sonic cleaner

Why do you need a sonic cleaner? To clean your airbrush? I don't see a real benefit for that. Besides, they're a waste of money. They're more used for sterilizing medical instruments. 

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

Besides, they're a waste of money. They're more used for sterilizing medical instruments. 

 

 

You may be confusing an ultra-sonic cleaner with an autoclave. As a goldsmith/bench jeweler, I use my ultra-sonic nine hours a day to clean jewelry. Standard equipment on any bench in this profession. The piece floats in a cleaning solution that is warmed and shaken by the machine to dislodge dirt and debris like a small washing machine. No sterilization occurs.

While in college, I interned at a bio-medical research lab, where my job was to spend all day sterilizing lab equipment in autoclaves. Heat, steam, and pressure then take care of sterilization there.

I'm one of those modelers who occasionally will use the ultra-sonic to clean out an airbrush. It's very effective in vibrating out dried paint that I may have missed, but I don't make it a regular practice. But, every now and again, certain paints misbehave or something gets fouled up, so the brush gets broken down and certain parts go into the machine.

Would I use it to clean lacquer? No, not do I use it to clean enamels. Both of those require solvents. Put something like lacquer thinner into the machine to be heated and stirred would cause a lot of rapid evaporation and the fumes become a concern. But, most acrylics come up with jewelry cleaner, which is the preferred solution for the tank.

thank's knighttemplar5150 , that's what I wanted to know , the only reason I bought one was , I have two pretty good airbrush's , H&S evolution , and a neo , and both of them just aren't as good lately , I've seen a couple of u-tube how too's , and they seem to think it might help , it was cheap enough , so I decided to give it  a go . nice to know only use it for acrylic's , which is my preferred paint .

cheer's 

steve5

Steve,

I ruined an aibrush with one. I used a purple cleaner that they sold at the auto parts store for grease etc. Said it was fine to use. It etched the threads on the airbrush with micro holes and I couldn't get it apart again. This is uncommon I know, but I will never touch one again. I just clean with windex mostly and lacquer thinner to deep clean and they always work fine.

Just use water and a bit of dish soap in the ultrasonic cleaner, nothing else and make sure that you lube the parts that would need it again when you are done witn needle juice.

Sounds like that may have been castrol superclean, it is very harsh and corrosive(unless the formula changed). Normally its used to clean oil off shop floors and driveways. Im suprised anyone would have recommended its use on something so delicate.

Simple green it is also a degraser it works wonders for removing acrylic and seems to dissolve enamels as well. Non toxic and non corrosive, no fumes and it can be mixed with water at diferent ratios. I often use it to clean models before painting and as an airbrush cleaner. Might be worth getting a small bottle to test on laquers as it may work for them as well.

Just fill the cleaning tub with water, then if you want to use a stronger cleaner, fill small bottles with the stronger cleaner, and place them in the water, then place your airbrush nose down in the stronger cleaner. There is no need to completely fill the ultra-sonic tub with the stronger cleaner, the vibrations will travel through the water and into the smaller containes of cleaner. You also use less of the stronger cleaner that way as well.

thank's everyone for you comment's , a bit to think about now cheer's

steve5

ecotec83

Sounds like that may have been castrol superclean, it is very harsh and corrosive(unless the formula changed). Normally its used to clean oil off shop floors and driveways. Im suprised anyone would have recommended its use on something so delicate.

Simple green it is also a degraser it works wonders for removing acrylic and seems to dissolve enamels as well. Non toxic and non corrosive, no fumes and it can be mixed with water at diferent ratios. I often use it to clean models before painting and as an airbrush cleaner. Might be worth getting a small bottle to test on laquers as it may work for them as well.

 

Just curious, why didn't you go to Harbor Freight and pick one up, a little bit cheaper.  As well as probably your best bet is a solvent called FrogLube (it's used for other reasons), or just use water.  I use an UltraSonic cleaner to clean gun parts and it works like a charm. Also if your just using water, I would honestly throw the parts in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 300.  THis ensures that all the water is evaporated from your pieces.  

thank's for the advice peaches , I live in australia my friend , no harbor freight . you americans are so lucky with the choice and availibility of good's you have .

cheer's steve5