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Post by seikoholic on Jun 14, 2013 10:02:14 GMT -8
Another addition to cleaning...I use Bamboo skewers to get into hard to reach places, Bamboo after a use or two developes a kind of Brush on the end which is THE BOMB :-/Yup - they work great. I personally used to use the round solid wood toothpicks (why buy those expensive bundles of pegwood from Ofrei) and they're good, but bamboo is excellent. Nothing like that for getting crap out of the corners.
Where an ultrasonic comes in handy is with bracelets. You've never seen dirty until you've seen a never-cleaned Seiko bracelet from the 70's that was someone's daily for years upon years. Then we're talking ultrasonic plus heavy-duty cleaning solution, and the solution is destroyed in the process. But even in that case I'm told that a cheap alternative is to simply boil the bracelet for a while. Can anyone speak to that?
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Post by DAHASCO on Jun 14, 2013 10:08:58 GMT -8
If one uses expensive cleaning solutions, Use a coffee filter to save the precious juice
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2013 10:11:02 GMT -8
Spencer
I have boiled a few in the past....it kinda works in breaking down the sludge from a solid into a paste. Boiling didn't do so well for moving the loosened crud out of the nooks of the bracelet. Ultrasonic does a better job in not only lossening thing up but moving the debris out it's hiding spots.
I don't bother with ultrasonic cleaner solution.....Just hot water and dawn dish soap for the majority. If the cheese is really bad (like the case of the 6309) I mix Purple power degreaser 50/50 with hot water. a couple 5 minute cycles then rinse with clean water and a toothbrush.
In the case of nasty old bracelets....it's always amazing to see the cleaner go from clear to brown like a poof of smoke.....definitely not something you want to drink for sure
shawn
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Post by seikoholic on Jun 14, 2013 10:11:39 GMT -8
If one uses expensive cleaning solutions, Use a coffee filter to save the precious juice I've actually been wondering about that. It only happened the once and my dad happened to be visiting at the time. He looked at the blackened solution and said "why don't you filter it and use it again?". I didn't, but I should have.
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Post by DAHASCO on Jun 14, 2013 10:14:06 GMT -8
Yeah, why not reuse it, It's not like it has lost it's purpose.....
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Post by seikoholic on Jun 14, 2013 10:15:01 GMT -8
Spencer I have boiled a few in the past....it kinda works in breaking down the sludge from a solid into a paste. Boiling didn't do so well for moving the loosened crud out of the nooks of the bracelet. Ultrasonic does a better job in not only lossening thing up but moving the debris out it's hiding spots. I don't bother with ultrasonic cleaner solution.....Just hot water and dawn dish soap for the majority. If the cheese is really bad (like the case of the 6309) I mix Purple power degreaser 50/50 with hot water. a couple 5 minute cycles then rinse with clean water and a toothbrush. In the case of nasty old bracelets....it's always amazing to see the cleaner go from clear to brown like a poof of smoke.....definitely not something you want to drink for sure shawn I was (and still am) a believer in the dish soap / water mix. However, the master watchsmith I work with suggested a concentrate he uses - a non-ammoniated cleaner concentrate that you mix 1:7 with distilled water. It's about $25 or so and makes multiple gallons of cleaner. You should see what stuff looks like when it comes out of the cleaner, even stuff like mainsprings & mainspring barrels. The only issue is that you need to do a thorough rinse of course.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2013 11:01:48 GMT -8
To add to David's response.....
A toothbrush works just fine for bulk cleaning. Also, you can use toothpaste (mildly abrasive) as well to assist in cleaning hard gunk from the case parts. I did my case cleanings that way for months when I first started tinkering with watches.
In regards to ultrasonic cleaners....There's no need to get the most expensive model out there. for the past few years I've been using a cheap desk top sized cleaner purchased from Harbor Freight for a whopping $20 with a sales coupon. it more than does the job for my intended purposes.
here's a link www.harborfreight.com/ultrasonic-cleaner-3305.html
Basic tools needed and recommended.....these are a cheap entry point into watch tinkering tools. As you develop skills and progress you will find yourself upgrading as you go. At this point in the hobby I mainly manufacture my own tools depending on the application
Jaxa style case tool www.harborfreight.com/watch-case-opener-91550.html
crystal press www.harborfreight.com/watch-case-press-with-nylon-dies-91621.html
basic watch tool set www.harborfreight.com/8-piece-watch-repair-kit-91622.html
Best Shawn Sure wish we had Harbor Freight up in Canada. Shipping cost end up being more than the cost of the items and that's without customs poking their noses in
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