How to use an Ultrasonic Cleaner to Clean Watch Parts: A beginners guide
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ธ.ค. 2022
- If you're looking for a way to clean watch parts easily and quickly, then you need to learn how to use an Ultrasonic Cleaner. This tool is perfect for cleaning watch parts, including chronograph movements and quartz mechanisms.
In this video, we'll show you the secrets for using an Ultrasonic Cleaner to clean watch parts. We'll also discuss some important safety tips to keep in mind when using this tool. After watching this video, you'll be able to clean watch parts quickly and easily!
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All THE TOOLS & SUPPLIES I USE: watchrepairtutorials.com/tool...
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► Dk Ultrasonic Machine watchrepairtutorials.com/get/... (Amazon)
► Food Dehydrator watchrepairtutorials.com/get/... (Amazon)
► 99% IPA Alcohol watchrepairtutorials.com/get/... (Amazon)
► Hexane watchrepairtutorials.com/get/... (Amazon)
► One Dip watchrepairtutorials.com/get/... (Amazon)
► Diamond Cleaning Jar watchrepairtutorials.com/get/... (Amazon)
► L&R Cleaner watchrepairtutorials.com/get/... (Amazon)
► L&R #3 Rinse watchrepairtutorials.com/get/... (Amazon)
► Naphtha watchrepairtutorials.com/get/... (Amazon)
► Deionized Water watchrepairtutorials.com/get/... (Amazon)
► Small Parts Baskets watchrepairtutorials.com/get/... (Amazon)
► lg Parts Baskets watchrepairtutorials.com/get/... (Amazon)
** TOOLS & SUPPLIES I USE **
watchrepairtutorials.com/tool...
-- LINKS --
(When available, we use affiliate links and may earn a commission!) - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Nobody compares to how you cover a topic with the detail, descriptions and rational of your approach. You are a real 'jewel' of a teacher and an indispensable resource for watchmaking hobbyists. Very much appreciated.
Thank you Jeffrey. I hope to see you around here again.
He also does what the majority of watchmaking youtube channels fail to do, he mic's himself up and ensures his audio is good.
These are the best and most informative watch repair lessons I’ve seen. And that’s saying a lot, because there are a bunch of excellent videos out there. Studying these lessons - which teach you how to improve your skills as a watchmaker - has helped bring my skills and understanding to a whole new level. Enrolling in a 3 year watch repair school was never an option for me. These lessons are providing the sort of knowledge I couldn’t otherwise get, and they are aimed at aspiring amateur watchmakers who don’t have unlimited funds to buy, for example, their own Elma cleaning machine. I really appreciate what you are doing, Alex, and how well you do it!
Paul, I think this video was the natural follow up to the first cleaning video, which was really bad for people just starting out. By the time you realize you want to start cleaning by machine most rotary basket set ups are either vintage you need a lot of work or, you can drop a lot of cash on a new one. Ultrasonics are the natural choice.
the info on this channel is priceless 20 years ago you payd a lot of money to people to learn you this stuff .... we take it for granted but its gold the info and the lessons you give us ... thank you !!
Your comment is much appreciated brother. Thank you
This video is AMAZING! Answered SO many questions I had about cleaning watch moments as an amateur - with SPECIFICITY and CLARITY. Things missing from all too many 'watch repair" posts on TH-cam and elsewhere.
You are so welcome. This is a teaching channel.
Happy Holidays Alex! Another excellent video!! I enjoy the experiments to validate a certain procedure! looking forward to more videos!
Happy holidays to you as well. A lot of people have been asking for this one, so I hope it clears up anything people are not sure about.
Great information. Great video. Thank you
Thanks my man.
Once again you have knocked it out the park, a truly excellent lesson.
Thank you for all the information.
Thanks Jon. I hope there was something in the video that you can use.
Thank you Alex for this wonderful video
My pleasure!
Thanks!
Thanks for your support my friend. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this video!
You are very welcome my friend
Alex, many thanks for sharing your knowledge. Learned a lot. I’m sure that I will need to rewatch to learn more. Thanks again.
Glad it was helpful!
Awesome stuff Alex! Good timing as I’m considering getting an ultrasonic. Thank you for posting!!
You got it my friend.
Wow, as a beginner, your videos are priceless. Many thanks for your info. Happy New Year.
The series a Videos is for new watchmakers just like you so thank you that’s exactly what I love to hear
Pure gold! Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge, by far the best and most informative watchmaking channel I know 🙏
I appreciate that! Thanks for stopping by and I hope to hear more from you Johan
What an excellent, informative video. Your knowledge shines though. I've been using your cleaning process from earlier videos. Now I know why I have been so successful in my cleans. Inspirational. Thank you.
Glad to help Ross.
Very informative and fact based. Thank you for sharing.
It was my pleasure. Hope to see you again.
Gracias Alex, eres un gran profesional.
Muchas gracias. Espero que haya algo en el video que puedas usar.
great tutorial, love it.
Thank you! Cheers!
Thank you for all the lessons provided on your channel, such an amazing resource for me. As I’m starting this hobby I will study all of your videos to become better at watchmaking.
Best of luck Pat. Thanks for watching brother
Another great video Alex! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience with us. Your videos are always so concise and full of useful information! Thank you for your hard work!
Btw: thank you for featuring and even going the extra mile and ordering the Elma Red solution! A few weeks ago, I coincidentally asked you about my cleaning process using this solution!
Keep up the brilliant work!
You must be getting good results right ?
Btw what country are you in?
@@watchrepairtutorials I am from Germany. Elma red is easily available here.
I’m quite happy with the results.
