Ultrasonic cleaners

[fqgouvea]

I think I’m at the point where I could use an ultrasonic cleaner, especially with older pens that have lots of old ink left behind. Any recommendations?

Thanks!

[Chrissy]

I'm probably going to be the only member on here who offers the following advice.

I'm in the UK so what is available to me may be different to what is available to you. However, my preference was to buy a USC from a web-site that sells USC's to professionals such as dentists and jewellers among others.

Yes it is more expensive than the many USC's that can be found on Amazon or ebay. However, it's metal inside and out, is very robust, has a timer that goes for up to 15 minutes and gets the liquid inside nicely warm, and it does a good job every time I use it even if it's multiple times per day.

Once, a fuse blew and I was able to easily remove the base and replace it.

If anything else goes wrong with it, I can send it back to the manufacturer who will offer me a new model replacement at a reduced price if he can't fix it.

I paid what some will consider an astronomical price of almost £100 for it. In the world of USC's, I'm in the group of users who would say you get what you pay for.

Others have much cheaper USC's that have gone on for years and years and cost very little. The electric wiring should not be part of the lid, as opening and closing of the lid may affect that. My lid is completely removable and all of the electric and works are in the base.

[Deb]

I have a James Ultra 7000. It was quite expensive - around £75.00 five years ago - but it does a decent job. I find I use it much less than I imagined I would. For cleaning, cotton buds and brushes do a better job than any ultrasonic cleaner. It's good for using with a deoxidizer to remove corrosion and rust but I don't get many pens in that state.

[KrazyIvan]

Just be careful with older pens that may have plating damage. If at all possible, remove metal parts. Any plating damage will be made worse bu an UC.

[carlos.q]

I bought a Trent CD-7810 for $29.95 from Amazon about seven years ago and it's still going strong.

And yes it will remove the gold plating from a nib. Don't ask how I know.

[calamus]

I bought a Trent CD-7810 for $29.95 from Amazon about seven years ago and it's still going strong.

And yes it will remove the gold plating from a nib. Don't ask how I know.

[azkid]

Mines a cheapo no name that is labeled in Chinese. I had to reglue the metal pan in using RTV silicone sealant. It is noisy. But I've used it for pens, watch parts, and PCBs and it keeps going and hasn't burned the house down.. Yet. If it breaks I will either have to fix it myself or toss it.

I think I was looking at watchmaker USC machines awhile ago... And I think they were significantly more than $100 or £100.

[Chrissy]

Mines a cheapo no name that is labeled in Chinese. I had to reglue the metal pan in using RTV silicone sealant. It is noisy. But I've used it for pens, watch parts, and PCBs and it keeps going and hasn't burned the house down.. Yet. If it breaks I will either have to fix it myself or toss it.

I think I was looking at watchmaker USC machines awhile ago... And I think they were significantly more than $100 or £100.

I have an Ultrawave one that I fixed myself. It's very old and came from the same company that I bought my new one from. I had started to notice small pieces of something underneath it and when I removed the screws in the base, there was a stone-like block of material that had two electrical connectors attached to it. The stone-like material had cracked and crumbled slightly and one of the connectors had dropped off.
So I used some Milliput to repair the crack and crumbling part, re-attached the electrical connector, and left it to set for a few days. After that it worked perfectly again. The manufacturer asked if I wanted a job.
I wasn't sure how long I could trust it for, so when they gave me a great deal on a new one I splurged and bought it.
My version is the smallest in their range.

[Deb]

Mines a cheapo no name that is labeled in Chinese. I had to reglue the metal pan in using RTV silicone sealant. It is noisy. But I've used it for pens, watch parts, and PCBs and it keeps going and hasn't burned the house down.. Yet. If it breaks I will either have to fix it myself or toss it.

I think I was looking at watchmaker USC machines awhile ago... And I think they were significantly more than $100 or £100.

I have an Ultrawave one that I fixed myself. It's very old and came from the same company that I bought my new one from. I had started to notice small pieces of something underneath it and when I removed the screws in the base, there was a stone-like block of material that had two electrical connectors attached to it. The stone-like material had cracked and crumbled slightly and one of the connectors had dropped off.
So I used some Milliput to repair the crack and crumbling part, re-attached the electrical connector, and left it to set for a few days. After that it worked perfectly again. The manufacturer asked if I wanted a job.
I wasn't sure how long I could trust it for, so when they gave me a great deal on a new one I splurged and bought it.
My version is the smallest in their range.

You should be on The Repair Shop.

[Chrissy]

Mines a cheapo no name that is labeled in Chinese. I had to reglue the metal pan in using RTV silicone sealant. It is noisy. But I've used it for pens, watch parts, and PCBs and it keeps going and hasn't burned the house down.. Yet. If it breaks I will either have to fix it myself or toss it.

I think I was looking at watchmaker USC machines awhile ago... And I think they were significantly more than $100 or £100.

I have an Ultrawave one that I fixed myself. It's very old and came from the same company that I bought my new one from. I had started to notice small pieces of something underneath it and when I removed the screws in the base, there was a stone-like block of material that had two electrical connectors attached to it. The stone-like material had cracked and crumbled slightly and one of the connectors had dropped off.
So I used some Milliput to repair the crack and crumbling part, re-attached the electrical connector, and left it to set for a few days. After that it worked perfectly again. The manufacturer asked if I wanted a job.
I wasn't sure how long I could trust it for, so when they gave me a great deal on a new one I splurged and bought it.
My version is the smallest in their range.

You should be on The Repair Shop.

ROFL. My favourite TV show of all time.