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Ultrasonic Cleaning

2K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  espanolito 
#1 ·
I have bought recently a machine of ultrasonic cleaning. The machine is small and of little power 50 W. I want to clean the keys of sax with the machine. I have proven with water in the machine and the result has not been absolutely good.

Some experience with these machine of cleaning?
I must add some type of additive to the water?
It can damage this procedure the keys or the finished of the lacquer?
Desire to clean silver-plated and brass.
 
#2 ·
Quite a few Sax shops and many doctors, beauticians, body piercing (ouch! :shock: ) places use ultrasonic cleaning. My advice would be to go in and ask them. Just be sure to ask about cleaning and not get talked into a tatoo or a Prince Albert. :)
 
#3 ·
Ask the people whose cleaning involves lacquer and brass, otherwise you could be misled.

BTW the industrial machines that technicians use are quite sophisticated, in frequency, pulsing, wave-form, etc.

Ultrasonics CAN be quite damaging. After all, if you put some aluminium foil in for a minute, then hold it up to the light, then you will find that it is riddled with holes. It may well be that, depending on the exact specs of the ultrasound, that it is quite damaging to the surface, causing microscopic etching, which would encourage future corrosion. When researching the effects of various forms of cleaning on fixed titanium appliances in the mouth, this etching has been found - at least with the particular dental ultrasonic equipment used in the experiment - was found to etch the microscopically etch the surface sufficiently to enable it to more easily harbour bacteria.
Ref: http://www.dent.ucla.edu/pic/members/wsp/3-96/meschenmoser.html

The makers of the ultrasonic equipment used specifically in the musical instrument repair industry, CLAIM (hmm) that they have parameters appropriate to minimise or eliminate detrimental effects. This may not be so with a cheap, off-the-shelf machine.
 
#4 ·
espanolito said:
I have bought recently a machine of ultrasonic cleaning. The machine is small and of little power 50 W. I want to clean the keys of sax with the machine. I have proven with water in the machine and the result has not been absolutely good.

Some experience with these machine of cleaning?
I must add some type of additive to the water?
It can damage this procedure the keys or the finished of the lacquer?
Desire to clean silver-plated and brass.
If you email me your snail mail address, I'll send you some ultrasonic cleaning literature describing the process. What I do for a day job includes the manufacture and distribution of ultrasonic cleaners. We provide a liquid detergent with our cleaners that we advise customers to use for more effective cleaning. Also, the u/s cleaner must be properly tuned before it will do its job well.

Basically, the ultrasound energy sets up a phenomenon in the liquid called cavitation which is the formation of millions of microscopic bubbles that blanket the item to be cleaned. The internal pressure of the bubbles is lower than the liquid surrounding them, and the pressure difference ultimately causes the bubbles to implode, literally blasting away dirt and other contamination from the item being cleaned.

You might consider conducting cleaning tests on low value items with your cleaner before subjecting your instrument parts to the process.
 
#5 ·
We got one earlier this year. Initialy we had some problems with loose lacer and plating flaking off, but talked to others who had one and turned the temperature down and we havnt had that problem since. However, it is less effective with cold water although I havent noticed much difference.
 
#6 ·
I made the test of Gordon. Incredible. Incredible. In a minute the aluminum had many holes. Cuba had small aluminum grains at heart. I proved later with a brass piece. I did not saw small grains at heart. If the cleaning takes material, the material would have to be seen at heart.

I proved with an old mountpiece. It had dry dirt. The machine work very well . I do not dare to clean a good mountpiece.

Opinions ?

I can make the test that you want.
(I sent my direction to goodsax. thanks .)
 
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