[DIY] easy way to make your own ultrasonic parts cleaner

I came across this video and just feel the need to share the video with the rest of you.

it is such an OMG simple easy thing that is something anyone can do at home and wish they had thought of it themselves.

I would suggest you use a better way to secure it then the Velcro he uses in the video because I think the vibrations would cause the Velcro to loosen and eventually let go of something heavy hanging on it like a jar of liquid and parts in it.

im thinking some sheet metal with pop rivets securing it to the lid should assure nothing comes loose.

im just trying to think of a large enough jar to fit most carburator and parts you might be cleaning. maybe a supersized mayonnaise jar from a cafeteria or restaurant?

its a great idea though, a $15-$20 palm sander and jar is all you need.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1DtY2VwSyY

 

Looks like it worked...

But suspending the sander to transfer maximum vibration to the jar was retarded.

That probably transfers minimum vibration.

If he were to mount the sander rigidly, then that would transfer all the vibration to the jar.

 

Hmmm.. subbed.

 

I was thinking that too, half the vibration is used up in the sander moving as its trying to move the sanding platform and the weight of the jar but it was a much better way then the others on youtube where I see it strapped on the side of a bucket or container, with those other setups it gets even less vibrations plus its binding the movements so the sander will probably overheat and burn up.

maybe if the setup was reversed, put the sander upside down on the bottom with Velcro to keep the jar from sliding off, then the jar sits on the sanding platform and all vibration gets transferred to it.

the sander needs to be held solidly in place to get the maximum transfer of vibrations, maybe build a wooden cradle for it?

 

I'd like a control group. I want to see what a similar part looks like just sitting in CLR for an hour. I could drop a part in a bucket of CLR and watch Rockford Files. That wouldn't mean that James Garner on TV makes the parts clean better.

 

Exactly what I was going to write, mwrohde! I'd like to see a similar part just soaked for an hour, then rinsed.

As he said in the video, he thought with the jar on a hard surface, it absorbed too much of the vibrations, so he suspended it. It's still cool to see different ideas like this, so others can try or modify as they please.

 

well I certainly am not saying using CLR is a good or a bad idea but I would be using something less chemical based if I did it.

sonic cleaners do work, they are just very expensive. sound vibrations through liquid work like a non abrasive media blast.

im sure the type of solution certainly has something to do with how well it cleans but it will clean with just plain water to a certain extent depending on how hard and solid the deposits are.

where something like this is most useful is for things you cant take apart so you cant submerge in chemicals because of plastic parts, electrical components, and diaphrams like a throttle body, egr valve, or fuel injectors

I certainly wouldn't suggest anything harsh (I think CLR is some sort of caustic acid based cleaner) but there are some things like vinegar with water solution or ammonia and dish soap with water solution that make good non corrosive cleaners you could use

 

you can pick up the harbor freight on for cheap. i have it and it works great. it heats the fluid also which really helps.

 

maybe the 2.5 liter one for $85 but that's not cheap in my book on my budget

the $40 one is like 2" deep and only designed for cleaning jewelry

im talking about things a mechanic wants to clean like carburators parts and such that needs like a bucket to submerge stuff in

 

yea, i have used my larger one from HF for that exact thing. cleaning motorcycle carbs and toyota carbs.
this bucket with a da sander doesnt work nearly as well. if you want a much larger one you can find deals on ebay for them.

 

I think you guys are missing the point, nobody is saying this is better then a store bought one, its just a FREE alternative for the most part, if you have a palm sander laying around as most of us do. its a poor mans alternative to a luxury item many of us wont have a need for to spend that kind of money on.

I cant see spending $100 or more for something I "might" use once or twice in 5 years and it would have to cost at least that much or more to be big enough for whole carbs or throttle bodies to be submerged in yet I think having one for free (even if it doesn't clean as well) is so much better then not having one at all and relying on the old soak it over night and spray with a can of carb cleaner to get the rest of what you can see.

if you use a sonic cleaner regularly then yes go buy a real one because your needs make it a good investment but the guy like me who may only use it a few times its not practical to drop $100 or more on one.

anyway, the option is there for those who wish to try it, for those who don't care if they spend $100 on something to just sit on the corner shelf for ten years, just go buy one.

with this option I can make a gallon bucket sized cleaner if I have something that big so it has endless container size options the store bought ones don't and cant do.

 

I use my dishwasher

 

Do you use your living room as a garage also?

 

No but, please note - No matter how nice your stainless Bosch dishwasher claims to be, Berryman's carb cleaner will fucking wreck every dishwasher rubber seal within a 4 square mile of your home and will not even be a funny story over drinks 6 years later with friends.

 

That just SOUNDS painful. I have always known that carb cleaner wreaks total havoc on everything it touches though. It has to be to literally destroy and cut through oil and grease like a lawnmower blade.

 

I tried that and she objected.

 

I just soak the carb and parts overnight in carb cleaner. But this will make the outside shiney clean and that's important when I'm cutting grass alongside the road and people are whizzing by at 60+.
Seriously, looks like a good way to get something clean faster than overnight