@@chris9413 I ordered a bottle on 12/12 and it’s still sitting in US customs. PITA
What an amazing video. I’ve been fascinated by cleaning parts for years and have been down many rabbit holes of exploration. This is by far the best summary for hobbyist watch makers I’ve ever heard. Such clear explanation and I love the way you encourage experimentation. I have settled on using water-based solutions, really only to avoid the volatile fumes but after this, I’m going to experiment with the equivalent of Dawn and see if I can get the same results for less cost. And the use of a food dehydrator for drying is just brilliant. I’ve never thought of that! It will give new life to the one sitting, unused in my kitchen cupboard. Many thanks!.
Thank you. I included Dawn as an option because many people who watch my videos are in areas where solvent based wash and rinses are not available or they have a real aversion to solvents.
Dawn will work but you really have to be diligent in all the other rules when using a water based cleaning system.
Awesome guide, I can't believe how deep into the physics of the cleaning mechanisms you went. Usually I spend my l life avoiding cavitation and here you are helping me tune it =O.
That’s great to hear Jonathan. Let me know if anything that makes sense.
Watched your video and bought a cleaner. Never knew what to look for, but your video explained everything I needed. Thank you
Thats awesome Grant. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks again Alex, as always very informative and with practical demonstrations with results. Funny enough I bought a mini dehydrator recently for this exact reason and low cost although the first stuff that will be going through the water and detergent, IPA and drying cycle will be a staking set that could have been looked after better than I am fixing up. Hope you are having a great holiday and happy new year when it comes.
Thanks for sharing Tom. Yea, those old staking sets can get pretty bad. Happy Holidays and hope you enjoy some piece and quiet
I have spent quite some time trying to get good information on exactly how to go about cleaning watch parts without a watch cleaning machine and you literally answered every question I had. Thank you so much for your scientific approach to the subject and your down to earth discussion.
Instant subscribe from me.
Thanks for watching. Let me know if you need any clarification
First of all, thank you for these videos. They are so helpful to a new watchmaker on his second watch tear down. This is the ideal of what TH-cam is about.
Glad to help if only a little bit.
very detailed and deep explanation of the topic , tnx
Thanks Shawn, I try to open it up a bit so people can get a better understanding.
I just love Alex's tutorials with their scientific approach, in this case, the test of cleaning methods. It's really refreshing to see a video where every clip and sentence is highly informative in contrast to the myriads of mediocre rambling videos out there.
Wow, thank you Christian.
I'm really glad to find your channel, my dad runs a watchshop since 1984 and I've been learning the profession for the last 5 years (to keep the family business) and the more I get to know about watches and how to fix the many different types the more I want to seek for the best techniques but unfortunately my dads only remembers the methods that he used a lot during his years of work. You're really good at explaining and I'm looking forward to watch more of your videos.
A big thank you from Relojoaria Minerva in Brasil
What a great story, my man. Don’t be too fast to dismiss your father’s experience as not that much is changed in the watch industry in the last couple hundred years.
I wish you the best of luck. If there’s anything I can do to help you don’t hesitate to ask.
Thanks Alex. And happy New Year!
Great watch on your wrist. I've the Seastern Doxa with the MOP dial ;)
Seastern makes some nice watches. Happy new year to you my friend
Im about to start my very first attempt at servicing a vintage watch and this video was perfect!! Thanks!
You can do it!
Another no nonsense approach from this brilliant guy. I wished I would have found his tutorial videos sooner then I might not have lost the impulse jewel out of the balance wheel of my first pocket watch service!
For a professional guy to take the time to share his knowledge with us hobbyists is quite humbling.
Fascinating vids with not a hint of condescendence speaks volumes of this guys professionalism.
Thank you !
Aahhhh shucks, thanks man. 🥹
Absolutely the best video in this topic I have ever seen. Not only the topic about cleaning it self but also a fantastic cost comparison.
Top class!
🙏🇸🇪
Wow, thank you Patrik. I hope you can use this information.
@@watchrepairtutorials maybe a tips or not. For other parts like gun parts I use Vanish oxy clean that you use in your washing machine. Never tried it for watch parts but think it could be useful then it kind of lift the dirt of the parts. But be careful it can foam if it heated to much.
You need only a litle of it so it’s super cheap.
@@patrikhafstrom8954 That's interesting to know. I have been using a lot of detergent based cleaners in by ultrasonic and have been having great results.
Great video Alex. What I like is that this isn’t just a theoretical discussion about what should or shouldn’t work, but a practical test to show the results. Cuts through the bull of the forum ‘experts’ who just parrot what they’ve heard from elsewhere.
Grumpy when I read your comment, I laughed out loud. You hit the nail right on the head. There are so many trolls out there who just repeat what they hear or read elsewhere. Sometimes just saying something isn’t enough you have to back it up. Happy holidays brother.
@@watchrepairtutorials Same to you Alex.
Great video. My cleaning machine is a hassle to use. Was always nervous about using an ultrasonic cleaner but I feel much more educated and confident to give it a shot. Your videos are much appreciated.
What kind of cleaning machine are you currently using ?
@@watchrepairtutorials I’m using the supreme watch cleaning machine. The motor wire just started having a loose connection so it stops sometimes. And the machine can’t be left unattended because it sometimes decides to go full blast on the speed lol. I have a really old Zenith machine too but it doesn’t work.
@@TimTellsTime I need to do some work on mine. Its working but could use a tune up.
Great video, great info, and just in time! i just got an ultrasonic cleaner, but havent used it yet. This info is very helpful. I was going to do Naptha + IPA rinses, but its good to know dawn works just as well. These demonstrations are great
Glad it was helpful! If you follow what I did here, you will get good results.
I plan to do naphtha + ipa rinse as well. With one dip for the balance and pallet fork
As usual clear, professional and without the foolishness some think they need to do or say in their video`s.
Appreciate you brother. I’m just not one for a whole lot of foolishness.
Wow. I wish I had seen this video when shopping for ultrasonic cleaners. This was much more informative than the videos I found that were dedicated exclusively to the subject.
Yea I hear you. I just wish I could get everything in my head on video faster.
Great information. as usual. And always learning more !!!
