Ultrasonic cleaning

BatDad · May 1, 2020

Folks how long might you expect to leave a baseplate in for cleaning?

Would you expect to have to wipe off residue?

First time doing this with my home setup - and there’s a definite improvement in grime reduction but as I transferred the plate to my desk a fair amount of residue came off on the paper towel I was using. Didn’t know if that’s typical and expected.

I put the plate on 4 cycles of 15mins.

Any guidance appreciated. thanks
C

Canuck · May 1, 2020

Cleaning, without removing the balance Incabloc jewels? I don’t believe what I’m seeing. Soap and water in your cleaning machine? The only advice I have is to re-assemble it and have it professionally done!

X350 XJR · May 1, 2020

Paper towel 😲

BatDad · May 1, 2020

Canuck
Cleaning, without removing the balance Incabloc jewels? I don’t believe what I’m seeing. Soap and water in your cleaning machine? The only advice I have is to re-assemble it and have it professionally done!

Well I will confess this is the very start of a project I hope to complete, whilst I make (many) mistakes and attempt to learn.

Btw it wasn’t soap - but cleaning solution I bought with the ultrasonic.

BatDad · May 1, 2020

X350 XJR
Paper towel 😲

Off to an inauspicious start. 😀

Canuck · May 1, 2020

BatDad
Well I will confess this is the very start of a project I hope to complete, whilst I make (many) mistakes and attempt to learn.

Btw it wasn’t soap - but cleaning solution I bought with the ultrasonic.

Water based concentrate, no doubt. Does anybody use water based concentrate for watch cleaning? If the answer is,yes, then the situation is worse than I thought!

BatDad · May 1, 2020

Canuck
Water based concentrate, no doubt. Does anybody use water based concentrate for watch cleaning? If the answer is,yes, then the situation is worse than I thought!

Hmmm I’d have to check - but will assume you are correct.

So, is it fair to say that ultrasonic cleaning solution and rinse agent are the better starting point....

Would you mind helping me understand my faux pas with leaving the balance and incabloc still in the baseplate for cleaning.

(as a side note, I did have to reseat the jewel and spring as they came loosened during my questionable attempt at cleaning

thanks
Craig

Canuck · May 1, 2020

Look for a PM.

JimInOz · May 1, 2020

Some guidance from another amatuer.

I use cleaning/rinsing solution in jar that is in clean water in the tank.

One jar for cleaning, two for rinsing.
Jars are filled with the solution to the required level and a jar is placed in the empty tank which is then filled with clean water up to the level of the fluid in the jar. Jars are lifted in and out as required.

I clean for 10 minutes (after pegging/brushing) and rinse for three minutes in each rinse. The parts are lifted out of each jar, allowed to drain and then into the next jar and into the tank.

Big parts like plates and bridges are suspended in the solution on copper wire hooks from an alloy frame made to suit the jars.

Small parts go into a basket suspended in solution.

They then go in the dryer and out onto a metal dish and back to the bench. They never touch paper towel.

JimInOz · May 1, 2020

The metal dishes are quite easy to obtain.

😁

BatDad · May 2, 2020

O my, I have been doing it so very wrong.

Thank you for sharing a much better way to approach this!

I best get started on those metal plates!!

ChrisN · May 2, 2020

You'll get good advice here but, I have to ask - are you really starting with a cal 861? There is a lot going on with these.

Good luck, Chris

BatDad · May 2, 2020

Won’t be the first watch I’ve worked with, but the first chrono.

So far Ive been tinkering with an Eta6497 (assembled working) and disassembled an automatic 505.

I’ve had the 861 parts for a fair amount of time and dry fitted their keyless works, and some of the chrono functions on the top plate, to gain familiarity but obv not oiled etc.

Where I’m at in the process; the mainspring is missing, and I have parts inbound for that as I’d like to assemble the basic movement, lubricants etc and then check the watch before moving fully onto the chrono fns.

As I’m now serious about putting the watch together I knew I had to clean the movement parts for the first two pages of the 861 manual - but clearly screwed up there. Am very grateful for the advice thus far - and as I’ve learnt - perhaps it’s better to ask questions before I do something that might be an expensive mistake. 😀

I’ll also mention / I have no intention of breaking down one of my working 861s as I start on this path. The basis is spares or repair movements I’ve picked up from eBay with new parts as needed. Even to my untrained eye the balance looks a mess, but that’s a problem I guess I’ll hit in a few weeks. Hopefully.

ChrisN · May 2, 2020

Well, the basic movement is fairly standard and not that dissimilar to a 6497 so it should be work you've done before. One major difference is in the hour recorder on the barrel so, that will be something to learn.

Good luck and, from what I can see in your pictures, the hairspring issue is not a difficult fix for someone with experience. A balance complete for an 861 is not cheap so be very careful before touching the hairspring.

Regards, Chris

BatDad · May 8, 2020

Okay, order is in for L&R cleaner and rinse agent, and I’ve spent a bit of time reviewing some other awesome threads on cleaning.

My question now is - does it matter what you use for a jar, as long as it fits within your machine.

Being a home rig right now - space is a premium but I’m eyeing up Mrs BDs preserve jars, as I assume you can use the cleaning jars for for more than one clean -if- you can seal the jar. Screw tops seem ideal.

I suppose my question is - is glass thickness a concern within a cleaning cycle?

Canuck · May 8, 2020

I haven’t found thicker glass vessels interfering with ultrasonic effectiveness. But if you are concerned with glass thickness, Pyrex, or any thinner tempered glass also works.try to have one vessel each for cleaner, and rinses. I find these solutions do evaporate, and they are expensive.

BatDad · May 8, 2020

Great - thank you @Canuck, I suppose I was asking is it bonkers to think a preserve jar is viable. That’s not to say I don’t mine getting Pyrex jar and swapping to a screw top jar for storage. But if I can skip that step... makes life easier

On the expensive note - I had original thought they would be a use once - and toss solution. But from reading a few threads you can age out the rinse agent, and make a judgement call on the solvent. Just need to build up that experience now.

Canuck · May 8, 2020

Try to use as small a jar as possible, yet heavy enough that it doesn’t float when the tide line in your tank Is sufficiently deep to give good cavitation to your solution. A smaller, heavy glass jar will help mitigate a tendency to float. With a smaller jar, you don’t waste solutions unnecessarily, if you change after about five cycles. If you rinse twice, your second rinse can become your first rinse, when you refresh your second rinse solution. If your cleaner and rinse jars have lids, it saves a lot of transferring fluids.

BatDad · May 23, 2020

2nd attempt - hoping for better results.

Took one of the cap jewels out this time, and removed the balance.

JimInOz · May 24, 2020

You're getting there.
Your jewels should be separated for good cleaning though, lift the cap jewel off the hole jewel with a bit of Rodico then put them in the basket.

I usually do the jewels alone or with other tiny parts (pallet lever etc) in a very small basket.

When removing things from the baskets, always do it over a large clean surface and check all around the inside edges.
Cap jewels have a habit of trying to hide there.

And if doing very fine springs, either clean them in a small test tube or the finest mesh basket you can find. I recently had a small click spring escape from this.

The suspension wire is 0.62mm in diameter and I had to open the mesh with a needle to get it through. The little bugger still got out though and I used a small magnet to get it out of the jar (after trying all three, it was in the final rinse jar).

Ultrasonic cleaning

BatDad

Canuck

X350 XJR

BatDad

BatDad

Canuck

BatDad

Canuck

JimInOz

JimInOz

BatDad

ChrisN

BatDad

ChrisN

BatDad

Canuck

BatDad

Canuck

BatDad

JimInOz

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