Long story short; I contemplate purchasing an ultrasonic cleaner to clean my pipe stems in.
Please share your thoughts .
Please share your thoughts .
Ultrasonic Cleaner
- Thread starter orlandofurioso
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Interesting thought. My only question is if it will adequately clean inside the stem where the grime lives. The outside of the stem may dampen the vibrations too much????
Im certainly intested in your results
They are not terribly expensive. It may be a worthwhile experiment.
Im certainly intested in your results
They are not terribly expensive. It may be a worthwhile experiment.
Thank you Monsieur Sigmund. I have so many questions and this is a good one. Might depend on what cleaner fluid one adds to the deminiralized water. Some do it in Oxy Clean (? ) , others in water/alcohol etc.
using an ultrasonic bath to clean a stem – rebornpipes
Posts about using an ultrasonic bath to clean a stem written by rebornpipes
rebornpipes.com
I use an ultrasonic cleaner for lots of motorcycle parts, gun parts, and other stuff. I have tried to clean stems, it will get them very clean, but it will not do anything to oxidation. It will clean the inside.
So it will not remove oxidation, not even with Oxy Clean added ?
I do btw NOT clean my stems with Oxy .
I contemplate this one :
www.hbm-machines.com
HBM 2 Liter Professionele Ultrasoon Reiniger
De krachtige HBM 2 Liter Professionele Ultrasoon Reiniger reinigt met gemak de meest hardnekkige vuile oppervlakken. Met gebruik van ultrasonische golven zorgt de machine voor een zeer geavanceerde reiniging bij het reinigen van bijvoorbeeld optische instrumenten, onderdelen van klokken...
www.hbm-machines.com
Ultrasonics that are available for under $1000 are not going to be powerful enough to clean inside the stems. And, even a good bench jeweler's ultrasonic isn't going to do much for oxidation.
Maybe using it with oxyclean? Maybe, but if you buy a cheaper ultrasonic, whatever mix you make to put in it, will most likely tear it up. Not right away, but ultrasonics are designed to be used with mixtures that meets a certain specific gravity, to work with the motor that causes the ultrasonic waves. In a pinch years ago, I ran out of fluid and mixed in some ammonia once, and after running it, the motor just stopped causing the waves.
So, that is my professional outlook on this, but you are free to do as you wish. YMMV
Maybe using it with oxyclean? Maybe, but if you buy a cheaper ultrasonic, whatever mix you make to put in it, will most likely tear it up. Not right away, but ultrasonics are designed to be used with mixtures that meets a certain specific gravity, to work with the motor that causes the ultrasonic waves. In a pinch years ago, I ran out of fluid and mixed in some ammonia once, and after running it, the motor just stopped causing the waves.
So, that is my professional outlook on this, but you are free to do as you wish. YMMV
Definitely bigger than you need for pipe stems but if it doesnt do what you want with pipe parts it sounds like you have other uses. Man, if Oxy works that would be great. I hate sanding on old estates. I also work on ebonite saxophone mouthpieces. My cusomers would love if they were back to black!
Just read cosmics reply... Sounds like I will have to keep sanding!
If you get one post your results.
Just read cosmics reply... Sounds like I will have to keep sanding!
If you get one post your results.
What I have used ultrasonics for, is cleaning off all of the polish after I have completed a stem. They ARE great for that, as that is mainly what a jeweler would use one for. As far as oxides in jeweler goes, they just don't work for that. I do have an eltro-polish that does decent at removing tarnish, which is what that is designed for, but it not even all that great at that. It looks a little like an ultrasonic, but it has electrodes that attaches to the work... which wouldn't work for stems, since they don't conduct electricity. But, I mention it, because many people watching a bench jeweler might ASSUME that we use ultrasonics for tarnish (after watching us use an elctro-polish) but we don't.
Ultrasonics really are to just remove grease and grime and polishing compounds on bulk work.
Ultrasonics really are to just remove grease and grime and polishing compounds on bulk work.
Thanks for sharing your expertise Cosmic; appreciated !
My girlfriend recently bought me an ultrasonic cleaner as a gift after seeing me constantly fiddling with cleaning and polishing stems. I've been hesitant to use it (concerns about the heated solution affecting bends, removing stamping, etc.) I suspect she saw Steve Laug's blog post about it. She picked up some Simple Green solution to use with it.
There are always some trash pipes in my trunk I can release my Frankenstein experiments on 
Does the solution heat up ?
Does the solution heat up ?
Some ultrasonics have heating elements, some don't.
To my way of thinking an ultrasonic cleaner, if it works, doesn't offer much advantage over pipe cleaners with an appropriate cleaning solvent (e.g., alcohol, dish soap, lemon juice). As @cosmicfolklore points out there is ample reason to believe an ultrasonic cleaner will not work. The only way to reliably and completely remove oxidation on/in an ebonite stem is to remove material --> sanding or buffing, there is no secret sauce/pixey dust (e.g., oxyclean or bleach, or....) that changes this conclusion.
I don't have access to the machine at this time. I believe this is the model she got me:
VEVOR Ultrasonic Cleaner with Digital Timer & Heater, Professional Ultra Sonic Jewelry Cleaner, Stainless Steel Heated Cleaning Machine for Glasses Watch Rings Small Parts Circuit Board (3L) | VEVOR US
Discover VEVOR Ultrasonic Cleaner with Digital Timer & Heater, Professional Ultra Sonic Jewelry Cleaner, Stainless Steel Heated Cleaning Machine for Glasses Watch Rings Small Parts Circuit Board (3L), Professional Ultrasonic Cleaning Technology and Advanced Transducer Technology at lowest price...
www.vevor.com
SweetI don't have access to the machine at this time. I believe this is the model she got me:
VEVOR Ultrasonic Cleaner with Digital Timer & Heater, Professional Ultra Sonic Jewelry Cleaner, Stainless Steel Heated Cleaning Machine for Glasses Watch Rings Small Parts Circuit Board (3L) | VEVOR US
Discover VEVOR Ultrasonic Cleaner with Digital Timer & Heater, Professional Ultra Sonic Jewelry Cleaner, Stainless Steel Heated Cleaning Machine for Glasses Watch Rings Small Parts Circuit Board (3L), Professional Ultrasonic Cleaning Technology and Advanced Transducer Technology at lowest price...
The temp. is adjustable !
Sweet
At what temperature will vulcanite lose its bend?