Glad to hear it brother. Thanks as always
Detailed and achievable. Extremely useful to the beginner on a budget. Dawn, as a degreaser, has proven to be more effective on my glass-top stove than Fantastic, so it doesn't surprise me that it's effective on dirty watch parts. You are giving me excellent ideas to keep this hobby affordable and focused on developing good repair and cleaning habits. The more expensive equipment can wait. Thank you for this detailed and informative video.
Of the two DIY methods, Dawn and napatha, I think napatha is a little more effective but for many the disposal is an issue and for some people depending on where you are any kind of chemical is an problem.
If you’re gonna use dawn, definitely do to rinse cycles with distilled water and then the IPA and heat dry.
Good luck let me know if I can do anything to help you
@@watchrepairtutorials What is IPA?
@@winterwolf2012 IPA Alcohol
@@watchrepairtutorials Thank you, is naphtha used for the wash or rinse?
@@winterwolf2012 naptha is for the wash
I was waiting for this one. Thanks Alix. I like how you do experiments to leave hearsay for others leaving no doubts about results. Would old oil or grease be harder to shift? I suppose no real way to check.
Sure, that's why precleaning will help in the overall results. Several viewers have conducted their own test after watching the video. The results are the same or similar. Its always a good thing to conduct your own test with your machine and cleaners to make sure you are getting the results you want.
Quiero agradecerte el tiempo que inviertes y lo bien que nos explicas el como hacerlo.
Sobre todo agradecer lo que damos por hecho y no sabemos el porque , ya que gracias a tus explicaciones sabemos que es lo que hacemos bien y mal.
Felices días y muchísimas gracias desde España.
Muchas gracias por las amables palabras. Cuando comencé a hacer estos videos, nunca se sabe qué tan bien serán recibidos. Hay tantos canales de visualización que nunca pensé que obtendría la cantidad de suscriptores que tengo actualmente. Espero verte de nuevo. Una pregunta para ti. Entiendes ingles o como lo traduces. ¿Hay buenos canales de vigilancia en español?
@@watchrepairtutorials Gracias por responder.
El ingles escrito lo entiendo bien, pero hablado me cuesta más, pero gracias a lo didactico de tus videos se entiende perfectamente.
En español hay algún canal, pero no demasiados, en especial hay uno de un chico Argentino que lo hace bastante bien.
Relojes y Reparaciones
@karinjoyas
Saludos y sigue así que te lo agradecemos muchísimo, los aficionados
Perfect timing. The new ultra sonic shows up this week :)
Oh very nice. Just a little after Christmas present ?
I’m not even a watch maker or enthusiast. But this was the most informative video ever. Insanely good job. As i was interested in the ultrasonic cleaning lesson. Thank you. Wow
Glad you enjoyed it Moon Man
Super. This presentation made the starting point for a beginner so within reach. Soap and water for my start, and if I should be able to reassemble a watch I might consider naphta next.
Just make sure you use 99% IPA to displace the water and dry under heat or you will see rust.
Awesome Alex, good work explaining brother, I currently use the ultrasonic with Naptha then 2 ipa rinses on all movement parts, except for the pallet fork and balance, these I clean by hand with with Hexane, and a detergent/water solution again in the ultrasonic for case parts, and am getting great results
Thanks for sharing. Perfect combo.
Hey Alex. Your videos are truly incredible. Your no-nonsense approach to teaching us about watch repair and maintenance has been such a help for an amateur such as myself. I was wondering, am I correct in saying that it looks like you put your cleaning/rinsing solutions in mason jars in the (water?) bath in the cleaner? And if that is so, do you just use tap water for the bath? and, lastly, have you noticed much of a difference in cleaning in the jars versus directly in the cleaner itself?
Hey Buddy. Thanks , It's good to have you. Yep , just regular tap water in the bath. The mason jars do a couple things WITHOUT lessening the cleaning power of the machine.
1. It saves on the amount of cleaner or rinse you need.
2. It's faster. Without the jars you would have to dump the tank between each cycle.
Great stuff man! I am curious if you ran the same test with plain water what would happen? I am very happy you did this for all of us. I have spent the last couple of days shopping cleaning machines and they are way out of my price range. I do however already own a heated Ultrasonic and actually used it with Dawn and water to clean some padlocks that rode around on the back of the trailed attached to an 18 wheeler in all weather conditions. Sadly, it did not have that great of an effect on those but mostly because the locks could not be taken apart. I never thought about using mason jars with the cleaning fluid. I was thinking about how much fluid the tank takes and thought man that is going to be expensive, so thanks for figuring that out for me as well. Cheers!
Curious about using plain water in the tank like tapwater, which is what I use or plain water in the jars. Plain water in the jars would probably not have a lot of effect for cleaning off any grease or other lubrication.
Very interesting video. I use dishwasher detergent powder in the ultrasonic cleaner. It kills whatever is sticking onto your watch parts, and it’s very easy to rinse off. I know it’s quite harsh for delicate metals, but I have never seen anything going wrong so far.
Thanks for sharing that Stein
Thanks, Alex for the very informative video! I'd be interested to hear your or other peoples opinions of using Simple Green industrial cleaner to clean watch parts. I already use it to clean my bike chain. It works well for that and it's non-toxic, so I always have it on hand.
Hey man, I think the answer to your question is try it out and see what happens. Now I’ve never heard anybody use it. I watch parts but I have used it on cases and bracelets and it works pretty good.
I really enjoy your no nonsense advice. I am a high end professional in another field that requires similar processes. I have found similar results from very basic products. Once you have the knowledge and experience you realize that many branded “specialized” products are just convenient for professionals with no deep knowledge of the process or product. True professionals should know the chemistry
Yes when working as a professional when time is money you often have to approach things much differently in the watch repair business.
Those guys aren’t watching my videos. My videos are for the home watch maker, who is trying to learn what can be a very confusing, frustrating and expensive hobby.
