Ultrasonic cleaners

[kybill2011]

Hello fellow fourm'ers,
Bill here again. Couple of questions. As a jeweler I have used the ultrasonic for many years but apparently there are different cleaning solutions for watches. Could use some suggestions on which may be a good one. Now I keep reading about the rinse cycle, with jewelry I use a steam machine to get any residue or dirt that was left behind. This does not seem very smart for watch parts. So, could some one explain the rinse cycle, I know what it is but how is it preformed. Do you empty your solution and replace it with fresh water or use another liquid in a different container, etc.? Now for last. I do not have one to fix but have run across several in my years, that is watches that have been wound to tight and won't run and let the main spring unwind. Is there a normal cause for this problem?

[Arutha]

With ultrasonics and watches it is best to buy the proper cleaning solution and rinses. L&R are the ones I hear talked about most often. The idea is the mechanisam goes into the cleaning solution and then into a first rinse and then a second rinse. As the first rinse gets dirty and becomes contaminated with cleaning solution you dispose of it and replace it with the second rinse and then use more clean stuff for the second rinse. Hope that makes sense? Now thinking about it that is how you would do it with a watch cleaning machine, ultrasonics are more thorough cleaners so you will need someone with a bit more experience than me to answer that one. As for a watch being "overwound" or a clock for that matter, its an untruth! The only reason a clock or watch wont go when fully woulnd is because the train has become so dirty and gummed up it wont run or it has serious wear. With watches more than clocks it can also be due to the lubrication on the mainspring has become so gummy the spring cant unwind.
Someone should be along soon with info on the ultrasonic watch cleaning.
Paul.

[kybill2011]

Thanks Paul, that was some useful information.

[Arutha]

Glad I could be of help
I have had a bit of a read on the internet and from what I understand the cycle is pretty much the same for ultrasonic cleaners. Firstly if your ultrasonic cleaner is fairly large you dont want to be filling it to the brim with expensive solution so you fill it with water and then put the watch mech in a beaker with the cleaning solution and stand that in the water in the ultrasonic. Secondly there seems to be an issue with cleaning watch mainsprings in ultrasonics, there is the possibility of micro cracks forming which over time could cause a fracture, if the mainspring breaks it can cause a lot of damage to your watch. There are 3 schools of thought here, one group of people claim they have done it for ages and it is fine, the second group clean the mainspring in a small jar of solution with a brush and the 3rd group take the route I think I would take and get a new mainspring which you would have to do anyway if yours was "set". The peace of mind far outweighs the small cost of a new one. If its something a bit different and a replacement mainspring cant be found then I would use the manual method of cleaning the mainspring as I dont like to take chances.
Paul.

[kybill2011]

Thanks Paul

I appreceiate the research. I was trying to figure a way to do a rinse cycle without emptying the ultrasonic and the beaker system fits perfectly. Can't believe I did not think of it myself being such a simple fix. After the rinse cycle should the parts be left to air dry or should you try to dry them manually,
( blow dryer )? I have seen both methods talked about. Whats your opinion?

[Arutha]

Like I said before I am not a watch expert, I am sure Bob will jump in on this and add his advice at some point. The one thing I would say is if you use the waterless rinse that L&R make then you could just let them air dry. With a purpose built watch cleaning machine they have four beakers, the first has the cleaner, then number 1 rinse, then number 2 rinse a finaly a heating pot that has an element in the bottom which dries the movement quite quickly. If you are not using a waterless rinse and you take the time blowing dry all the parts it can be a bit of a slow process making sure you get every drop of water away, I have seen rust start to form in a matter of minutes on some parts and this ruins all the hard work of cleaning in the first place. I would place the parts in one of those fine metal sieves and give it a gentle blast with cold or at most warm but not hot hair dryer. Its important not to get the movement too hot, especialy if it is an older movement as some parts are glued with shellac, get them hot and the shellac lets go
I am going to have a go at a couple of ladies watch movements very soon, as soon as my mainspring winder turns up in fact, so once I am in the process I will post up here so you can see how I get on and how I mess things up
Paul.

[Bob Tascione]

Hi Bill and Paul,
Been away from a decent internet connection for a couple of days.
Very good advise as always Paul!!
I would just add that normal heat from a hair dryer will be fine to dry the watch. Just keep the dryer a safe distance from the movement and try not to expose the hairspring to fast moving air as it may become tangled.
Enjoy Bill!
Bob