Ultrasonic Chip Cleaning (19 Viewers)

[Gear]

I'd be interested to see the results of this method using everything except the ultrasonic transducers. In other words, chips in the basket, 40 °C water, 2 tbsp TSP/sodium metasilicate, etc etc and rotate the basket for 2 minutes, see what happens.

I have an ultrasonic cleaner and have rarely gotten anything close to the near-magical results I've seen in these threads. It's okaaaaaaaay but it's not really that great. So I'm wondering if my ultrasonic unit is just a piece of crap, or if it actually matters that much, or what.

 

[links_slayer]

I'd be interested to see the results of this method using everything except the ultrasonic transducers. In other words, chips in the basket, 40 °C water, 2 tbsp TSP/sodium metasilicate, etc etc and rotate the basket for 2 minutes, see what happens.

As I was doing my last batch this afternoon I was wondering the same thing. I might give it a shot when I do the next round.

 

[Psypher1000]

I'm sold

View attachment 58740

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Did I mention that I'm sold on this method yet?

View attachment 59245

First you offer her $633.50. That seems a bit expensive - I'm guessing you overpaid. Your latter $200 offering is probably more reasonable.

 

[Psypher1000]

I'd be interested to see the results of this method using everything except the ultrasonic transducers... I'm wondering if my ultrasonic unit is just a piece of crap, or if it actually matters that much, or what.

How many watts is your model? How many transducers?

 

[tigon]

Chip N Deal $5s before cleaning, with and without stickers:

Here's a few racks, cleaned and oiled (couldn't get the colors right on this camera, the red is darker):

 

[NorCalChip]

Did some of these as well

 

[RainmanTrail]

2 minutes is probably overkill for the salad spinner method in the ultrasonic with these chips. Mine are coming out perfect with 75 seconds. If you go too long, you increase your risk of fading.

 

[Zedlavo]

Most people are using the fake TSP stuff in the ultrasonic cleaners (claims it is TSP, but isn't really). No idea if it too is lethal to BurtCo/ASM/CPC chips, but probably worth a test if nobody has tried it.

Is there an issue with using "actual" TSP in the ultrasonic for cleaning chips? (Paulsons)

 

[Jimulacrum]

I've done just over 2,000 of these ceramics in a Lyman TS-2500 borrowed from a friend who uses it for guns. I use cold water (Brita filtered because I hate the idea of buying distilled water) and a modest amount of Mean Green degreaser/cleaner. Run the unit with no heat, over 380 seconds for 80-or 100-chip batches. Quick spray rinse in the sink, and pat and brief air dry on a dish towel.

These images show before and after, both sides, of a mini-batch of 5 chips set for the same process, but only 180 seconds.

(That one little black dot on the bottom middle chip in the last photo simply won't come off. I've picked and scratched at it, and it just won't give, so it's probably some weird kind of damage, not stuck-on filth.)

 

[tigon]

For Burt/ASM chips is there anything you can add to an ultrasonic bath? I've seen Dawn recommended but thought that the soap actually hindered the ultrasonic bubbles?

I've also seen conflicting reports of whether it's even safe just to run the ultrasonic on them.

 

[ovo]

For Burt/ASM chips is there anything you can add to an ultrasonic bath? I've seen Dawn recommended but thought that the soap actually hindered the ultrasonic bubbles?

I've also seen conflicting reports of whether it's even safe just to run the ultrasonic on them.

I would think water and ultrasonic should not hurt the ASM chips ( should be better than nothing )

 

[Zedlavo]

 

[Dr. Matt]

Here was my go at it.
Did a few trials and used the famous salad spinner with fake TSP from Lundmark in the Kendal Commercial Grade 9 Liters 540 Watts HEATED ULTRASONIC CLEANER HB-49MHT. Set it to about 35 degrees C. No pre-soak due to some reports of excessive fading
Mostly did 40 chips at a time, but did a few with 60 and saw no diminished effects.
https://www.amazon.com/Kendal-Comme...+540+Watts+HEATED+ULTRASONIC+CLEANER+HB-49MHT
Had the Macallan 10 to keep me going... (also no diminished effects)

Bottom row: dirty chips
2nd from bottom: 60 seconds in cleaner. Still had some few chips with tiny bit of gunk/HJ in the deep grooves
3rd from bottom: 90 seconds in cleaner. I did not see a noticeable difference from 60 seconds, so did the rest at 60 seconds or less and added a light brushing with toothbrush in TSP solution immediately after removing from the machine
Top row: 1 min in cleaner + light brush with tooth brush in TSP solution to get the deeper gunk/HJ out of the grooves. Pristine.