Thank you
Your still the best at this Alex, fantastic video!!! BTW, what’s this about retired watchmaker, you are super busy! I’ve been using Elma products. But only Red 1:9 on cases etc. I’m going test with movement parts now! Thanks again. Loved the blue dial watch!
Well retired from professional work although I do take a piece in once in a while.
Now I can pursue what I really love and work on MY OWN projects that are backing up
These videos are incredibly useful! Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom! Is that a Doxa 300t btw?
Chinese clone with the pt5000 instead of the eta 2824. Good eye.
Never thought to use dawn in the ultrasonic. I've always used it to hand scrub the plates, case, and dials with no problems. Great first pass for the super grunge filled parts before putting it in the machine for cleaning. I use Astro-clean for clock parts and I noticed it works better when warm, so I started running the machines empty before I started work just to warm them up.
Well it definitely works especially when doing a decent precleaning. There are some of my viewers are literally in places where you can't get anything else so dawn it is.
I've been using Dawn in my ultrasonic and it seems to work fine. Just got to get the parts dried quickly, don't want any rust.
@@matthewmorrissey4756 Hey Matthew, yea you are right. Just use 99% IPA to displace the Water and you don't have to worry about rust.
Great info regarding temp effect on cavitation and .65 of solvent bp.
I’m using a 120W 3L Chinese ultrasonic with lab reagent grade 60-80 Petroleum Ether (in tiny jars) followed by 2 rinses in lab reagent grade 99% Propanol. I use a soak in Hexane to clean the pallet fork and balance.
Wow. A little expensive for me but I’m sure you are getting good results.
The lab reagents are more readily obtained in my country. The commercial watch cleaning solutions would be hazmat items if I tried to bring them in.
@@lyndonmohammed67 I figured as much. Here in the states Reagent grade hexane is regulated by our Drug enforcement agency (DEA) so you really have to jump through hoops. I was able to get it because I am a business and I have history with the supplier but it’s a pain in the butt.
Alex is always the best. Love your videos sir. NK here
Hello again my friend I’m surprised you’ve not watch this video already.
Brilliant and informative video. I have been using ultrasonic cleaning for some years now, and I have still learned a lot from it. My preference is for Greiner watch cleaning solution. Water-based, it does a great job of brightening parts as well as cleaning. I put everything in brass mesh trays, which I formed from sheet mesh. Separate steel from brass parts. I do clean the pallet fork, although I may change that practice now! I only heat to 45C as I notice that the temperature rises considerably during the process, and I want to protect any shellac. I use two deionized water rinses, then dry over a hot water bottle, on non dusty paper towel. I used to use IPA, but seemed to get more staining that way unless the IPA was changed each time. I always use a small amount of new water for the rinses, but it costs pennies. Fifteen minutes clean, manual rinse (not in ultrasonic). Never had any rust or damage. Looking forward to all your future videos.
Hey Mike, sounds like you’ve got a pretty good system. How are you able to get the ionized water so inexpensively
@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks. It is a bit slower, of course. I buy my water from a Automotive supply store in the UK called Halfords. Battery top up water. Used to be about £3.50 for 5 litres, but now it is currently £5.09. ($6.14). I rinse in a shallow dish, using just enough water to cover. Probably about 100ml per cycle so about 10p per go. The waste can still be used for case washing and topping up the cleaning bath.
I've been using naphtha with ipa rinse in the ultrasonic, but may try some water based methods. Thank you for these amazing videos.
Water based is good but you have to be meticulous, with the not packing the parts too tight in your small part baskets, using 99% IPA and using a heated dryer. If you deviate from those things you can run into issues.
Thanks Alex! Really like all your videos. Do you use a 6L or 10L Ultrasonic cleaner?
Thanks man. 6 liter is what I have
I've been using the Zenith NA solution in a watch cleaning machine and heard about the gelling. I haven't had any issue with that. My solution has been sitting around for weeks and it looks just fine. My distilled water rinse does start to get cloudy white after using it. Leaving the distilled water jar in the sun when I'm not using it reduces it greatly due to the UV rays, but distilled water is cheap anyways.
I think the problem with the Jilling they have to do with the types of lubrication’s that are being cleaned. Maybe organic lubricants affected differently than synthetics. Anyway, thanks for watching brother.
Thank you so much! just got an ultrasonic cleaner from under the christmas tree
Fantastic. The timing was perfect. Santa was good to you.
Hello, I'm thinking of trying watch overhaul as a hobby. Thankfully for your video, I'm getting so much help. I have an ultrasonic cleaner for home use, so can I use hexane as a solvent?
Not unless you have real good ventilation and certainty not using the heater. Ultrasonics like you have are designed for detergent based cleaners.
These are just the best videos. I do miss the old channel name though ;)
Yeah me too
Fantastic information well presented! Just a quick question about duration of clean on vintage jeweled parts like pallet forks using things like IPA and metho. Either fluid will melt shellac - I use the latter in preparing shellac for woodworking - so is there a trick to keeping vintage pfs etc safe when using these substances or is it best to just steer clear of immersion for those parts all together?
Great question so I made a video about that.
How to Clean Watch Parts with IPA
th-cam.com/video/x_6TulURYII/w-d-xo.html
Great stuff!! For the rinses I use a Nespresso frother. It heats the water and creates a vortex. I hang the brass baskets on the side so they don’t interfere with the impeller. Just happened to have one at home which hardly gets any use. I think you can pick one up between $30 and $60.
I love it. That’s pretty cool. I do have a small jewelry steamer I use if I run into a super grungy case or movement.
I’ll give a quick clean with the steamer first.
Great suggestion for the home watchmaker.
I may have one laying about. Thanks for the tip!
Steamer, that is.
Alex, you are amazing. Question, how much energy is lost when the cavitation goes through the glass jars. Do we simply add more time to cleaning process?
