ultrasonic cleaner - any good for chains

forward_loop
forward_loop Posts: 314
edited March 2011 in Workshop
OK - so they advertise them for cleaning jewelry. Someone on the club ride said he cleans his chain with one ! - anyone tried this ? does it work ?.

I quite liek the idea of flicking a switch and then coming back to a sparkling chain - with no detremental effects on the environment

i could get my GF a present :wink:

Comments

  • pete.whelan
    pete.whelan Posts: 788
    You still need a degreaser in the pan for it to clean the chain.

    The small ones for jewelry don't really have enough power to do it fast, so be prepared to push the button a few times.
    Recipe: shave legs sparingly, rub in embrocation and drizzle with freshly squeezed baby oil.
  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 17,125
    i use one, cost 25 quid, got it at robert dyas or maplin electronics, i forget which

    one pass with degreaser, next with water+washing up liquid, last with water

    wipe down

    pop in oven at 120-150c to dry, put in chan box, drizzle with oil while still warm

    leave to marinate for a few weeks (i use 2-3 chains in rotation on each bike)

    takes < 10minutes - excluding rest breaks :-)
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Ultrasonic cleaners and a bit of degreaser from B+Q work wonders on all bike parts :o
  • schweiz
    schweiz Posts: 1,644
    My LBS has a full bike size ultrasonic cleaner. It comes back better than new!

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    VN BMC Cube SS
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  • balthazar
    balthazar Posts: 1,565
    You can clean a chain perfectly by shaking it for a few moments in a jam-jar. Any solvent like white spirit or degreaser will dissolve the grease, and the agitation will flush out the fine grit from inside the chain. Successive rinses in solvent show any debris, making it clear when the chain is clean. The solvent can be left to settle out, and poured off for re-use. The entire process takes a minute or so, and involves an old jar or two and some solvent.

    An ultrasonic cleaner may not affect this insoluble grit, because there is not enough agitation, potentially leaving the chain less functionally cleaned. It's the wrong, complicated tool – where an ideal, simple one exists already. If you renovate old components, I can imagine a use for it.
  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 17,125
    balthazar wrote:
    You can clean a chain perfectly by shaking it for a few moments in a jam-jar. Any solvent like white spirit or degreaser will dissolve the grease, and the agitation will flush out the fine grit from inside the chain. Successive rinses in solvent show any debris, making it clear when the chain is clean. The solvent can be left to settle out, and poured off for re-use. The entire process takes a minute or so, and involves an old jar or two and some solvent.

    An ultrasonic cleaner may not affect this insoluble grit, because there is not enough agitation, potentially leaving the chain less functionally cleaned. It's the wrong, complicated tool – where an ideal, simple one exists already. If you renovate old components, I can imagine a use for it.

    have you used an ultrasonic cleaner on a chain?

    the induced cavitation reaches all the inter-plate and internal roller areas, i.e. bearing surfaces that are well-shielded from manual agitation

    it strips everything

    when i first got one i put chains in that i'd cleaned other ways (with one of those clip on tools, and with the shake in a bottle method), the cleaner then showed just how much they miss

    it really does reach the parts other cleaners do not reach - so need to re-lube well as there'll be none left after cleaning

    my chains last a lot longer since i switched to the ultrasonic cleaner
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • balthazar
    balthazar Posts: 1,565
    sungod wrote:
    have you used an ultrasonic cleaner on a chain?
    No. I'm prepared to accept they're more effective than I imagined for this, though I know how good they are at shifting baked-on grime from delicate surface.
    when i first got one i put chains in that i'd cleaned other ways (with one of those clip on tools, and with the shake in a bottle method), the cleaner then showed just how much they miss

    it really does reach the parts other cleaners do not reach - so need to re-lube well as there'll be none left after cleaning

    my chains last a lot longer since i switched to the ultrasonic cleaner
    Agitation in a jar, through successive rinses, leaves pure solvent clear. I think the chain is clean of grit internally: when rinsed and dried it will squeak in use, indicating a total absence of lubricant. A chain is a loose assembly: there is no part that is "well-shielded from manual agitation". I can only think you weren't cleaning your chains properly before, if you have truthfully charted such an increase in chain life since using this device.
  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    maybe someone could clean my fuel injectors for me.

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