I want to clean a number of very detailed metal objects, watch straps, jewelry, etc. During a summer job many years I used an ultrasonic bath to clean spectacle which was great for loosening all the gunk from the small spaces, and I thought one of these would be ideal. Does anyone know of a cheap supplier in the UK, or an alternative way of cleaning such items?
Cheers,
Ken
Ebay. Huge numbers of them. Buy the highest output one you can afford.
Cheap ? Not a hope!
Cheap ones don;t work, good ones are expensive, and there's a fight over the S/H ones. Keep looking on eBay, but expect to either pay well for one, or wait a good while.
They really do work though, worth the wait.
I would've guessed the same, but I know someone who bought a 200W one off ebay (was around £150), and this works at least as well as the ones we used to use in the lab, which were in the £500 range.
"Kooky45" wrote | I want to clean a number of very detailed metal objects, watch | straps, jewelry, etc. During a summer job many years I used | an ultrasonic bath to clean spectacle which was great for | loosening all the gunk from the small spaces, and I thought | one of these would be ideal. | Does anyone know of a cheap supplier in the UK, or an | alternative way of cleaning such items?
QVC
A Google on the brand name gives Anthony Kliger Ltd LDB & Club
100 Hatton Garden London EC1N 8NX c: Harold Black p: 02083499345 f: 02083464818Other possibilities are from
Both around £170 + VAT.
There is also
From £300 - thousands.
Owain
Do be aware that some sorts of jewelery, and some stones in particular can't take ultrasonic cleaning. Generally the very soft ones may have problems.
The cheap ones are not true ultrasonic cleaners - more like water shakers with chemicals doing the main cleaning.
Ultrasonic cleaning can only be truly achieved using stainless steel tanks with transducers bonded on the outside or with transducers made of titanium inserted into plastic tanks.
The quality bench tops units start in the hundreds of pounds area when new. Keep your eye on ebay for second hand ones, you will know the decent ones when they do turn up by the higher prices they command.
I work for an Ultrasonic cleaning manufacturer in the UK, for some price comparisons check out RS components they sell our branded benchtop units but they are usually out of the price range of most DIY people.
You could also check the web site
The biggest problem I see when cleaning Jewelry is that afer a few years it can be the dirt that is holding in the stones, the mounts - especially if gold can get worn - clean them properly and the stones can start dropping out.
If you're anywhere near Loughborough in Leics, you could pop in and use our tank !
Cheers,
Paul.
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