I do t know exactly how much energy is lost. Probably not much. I would experiment with you cleaner and rinse on a part with grease and see how it works. Then you know for sure
212F = 100C.
65% * 212F = 137F = 58C.
65% * 100C = 65C = 149F.
🤯
Thank you for your videos btw, invaluable learning resource for a hobbyist such as myself!
Thanks for that!
Love your videos, so informative. Can the watch crystal (acrylic or glass) be cleaned in the ultrasonic? It was mentioned elsewhere as a no-no and that confused me a bit. Thanks.
I am pretty sure I showed an image with glass that was etched from an ultrasonic. Plastic will get destroyed.
Alex, thanks for putting these excellent videos together! I'm looking at picking up an Elma P series machine for several reasons beyond cleaning watches and noticed that the primary frequencies are listed as 37 KHz and 80 KHz which doesn't quite match the 40 KHz and 80 KHz listed for the dedicated watch cleaning units. Since your guidance is stay at 40 KHz or above for the initial cleaning cycle, do you think the 3 KHz variance is a concern?
No, you are good to go with 37 khz. Run that for your clean cycle and and 80 for everything else. You are doing watch parts right? I don't know about electronics or circuit boards.
@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks. My question is specific to watch parts, although the machine will be used for cleaning a wide range of items including circuit boards and more delicate items which is why the 80 KHz capability is great to have.
@@somethingredbird that’s great. Wish I had one.
I'm learning so much from your videos, thank you so much! One question: In this video I didn't see how you actually cleaned the parts. I know small parts go in baskets, larger parts may not, but are the parts/baskets put inside the jar, which itself is submerged in tap water in the ultrasonic bowl, or are the parts/baskets submerged directly into cleaner which is in the main ultrasonic bowl? If the latter, were you just using the jars to measure out cleaning fluids?
All parts are cleaned in jars submerged in the tank. I use a large basket in the jar and put the small part baskets in it. That makes it easy to get them out. Large parts get suspended in jar
Hi Alex, thank you so much for the great videos. If I am unable to get any of the professional solvents to use for pre-cleaning parts, what would you recommend I use to soak and pre-clean the barrel? IPA? Dawn and water? Thank you!
I would use 99% IPA for pre cleaning, just not for shellacked parts
@@watchrepairtutorials thank you so much for the response! I really appreciate everything you do for those of us who are new to the hobby.
Thanks Alex. These are the best and most informative watch repair lessons I’ve seen, and I just subscribed to your channel.
I'm a hobbyist watch repair and I only repair a couple of watches per year so it's not worth for me to buy the 1Gal professional cleaners, neither I have the space to store them. Do you know if there are option to buy small quantity?
In your video you did not test washing using Naftha in the ultrasonic machine. Would Naftha be better than the Down detergent? Or perhaps use Naftha then a short wash with Down detergent to remove residues from Naphtha.
Thanks
I have seen pro grade cleaners and rinses sold in sizes smaller than 1 gallon.
Ultrasonic machine works best with heat and it’s not a good idea to use heat and flammable materials. It’s not something that I would do although I’m sure plenty of people do.
Naphtha is an effective cleaner, but it does leave impurities on the metal. You would want to use 99% IPA for your rinse cycles.
You could use Dawn detergent as a rinse after the Naphtha, but then that needs to be rinsed with water and then 99% ipa.
Personally, it’d be much simpler to Liquinox , distilled water rinses and then 99% IPA. Then you can also safely use the heater in your ultrasonic.
I have not heard of Napatha damaging brass but I will test it and respond to your other question.
Thank you for the quick response. I appreciate it. 👍@@watchrepairtutorials
Great video very informative. Using water and washing up liquid whats the mix ratio? Then is it two rinse cycles in water and a further cycle in ipa?
I will start with 3 tablespoons of detergent to about a gallon of water and see how that works. It’s a little hard to say for sure, depending on the detergent.
Then I would definitely do two rinse cycles with 99% IPA followed with drying above ambient temperature to prevent any condensation
@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks your channel has been really helpful
Your videos are outstanding, Alex. I am addicted and just getting into movement cleaning though I have done many case restorations on old Seiko Divers for some time. Since I have learned that water base solvents for cleaning is not taboo, am I crazy to think that diluted Windex could not be justified. Works great on case parts in the Ultrasonic. Water based, ammoniated like L&R and has surfactant but not quite as soapy as say Dawn, etc. Best of all, environmentally friendly unlike organic based solvents. Curious as to your opinion. Keep up the great work.
I’ve never heard of anybody using Windex before, so I really don’t have an opinion when were the other. Ultrasonics are typically designed for detergents.
Just to clarify, in case, anyone else is reading this, professional grade part, cleaners for watch parts are without a doubt the best option. With that said, most home watchmakers do not have a spinning basket machine. Detergents work fine in an ultrasonic with the proper temperature, the proper rinsing cycles, displacing the water from the parts with 99% IPA alcohol and then properly drying the parts to prevent condensation. I promote this for home watchmakers who are in a budget and don’t want to put in six or $700 to clean out occasional watch movement.
just curious--I use L&R, but was surprised when you mentioned DAWN, so it got me wondering. I adapted a lab stirrer to a modified basket like you used and run it in ultrasonic, solvents in jars, while spinning--best of both worlds. @@watchrepairtutorials
@@DrJac999 I included Dan as an option because I have a lot of viewers in countries that I absolutely can’t get anything at all. So for a lot of people it’s a great alternative. Not the best but it’ll work I still have Elma read 1.9 which is a great grade ultrasonic cleaner, but unfortunately, it’s only available in Europe now can’t get it here anymore. That’s when I went out and I found the liquinox.
This is used in a lot of industries, where zero residue is a must and with pre-cleaning I get great results with it. I mean when I look at the jewels after everything‘s dry, there’s absolutely no streaking no residue whatsoever. So water-based cleaning will work as long as you don’t get sloppy, skip steps and make sure that you dry the parts to prevent condensation.
