Good ultrasonic cleaning machine

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RocketRacing
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by RocketRacing

I am thinking of going full nerd to clean my chain/casettes. What ultrasonic cleaner would you advise? Or is it even needed?(i.e. is there an easier/better way fir someone lazy like me?)

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alcatraz
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by alcatraz

I bought a cheap one and it's pure crap despite having an industrial piezo element. Must be something with the electronics or bond, or head malfunction.

It doesn't have any power after a minute or two. The vibrations nearly subside and the chains come out almost as dirty.

The next one I buy will be high power with lots of watts. Seems to me the optimal size is the 6-6.5 liters where you can actually fit chainrings or a crank. (Assuming you don't want to waste too much space storing the machine.)

I can choose between 40kHz or 28kHz. I don't know what frequency cleans bike parts better. Can someone help? Thanks

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wheelsONfire
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by wheelsONfire

Citrus degreaser, try it and see if you get somewhere without the "ultrasonic boom"
Bikes:

Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race (2019.01.03)
Open *UP* (2016.04.14)
Paduano Racing Fidia (kind of shelved)


Ex bike; Vial EVO D, Vial EVO Ultra, Scott Foil, Paduano ti bike.

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euan
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by euan

Simple Green works well in an ultra sonic cleaner

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Valy
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by Valy

alcatraz wrote:I bought a cheap one and it's pure crap despite having an industrial piezo element. Must be something with the electronics or bond, or head malfunction.

It doesn't have any power after a minute or two. The vibrations nearly subside and the chains come out almost as dirty.

The next one I buy will be high power with lots of watts. Seems to me the optimal size is the 6-6.5 liters where you can actually fit chainrings or a crank. (Assuming you don't want to waste too much space storing the machine.)

I can choose between 40kHz or 28kHz. I don't know what frequency cleans bike parts better. Can someone help? Thanks
There might be guidance in manual. I think it depends on the surface roughness / material. These are hazy half fragments from a video I once watched.

There are as you might know important distinctions between something that's called a sonic cleaner and an an actual industrial sonic cleaner. Think real ones are pretty serious machines which create actual cavitation bubbles. The other ones are glorified minj jacuzzi baths it seems.

TheKaiser
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by TheKaiser

euan wrote:
Sun May 19, 2019 10:56 am
Simple Green works well in an ultra sonic cleaner
There are some threads on various forums and articles on the Velonews about how Simple Green can eat at the surface of metals and cause cracking of things like chain side plates. That is when the part is left sitting in simple green for a long period of time, so shorter term it's probably OK, but worth keeping in mind for immersion type cleaning. Simple Green makes some other versions of their cleaner which avoid the problem.

brackc
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by brackc

RocketRacing wrote:
Sun May 19, 2019 2:23 am
I am thinking of going full nerd to clean my chain/casettes. What ultrasonic cleaner would you advise? Or is it even needed?(i.e. is there an easier/better way fir someone lazy like me?)
ZeroFrictionCycling has a chain cleaning guide for ultrasonic cleaners and recommends them only to be used for the last polishing step of the chain clean for RACE chains.
1. remove chain from bike (otherwise just give up on the "clean" bit*)
2. turpentine bath (x-until visibly clean turps)
3. turpentine ultrasonic clean x2
4. methylated spirits ultrasonic clean x2 (get rid of any turps/contamination)

see the full nerd guide here
https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/wp-c ... verted.pdf

*anything that will degrease a chain on your bike will be a pretty strong solvent and will probably do more damage than good, e.g. strip your bearing grease too

alcatraz
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by alcatraz

5 baths for a chain clean is a bit excessive for regular maintenance.

I understand it comes out sparkling clean though.

skyboy
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by skyboy

Just put it in petrol/gas or white/mineral spirits. Will come out sparkling.
Leave the cleaner you used to sit for an hour and all the grime will be on the bottom so you can decant most of it back to use next time. Very little waste.

RocketRacing
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by RocketRacing

skyboy wrote:
Mon May 20, 2019 2:34 am
Just put it in petrol/gas or white/mineral spirits. Will come out sparkling.
Leave the cleaner you used to sit for an hour and all the grime will be on the bottom so you can decant most of it back to use next time. Very little waste.
Good tips. The only issue i have with any process is that jockey wheels, casettes, and chainrings need to be clean also, or much of it is for nothing. All a bit of a losing battle. Especially with offroad.

“Soak in gasoline for 10 mins. Shake for two mins.
Use degreaser to remove oil residue. Wash degreaser off with water. Let completely dry.
Make a batch of 1/3 paraffin wax, 1/3 paraffin oil and 1/3 xylene and soak for 30 mins.
You will see the grimy sand and metal pieces come out from in between the pins. If you are sceptical get a magnet after the gasoline soak and see all the metal particulates attach to the magnet.”

Might do something like this, and wipe down the toothed parts of the drivetrain at the same time... and use wet lube to simplify further.

thelorax121
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by thelorax121

Anyone have a reasonably priced unit that they reccomend?

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wheelsONfire
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Location: NorthEU

by wheelsONfire

thelorax121 wrote:
Mon May 20, 2019 5:09 pm
Anyone have a reasonably priced unit that they reccomend?
Have you search info with regards to what effect (wattage) and heat you'd need? If the machine is handling oil, wax, grease and perhaps tar?
Next possible hassle is to clean the machine and parts?
Bikes:

Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race (2019.01.03)
Open *UP* (2016.04.14)
Paduano Racing Fidia (kind of shelved)


Ex bike; Vial EVO D, Vial EVO Ultra, Scott Foil, Paduano ti bike.

Methodical
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by Methodical

"Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the Ark, professionals built the Titanic"

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spdntrxi
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by spdntrxi

I need one large enough for those MTB pie pan cassettes
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TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

Look for one that gets the bath nice and hot. That helps loosen up/thin any greasy gunk on your parts.

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