Same order as above from right to left

45 seconds for the snappers so as not to fade. Fear was unwarranted, I think. Minimal residual gunk/HJ after the machine. Still brushed every chip lightly due to OCD

$5s
Top rown un-clean
Bottom: 60 seconds in machine and dried. Came out looking great. Slight appearance of fading, which I attribute to washing away gunk/hooker juice and am personally ok with because I think this is actually more natural clay color of the mint chips (as others have also proposed)

For example. Top row is cleaned. Bottom row uncleaned. The left-most 2 chips on bottom row are uncleaned, but look to be the "newest chips" with sharp edges, and also noticeably lighter than the other unclean chips, which are more used. Right?

Goodbye hooker juice. Until next time...

 

[Max D]

was the Macallan bottle full at the start of the process?

 

[Dr. Matt]

was the Macallan bottle full at the start of the process?

Ha! Not quite

 

[Max D]

Ha! Not quite

Evaporation... I have a similar problem with Scotch

 

[Gear]

12a. If your chips have cigarette odor, take them from the rinsing bowl, shake the excess water, and put them straight into a container of 5% distilled white vinegar (I use a cheap plastic tupperware-like container for this). Then begin ultrasonic cleaning your next batch of chips while these cleaned chips soak in vinegar to remove the odor. When your next batch of chips is clean and in the rinsing bowl, remove the chips from the vinegar bath, shake the excess vinegar, and place them on a towel to pat dry as in step 12b (you don't need to rinse them in water again).

I was just reviewing these excellent instructions when I noticed this part describing a post-ultrasonic soak in vinegar. This is an EXTREMELY BAD IDEA if the chips you are cleaning contain lead, because lead is soluble in vinegar. This will almost certainly contribute to fading, and may permanently damage the color of the chip(s).

Plus you're making a nice toxic syrup to pour down the sink

 

[Gear]

Can anyone comment on 3-litre vs. 6-litre capacity, in terms of the ingredient list?

The OP describes using 2 tablespoons of TSP in a total of 8 cups of water, but it Dawns on me (see what I did there?) that this is for a 3-litre unit.

Questions/musings:

1. I would assume that simply "doubling the recipe" in a 6-litre unit would make sense, i.e. 4 tablespoons of TSP in a total of 16 cups of water. Does that make sense to everyone else? Also, how is 8 cups in a 3-litre unit (16 cups in a 6-litre unit) enough? 8 cups is barely 2 litres, and we're not adding a litre of chips. Doesn't that leave the liquid level in the unit kinda low?

2. Does a 3-litre unit deliver twice as much "ultrasonic power per litre" as a 6-litre unit, given that they're both 180 W? For example a 300 W heater is going to heat up 3 litres of water twice as quickly as 6 litres of water. Could that be why my 6-litre unit seems weak compared to the results described by someone using a 3-litre unit?

3. I've put my finger into the water when the transducers are running and nothing else is in the tank. It's barely a tingle, not at all as unpleasant or ouch-inducing as I might have expected. Does this seem normal?

Thanks.

 

[Dr. Matt]

Disclaimer: I am no expert and not a chemist or physicist, but have run experiments and published scientific articles, so not completely ignorant on these matters. Admittedly, I have only done full batch of chip cleaning, but I was very happy with my results.

1. I used a 9L machine, 540W, 4 transducers and just kept filling it 4 cups at a time until it was above the minimum volume and added 1 tablespoon TSP per 4 cups. Seemed to work great and no significant fading (pics above). Of note when I turned the machine on with less water it was very loud and "zappy". Seemed better with more water.

2. A physicist could answer this better, but I'm sure your machine is plenty powerful and I wouldn't think it would be significantly weaker if at all. I don't think it works like the heater example.

3. Lol. I was tempted to do the same, but refrained. I wouldn't do that any more even if it does not produce immediate detrimental effects. The ultrasonic waves can certainly penetrate through your tissues and affect your cells over time causing some changes and damage or even increased growth (bones).

 

[GoStumpy]

Just a little addition, I cleaned my $1's a week or two ago, and I just happened to have some Oxyclean handy today, so I did a test barrel, and they actually brightened up a noticeable amount...

 

[liftapint]

Just a little addition, I cleaned my $1's a week or two ago, and I just happened to have some Oxyclean handy today, so I did a test barrel, and they actually brightened up a noticeable amount...

Do you mean that you first cleaned in the ultrasonic, then did a second cleaning with oxyclean, and the second cleaning produced a noticable improvement?
I don't think I want to know this.

 

[ovo]

Can anyone comment on 3-litre vs. 6-litre capacity, in terms of the ingredient list?

The OP describes using 2 tablespoons of TSP in a total of 8 cups of water, but it Dawns on me (see what I did there?) that this is for a 3-litre unit.

Questions/musings:

1. I would assume that simply "doubling the recipe" in a 6-litre unit would make sense, i.e. 4 tablespoons of TSP in a total of 16 cups of water. Does that make sense to everyone else? Also, how is 8 cups in a 3-litre unit (16 cups in a 6-litre unit) enough? 8 cups is barely 2 litres, and we're not adding a litre of chips. Doesn't that leave the liquid level in the unit kinda low?