Thanks, gentlemen, I have heard of it, used it in my lab days to clean glassware. How many water and alcohol rinses?
@@DrJac999 I rinse under running water to remove most of the cleaner then another distilled water rinse.
ipa rinse for 5 minutes or so.
Remember, no shellac parts of the IPA
Thank you for your lessons Alex. They are one of the videos that inspired me to take up watchmaking as a hobby.
Question about cleaning if I may. When cleaning a watch case in ultrasonic cleaner should you remove the mineral crystal from the case or is it safe to keep it? What about acrylic?
It’s always best to remove the crystal and gasket as the exploding bubble can etch the glass and damage the gasket. Ultrasonic will absolutely destroy a plastic crystal.
Thanks for your videos, I just managed to disassemble and reassemble my first watch (oh dear the setting lever, could not have done it without your trick!).
I have a question, if using the ultrasonic (say with the detergent & water), I do not need to clean using the method you described with the drill in one of your early videos?
That’s correct. That video was made for people who are just a starting out it have no equipment at all.
@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks for reading and taking time to answer, really appreciate it!
Thanks . Another epic reveal of the mysteries of watchmaking. Going to try the Elma red with Elma suprol rinse and stop worrying about water.
There you go. That’s a great choice
Great video, thank you. Question, how many rinses in alcohol should you do before changing it out with fresh alcohol? Thanks, have a great day. -David
It depends on a lot of factors like, what you use as a cleaner, how much cleaner gets transferred to the rinse, things like that. The best way to know it to monitor how clean your parts come out. Inspect the jewels. that will tell you.
@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks, I appreciate it.
Thanks for the input on this topic. Is there a good ultrasonic cleaning machine for big beginners that you recommend?
See other comment
Great video. I always thought that the higher the temperature the better it would be. One other thing, is it safe to use IsoPropyl Alcohol in the u/s tank?
Too high can distort some of the part's and it's just not needed.
If you read the manuals they all warn against using flammable liquids in them. With that said I will turn off the heat and use ipa in a beaker for 5 minutes.
Thank you!
Such an informative video. Alex. Thank you so much for supporting all the hobbyists. One question, how many minutes before you safely move the watch parts from the 2 mins IPA rinse to the dehydrator? Thanks in Advance
More power and Happy Easter.
Happy Easter. I would IPA rinse for 1-2 minutes maximum and then into the dryer for 10 minutes or so depending on temperature.
@@watchrepairtutorials thanks Alex for the quick response. I mean how long would I have to wait before putting the watch parts from IPA rinse to the hydrator since IPA are
flammable?
@@hakets783 I go directly in the heater at about 100 degrees. No problems
@@watchrepairtutorials many thanks Alex. More power to you.
This was great - glad to see someone with knowledge and experience recommend Dawn or similar, as I'd been wondering about it but wasn't sure if it could cause damage somehow. Seems like the perfect low-cost, low-hazard option.
Let me clarify, just saw you and anyone else who might read this understand my position on the use of dawn.
I have people from all over the world that watch my videos and many of them are in places that can’t get any proper watch cleaning solutions.
Ultrasonic machines, unless they are explosion proof, or not made for using solvent base cleaners. They are made for detergent based cleaners. Dawn is obviously a detergent and available pretty much anywhere. So this does give people with limited access or resources something that they can use for cleaning parts.
Now, with that said, you have to use it correctly for it to be affective. That includes starting with a good pre-cleaning regiment to remove the bulk of the contaminants on the watch parts.
When pre-clean parts go into a solution made from Dawn dish soap at a temperature of around 137°F. It will effectively remove any leftover greaser oil from the parts. It then needs to go through two water rinses. The first can be done under the same tab to rinse off the bulk of the wash solution. Then it needs to go into another distilled water rinse and the ultrasonic at 137° for about five minutes. Once that’s done the water needs to be displaced from the steel parts with 99% IPA alcohol.
Once the water has been displaced, it is also very important to then dry the parts with moving air at a temperature around 104°F. This prevents condensation on the parts as the IP alcohol evaporates.
If any of these steps are missed, it will not work .
@@watchrepairtutorials Thank you for the detailed clarification!
Great video. I'm wondering if there are terrible consequences if you just let the parts dry without heat at the end of the process?
Rust is usually the issue.
IPA when evaporating will leave condensation behind unless it is dried at a temperature above the room temperature.
Great stuff!!
A little help needed:
My IPA rinse leaves behind a very thin white coat (residue) which I can see on glass. Does it mean that I need to change it? I only used it on two movements but I guess IPA should dry up totally spotless right?
Hi Peter,
Are you using distilled water and 99% IPA? If you are then it’s probably condensation from not heat drying.
@@watchrepairtutorials thanks for the answer! Yes I do use distilled water and then IPA rinse. I noticed this problem when cleaning watch cases and bridges and stuff by hand with IPA. But it's true that in this case I just let them dry by themselves, so maybe that's the problem.
I'm ready to strip, clean and reassemble a windup, taking your advice of using a watch thats running, not too old, and a fairly common movement. I've watched lots of videos and taken Mark Lovick's beginner and intermediate courses. I feel confident but also I feel nervous that I won't be able to find the right screws at reassembly and that playing musical screws means more handling of them and more chances to drop or lose them.
Any tips on how to know what screws go where?
Sure. Keep the screw with the system it came from. Wash those parts together with the screws in small baskets, then return them to your parts try together.
You can do it. 😉
Never mind I found what I need to know on your web site. Thanks - what a great resource !
@@JosephYudin Love the Stooges
Great video as usual!
So if I were to use the dawn dish soap and water combo it would look like this ?
1x Ten minute rinse with dish soap and water
2x 5 minute rinse with just water
1x 2 minute rinse with alcohol
and 10 minutes in the dryer
and all of the liquids are in a mason jar with water around it ?
