I’ve been wondering about the best way to clean a couple of older locomotives. I’ve heard that ultrasonic cleaning does wonders.
My question are:
TIA
KJ
I suggest you ask a jeweler. Whatever you get here would be speculation. Better to go to the authoritative source.
Ken,
Do a search on ultrasonic cleaning using the Advanced Search the forums . . . function above. Nigel Misso did a posting a while back on making your own inexpensive outfit using inexpensive transducers from Radio Shack or similar stores.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543
HI Ken
I work for a large manufacturing company that uses several ultrasonic systems to clean parts with.
My question are:
1. Is it safe?
Answer. It depends
2. Can I get a jewler to do it for me? I can’t justify the purchase.
Answer. Possibly
3. Does it remove all the lubricants?
Answer. It depends
Kind of vague answers, so I will elaborate a bit.
sonics work by using high frequency sound waves that cause small implosions on the surface they contact. This, in effect, causes a scrubbing action on the surface of the part. Depending on what you need to clean, different soaps are needed. You will need to completly dissassemble what ever it is you need to clean. I have heard several times people say just put the whole thing in the tank. From experience, I can tell you it won’t work as good. The surfaces of the part need to be exposed to the sonic waves. As far as cleaning lubricants. If the soaps that are used are rated to remove them then yes, they will. sonics for the most part will not harm plastic, so don’t worry about your plastic shells. Since I don’t know what type of cleaner will be used I can’t say what might happen to the painted surfaces. The sonics won’t bother paint but the soaps might. If any parts are made of alluminum or any close relative of it I will caution you against putting them in the sonics. We test our sonic tanks by placing a sheet of aluminum foil into the tank streched over a frame. When the sonics are turned on the waves will eat holes through the foil in what ever pattern that is being emmitted. This will happen in a matter of seconds. One of our resident gear heads put an aluminum cylinder head into one of the tanks to clean it one time, turned on the sonics and left it soak. He came back about an hour later to find a very clean, expensive, paperweight in the tank. Needless to say, he did not go racing that night.
Dan Pikulski
www.DansResinCasting.com
I have an ultrasonic cleaner that was originally sold as a false teeth cleaner. It does wonders on unpainted figures prior to painting. It is only 3X5X5 though. Perhaps you can find one on E Bay or local newspaper ads.
BB
II have one and used it for over twenty five years to clean brass before I paint it. It will remove oil and finger prints using a few drops of detergent in the water. The only thing unsafe is using chemicals other than soap and water. You are cautioned against using any chemicals and I use glass beading for the removal of paint or oxidation from brass.
I also use the unit for our rings or other jewelry.
it does remove all lubricants if you run it for twenty or so minutes and the results is a surface that is as good to paint as you can get. You must handle the parts with rubber gloves after you remove them and they should be dried using air pressure immediately to give the best results. I also slip them into the paint oven for a few minutes after cleaning so no moisture is present on them…
Skip the oven if you are doing plastic or you might not have to paint them.
One caution, The early Korean brass might have poor solder and would cause the parts to loosen.
Thank you all for your help. I may look for a cleaner on eBay. I’m interested mostly in cleaning the drive trains for my locos. But the info about painting was very helpful.
Thanks again.
KJ
Ken,
You probably already have all the info you wanted. I do have experience with US cleaners so I’ll pipe in.
For what you are doing, absolutely yes.
Perhaps - I guess it can’t hurt to ask
What are you wanting to accomplish with the US cleaning? Are you just trying to remove old dirt and grime? Is your lcomotive plastic or metal?
If you just want to remove old dirt, then all you need to do is fill the US cleaner’s basic with soapy water. (Ivory soap would be best.) It won’t remove heavy grease but it might remove light oils, like some of the Labelle lubricants. The thing you have to be careful of is using anything that may react to the material you are trying to clean. The US cleaner “high frequency” actiion in itself will not harm the material of your lcomotive. It’s what you use in the basin that makes the real difference. Acetone or Trichloroethylene will do wonders degreasing anything but will pretty much destroy the plastic and/or paint job on your locomotive.
Ken, if you can find an used Branson US cleaner on ebay, they make a very good product! Hope that’s a help.
Tom