprayer.com/product.htm

We'll occasionally use a Branson ultrasonic cleaner. The
ultrasonic units work well with detergent and water but you
need to find a brand that won't spot anodizesd aluminum
parts. Your residue is water mixed with detergent and the
grit /oils that came off your parts.

I personally clean parts with a sprayer and toothbrush over
a soiled cloth and toss the cloth. The ultrasonic seldom
saves any time. We do use it for complete 'every nut and
bolt' rebuilds but those are rare.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 12:40:32 +1100, Dan Burkhart
wrote:


I have read passing mention of these on this forum.I would be interested
to know if they are versatile enough to completely displace the solvent
type.
Do they produce any wastes which pose disposal issues?

Garbage in, garbage out. They create nothing, they destroy nothing;
they just move it around. Whether the contaminat-laden fluid presents
a disposal problem is a matter of opinion and regulation.

It's not that I have any reason to be disloyal to my current employer
(Safety Kleen), but when I open my shop, I would prefer not to have to
work in noxious vapors all day.

I have used Safety-Kleen solvent in an ultrasonic cleaner; it works
OK. So do a lot of other things. My current very small ultrasonic
unit is filled with a diluted butyl cleaner; I use it for a variety of
tasks.

If you live in an area where the use of solvents containing volatile
organic compounds is regulated or restricted, you'll want to look for
alternatives. Either way, a solvent bath is still just one of several
options.


--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Ronsonic wrote:

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 12:40:32 +1100, Dan Burkhart
wrote:


I have read passing mention of these on this forum.I would be
interested to know if they are versatile enough to completely
displace the solvent type.
Do they produce any wastes which pose disposal issues?
It's not that I have any reason to be disloyal to my current employer
(Safety Kleen), but when I open my shop, I would prefer not to have
to work in noxious vapors all day.
I would apreciate comments pro or con.

They produce the garbage that you were trying to wash off the parts
in the first place in a solution with water and any detergent,
wetting agent, emulsifier you might have used.

Exactly.

I've not used one on bike parts.

I have. They're the best thing there is for cleaning chains, and probably the
only thing that works perfectly.

They are unpleasant to be around -
horrible noise - but are easier and for fine stuff more effective
than hand scrubbing.

The one I had made no noise at all. After all, it's ultrasonic -- beyond the
range of human hearing. Dunno if it bothered the dog.

Matt O.

A Muzi wrote:

Dan Burkhart wrote:

I have read passing mention of these on this forum.I would be
interested to know if they are versatile enough to completely
displace the solvent type.
Do they produce any wastes which pose disposal issues?
It's not that I have any reason to be disloyal to my current employer
(Safety Kleen), but when I open my shop, I would prefer not to have
to work in noxious vapors all day.

There are as many answers to this as mechanics but I also
disliked having a few gallons of stinky stuff around. The
fluid quickly becomes oily anyway.

I always used a piece of oil absorbing mat for boat bilges, which soaks up all
the oil so you can dispose of it properly.

Matt O.

Dan- I have read passing mention of these on this forum.I would be interested
to know if they are versatile enough to completely displace the solvent
type.
Do they produce any wastes which pose disposal issues?
It's not that I have any reason to be disloyal to my current employer
(Safety Kleen), but when I open my shop, I would prefer not to have to
work in noxious vapors all day. BRBR

I answer-
First, open your own shop? Good for you, bring your sense of humor.
Second, we looked at ultrasonics when we opened and at the price, compared to
the small SafetyKleen rig, couldn't justify the purchase. I guess the best
would be a lease, but none such around here.
As AMuzi stated, it can goon up anodizing, but it does clean a chain really
well, particularly when new(flame ON!!!).

As for odors, we normally roll ours outside but on cold/snowy, it stays inside
and with the top down, doesn't stink.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"