Perfect. If your ultrasonic has a heater run it out about 137 Fahrenheit. Make sure the alcohol is 99%.
@@watchrepairtutorials okay perfect thank you for the reply !
Hi Alex, thank you so much for this incredibly useful video, as well as the many others you have produced. I'm a rank amateur watchmaker; been cleaning/repairing pocket watches for a little over a year. I also live in Manhattan, in a Manhattan-sized apartment, so heavy duty solvents are not an option. I have a small ultrasonic cleaner, and I use distilled water and Dawn dishwashing liquid, followed by a denatured alcohol rinse. It's worked out well for me so far, but it appears I am being too timid with the amount of Dawn, as I use about 6-8 drops of the stuff in my small (12 oz) ultrasonic machine. From what you're saying, I should be using a good bit more, say, about half a tablespoonful. Does that sound correct? Many thanks, Garry
It really just depends on the results you're getting. If you're doing your pre-cleaning and the parts are not coming out as clean as they should be the first time then perhaps you need a little bit more. And then, of course you wanna make sure your rinses are sufficient to remove any of the cleaning solution from the parts.
Also make sure to limit your amount of time going from the water to the alcohol, and don't forget the drying process.
There are obviously more appropriate wash and rinses for watch parts, but i included this method for people in situations just like yourself.
I go straight from about 15 minutes in the ultrasonic cleaner to the denatured alcohol, and let the parts dry overnight before reassembly. I believe I'm getting good results, but perhaps I'll try a bit more Dawn next time. Thank you again, Alex. @@watchrepairtutorials
Alex, Your suggestion of using a food dehydrator is something I never would have thought of. I'll be ordering one soon! I also want to share what I use to blow parts dry or remove dust and fibers from parts, such as the underside of crystals and the dial face before assembly (casing the movement). I have an air brush with a low volume air pump. I removed the needle from the brush (handle) and the amount of compressed air is just enough to blow particles away. Much like the way a hand pump blower works, this forced air can be constant if the trigger is pushed, unlike the puffs of air that one of the bulbs produce. That works fine and has been fine for many years, but this air brush seems to suit my needs and works fine. Please let me know if you've ever thought of using an idea like this (compressed air), or if you think this is not a good idea.
Good morning Dennis, I find that the dehydrator works exceptionally well because you can control the temperature and it has other uses as well. Not only do I use the dry parts, but when I cleaned out my cleaning jars and rinse them that I invert them, turn the heat up and dry them, instead of wiping them out with a paper towel, which can leave traces of fibers behind. I also use it after testing a watch case for leaks in a water pressure test by heating up the case and doing a condensation test.
There’s nothing wrong with the compressed air blowing out the inside of cases, but I also like my small vacuum pump for picking up dust instead of blowing it. Blowing sometimes just move the dust to a different place that you can’t see especially when you’re working inside a watch movement.
Thanks for your valuable information. Your videos are the best source factual information. I appreciate your efforts!
@@dennisallport5704 I appreciate you Dennis
Thank you very much for this video! I'm just starting out playing with old pocket watches and just bought an ultrasonic cleaner in an online auction. Originally it came with a basket but this one didn't. I read somewhere that you shouldn't put metal on the bottom of the tank because it could cause a hole eventually. Is it OK to put a glass jar on the bottom of the tank?
Put a piece of tin foil on the entire bottom off the tank and weigh it down with tin foil. Run it for 5 minutes. Than do the Tim foil test like I did with it at a vertical angle and look at the difference in the hole patterns.
The one sitting on the bottom should have much larger holes in it.
It’s going to be best to keep the jars 1/2 to 3/4 inch off the bottom of the tank.
@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks Alex! I guess that means the jars need to be suspended off the bottom. I assume all the baskets that come with ultrasonic cleaners do not touch the bottom (with rubber feet, etc.) but are suspended from the lip at the top? This newbie really appreciates all your help!
@@carlorobazza7569 yes that's correct. No problem Carlo
@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks!!
Well, another video I'll have to rewatch a few times to really extract all the info -- they're just so packed with juicy stuff it's hard to remember it all! Questions for you: for starting out with cleaning movements, would you recommend buying a cheaper ultrasonic machine, so it can be used for cases and movements parts? Or get the ultrasonic just for watch cases, and rig up an agitation-based cleaner with the jar and the power drill (like you've shown previously) for cleaning movements? Is the benefit with the drill and jar method just that you have less potential to damage things? Seems like cleaning is very effective either way, and I keep wondering what the best approach to this is.
Well, you have to remember that the first video was really about introducing someone new to the hobby to the fact that you can clean parts without having to really spend any money. This video is more directed to people who may still be cleaning parts or haven’t been getting very good results, I don’t think you need two machines for cleaning as a matter fact a lot of times I’ll clean the watch parts in the jars and the case and bracelet at the same time in the tank.
The size of the tank doesn’t matter as much as the process. I personally like a machine where I can have all three jars in the machine at the same time because I want all the liquids to be at the correct temperature so it really just depends on how efficient you want the process to be .
@@watchrepairtutorials Thank you! I have been wondering if I even really need both, when it seems like I could probably just use an ultrasonic for everything, and look at a dedicated machine for movement cleaning down the road (if I feel I need it).
@@awdturbopowah773 if I have a bracket or case with a lot of DNA, I have a jewelry steamer I picked up for 40-50 bucks that works well at knocking of most of the gunk and then in goes into the tank.
I will use simple green concentrate in the tank put the blade and bracket out side the jars and do everything at one times
@@alexhamilton9566 Oh a used jewelry steamer is a good idea. Thank you for the explanation, and the tip about using simple green and doing everything at once! It never occurred to me that you could do it like that and get it all done in one go 😆
@@watchrepairtutorials Would combining power drill setup and ultrasonic be the equivalent of the really expensive pro cleaners? So that would mean having a basket with parts spinning from the power drill while inside a mason jar of cleaning solution jar is in ultrasonic bath.