2. Does a 3-litre unit deliver twice as much "ultrasonic power per litre" as a 6-litre unit, given that they're both 180 W? For example a 300 W heater is going to heat up 3 litres of water twice as quickly as 6 litres of water. Could that be why my 6-litre unit seems weak compared to the results described by someone using a 3-litre unit?

3. I've put my finger into the water when the transducers are running and nothing else is in the tank. It's barely a tingle, not at all as unpleasant or ouch-inducing as I might have expected. Does this seem normal?

Thanks.

as far as tsp goes, just keep the ratio the same. I have the 6 liter and I fill it up near the top, I think 1.75 gal

 

[GoStumpy]

Do you mean that you first cleaned in the ultrasonic, then did a second cleaning with oxyclean, and the second cleaning produced a noticable improvement?
I don't think I want to know this.

Unfortunately yes, however my ultrasonic might not be as robust as some here, it is 100w ultrasonic 3L model

 

[ovo]

worked on some Horseshoes, 40 - 43 degrees, 3 min, normal ratio of TSP/water, dollars need extra scrubbing to get white. I don't pre-soak. 5's didn't have much fading. I wonder if others use more TSP in their water ? They still come out nice and usable, no gunk, I'll just have to hand scrub the whites in some diamond chip cleaner.

 

[Gear]

I think I made a breakthrough in understanding why my results with the ultrasonic didn't seem as good as they should ... it might have been (literally) sitting right there the whole time:

...the metal basket!!

Up until now, I've just left this in the reservoir, as it's a useful way to "catch" chips that fall out of the salad spinner basket, and I've also used it to just hold the chips (i.e. I can arrange 25 chips in the basket by leaning them against the sides etc. such that they don't overlap.)

It never occurred to me to wonder whether the basket was reducing the effectiveness. I mean, it COMES WITH THE UNIT for crying out loud.

However -- I took it out, and I'm using just the salad spinner basket now, and the effectiveness is WAY better. Now I'm getting the results others have described in this thread (or close enough.)

Yay!! Finally!!

 

[nitzilla]

I did all of mine this weekend, the $1s needed 5 minutes on Saturday and about 90% of them needed ANOTHER 5 minutes on Sunday......then about 20 still needed time with a Magic Eraser....it was basically the red stain around the outer ring that wouldn't come off until the 2nd time in the basket...
But they now look great!

Glad you figured out your issue, I didn't even have the basket with the unit I borrowed, so I lucked out I guess.

 

[ovo]

I think I made a breakthrough in understanding why my results with the ultrasonic didn't seem as good as they should ... it might have been (literally) sitting right there the whole time:

...the metal basket!!

Up until now, I've just left this in the reservoir, as it's a useful way to "catch" chips that fall out of the salad spinner basket, and I've also used it to just hold the chips (i.e. I can arrange 25 chips in the basket by leaning them against the sides etc. such that they don't overlap.)

It never occurred to me to wonder whether the basket was reducing the effectiveness. I mean, it COMES WITH THE UNIT for crying out loud.

However -- I took it out, and I'm using just the salad spinner basket now, and the effectiveness is WAY better. Now I'm getting the results others have described in this thread (or close enough.)

Yay!! Finally!!

you need a lid on your salad spinner

 

[Gear]

you need a lid on your salad spinner

I have a lid, but it's just another part of the mesh basket. It's not "the" lid for the whole thing, which was way too big to be useful. (What do you want for $1.99 from Value Village.)

 

[ovo]

so i spent some time cleaning horseshoe dollars only. 6 liter machine, filled 1.75 gal with 8 tbs of tsp, temp at 44, drops to 42 when using, 4 min, still have residue left, so I had to hand scrub, lightly with a quick soak in diamond chip cleaner. Unless my machine is not working proper, or my TSP is bad, just don't understand how some of you get yours so white, without hand cleaning some of them. Ultrasonic still saves a load of time.

 

[Gear]

so i spent some time cleaning horseshoe dollars only. 6 liter machine, filled 1.75 gal with 8 tbs of tsp, temp at 44, drops to 42 when using, 4 min, still have residue left, so I had to hand scrub, lightly with a quick soak in diamond chip cleaner. Unless my machine is not working proper, or my TSP is bad, just don't understand how some of you get yours so white, without hand cleaning some of them. Ultrasonic still saves a load of time.

Interesting. Maybe try putting a little less water in the tank? Mine has an icon on the side which basically shows "empty tank = bad" and "~2/3 full = good" which I originally took to mean at least 2/3 full. However I think it might mean "try to fill it about 2/3 full and no more."

And no metal basket, right?