For those that have an ultrasonic cleaner. How do you use it for cleaning a piece prior to painting? What type of solution? --AND– How do you use it for removing paint and/or decals? What type of solution?
I have a small ultrasonic cleaner that I use for small parts cleaning. I use a solution of trisodium phosphate and water for cleaning. The cleaning bath holds about 16 oz and I add about a teaspoonful of TSP to it to make the cleaning solution. I’ve never tried using it to remove paint or decals since soaking in isopropyl alcohol has worked fro me.
Joe
For cleaning:
- Place the part(s) to be cleaned in a clean beaker or jar and fill the container with a soapy water solution - i.e. - dishwashing liquid and water (The water should have enough soap in it to feel slippery between your fingers)
- Fill ultrasonic tank with water and a few drops of liquid soap
- Clean parts for a determined amount of time - 5-15 min.
- Rinse parts off or perform a cleaning cycle using clean water for determined amount of time
For removing paint:
It really depends upon the type of paint and the material you are removing the paint from. For decals alone, I’m guessing a gentle mechanical rubbing with alcohol and a Q-tip swab would be the preferred method. I’ve also used gray erasers with success.
Tom
My sister in law has a small one that is used for cleaning jewelry. It uses soapy water and does a pretty good job.
For stripping paint, though, I would think it would take you an awfully long time to do it that way. If I were you, I’d whip out the trusty ELO and have at it.
i had one years ago and for cleaning, i find a soft bristle tooth brush and some dish washing liquid work just as well and are a lot simpler and easier. just don’t handle the part with bare hands after you blow dry it.
i never tried if for removing paint etc.
i get the impression that the u/s cleaners are one of those luxury items you might just feel compelled to use after buying it.
grizlump
Used to use one frequently at work. Used it for cleaning PC boards after building or modifying the boards, and also for cleaning greasy mechanical parts. Couple important points to remember.Never use any flamable cleaner directly in the tank. Put the parts to be cleaned in, preferably, a glass container, place the container in the tank, then add water to the tank to the fill line. Don’t overfill. The liquid level in the container should be level with or higher than the liquid level in the tank. Keep the tank clean, which means following the instruction manual.
The cleaning action is fairly gentle, so it probably won’t work in any reasonable time for removing decals or paint unless you use a strong cleaning solution.
If using a flamable cleaning solution, don’t leave it unattended.
For most regular surfaces, the toothbrush/alcohol method is probably just as good. Where the Ultrasonic Cleaner will shine is cleaning the little cracks, pits, junctions, places you can’t get into with a brush.