How full can you fill cleaning baskets? Layered parts acceptable? Space necessary between parts? Sorry, question bombing you today, but a lot of these have been in my notebook for awhile and finally have time to send them today!
I use something like this.
s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_msdGeFk
Thank you for an extraordinarily informative video. I have one question. You recommend Dawn dish detergent (or "Ferry"? for those of us outside the U.S.) My question: why these and not other brands? What is the features of these that make them preferable over other brands? The reason I ask is because I live in a country (Japan) that has neither of these. My thinking is that, if I knew what features to look for, maybe I could find a suitable local brand.
First, let me say that it's not so much that I recommend it because there's much better products to use for cleaning delicate watch parts. This is an option that will work for people who don't have the financial resources for better products, they live in a country where typical watch cleaning solutions are not available or the workspace cannot tolerate any type of fumes at all.
With that said, in the US, the product, Dawn, known to remove grease from dishes very effectively. They also use it to clean oil off of birds that are caught up in oil spills. Essentially it's a dishwashing detergent that is very effective in removing grease. That's the property that you want to look for.
Just know that when using water-based cleaning solutions on steel parts, you must follow the last rinse cycle with 99% IPA alcohol before the parts go into a heated dryer. Also, small baskets should not be packed full of parts, which may hinder the IPA alcohol from being able to display the water between two parts in the basket.
@@watchrepairtutorials Thank you very much for your thoughtful and thorough reply. Yes, this is a country where typical watch-cleaning solution isn't available. Hence my plan to work with dishwashing liquid. No problem with the IPA, though. It's cheap and plentiful here. 100% even!
so if i understand correctly, you only fill small jars with the different cleaning solutions and you put these jars in the ultrasonic that is filled with just regular water? and the heat and ultrasonic waves are just passed through the glass? Also if you speak of a cold rinse cycle with ipa after the cleaning cycle. Isnt the water in the ultrasonic cleaner still hot after the cleaning cycle? so when you put your jar with parts and ipa in the ultrasonic for a rinsing cycle (right after a cleaning cycle), even with the heat off, the remaining warmth in the surrounding water still heats up the ipa jar a bit?
the answer to your first 2 questions is, Yes that's correct
The water is still at the set temperature but the cold IPA is only in it for a couple minutes. There will be a slight warming but it is not a problem.
hello again alex, thank you for the great explanation once again.
I only have one little question. Do You place the jars with IPA in hte ultrasonic device itself for 2 minutes after cleaning them in waterbased products (dawn)?
Yes and yes. Cold or room temperature IPA for only 2 minutes. The wash, and rinses I would heat up in the tank.
@@watchrepairtutorials If you can put the IPA in jars into the machine then my question is if you can put the cleaning solution, in my case Elma Red, in jars as well so that you can use very little and save some buck!?!
@@larslindegren5632 yes, all cleaners and rinses should be in their own jars
@@thewatchsmith2773 Good to know.....thanks mate!
I asked you a while back for some details on ultrasonic cleaners.
I didn't expect an entire video! 😂
While I'm sure you were doing this video anyway, I'm going to pretend it was solely for me.
Have a Happy New Year when it arrives. Best wishes from Scotland. 🍺🍾
ps. What watch do you have on in the vid? Looks very like a Doxa sub 300, but I'm fairly sure it's not
Yea you can probably tell that the color is off. It’s the Pagani homage to the Doxa 300.
No it was for you man. That’s the way I roll 🤙
@@watchrepairtutorials much appreciated. ⌚
Have you ever just used straight IPA in the ultrasonic? I have a little jewelry ultrasonic cleaner and have done that with other items to clean them that I wanted sterilized and remove any oils that were stuck on them. I am curious as to how this might work out.
No, not really. It’s not recommended to use flammable’s because if the transponder shorts, there could be an explosion and obviously they wouldn’t want to use heat. Anyway, love your handle Mr. mom
@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks! One of my all time favorite movies.. so many great one liners in there!
Any time someone asks me a question I don't know I just say "Yeah 220, 221... whatever it takes"... and then they just stare at me... lol!
Great channel and content, by the way.. Found a couple pocket watches of my grandpas a few weeks back, that date back to the 20's... and decided to make it my goal to get good enough one day to work on them and bring them back to life for my dad... So begins my journey!
You are so much help in this journey! Thank you...
I just restored an L&R master. Can I use the Dawn and water and quick dip in IPA and finish with my L&R heater.
Rotary machines are really designed for solvent-based cleaning and rinsing. Detergent-based cleaning is not very effective unless it’s heated up to a temperature around 120°F.
In Australia, Morning Fresh concentrate 👍
For my last movement I put the parts in brass wire baskets, then immersed the baskets in a diamond jar with 99% IPA. The jar was closed and then set in an ultrasonic cleaner with water just up to the bottom of the lid. I ran for 20 minutes at room temperature (the jar was slightly warm afterwards from the action of the ultrasonic waves) and then removed the baskets and rinsed 3 times in successive jars of 99% IPA using Alex's power-drill-basket-on-a-stick method. Each rinse was approximately a minute each.
The results were amazing. The parts were clean, and I could also judge how effective the cleaning was by the cloudiness of the IPA used in the cleaning cycle. Now the question is how many times the IPA in the diamond jar can be reused to clean before it needs to be replaced. My guess is about 3 or 4 times, depending on how dirty the movements are.
Thanks for your knowledge, Alex. You have a great channel here.
Well done John well done.
Would it be safe to submerge only the bracelet attached to the watch? My cleaner comes with a stand that enables one to only submerge the bracelet and keep the case above the solution… is that ok to use? Thanks a lot 🙏🏻
Not a good Idea unless you are holding it to insure the case will not fall in. Taking the bracelet off would be better.