What pinball parts do you clean with your ultrasonic cleaner, specifically what parts that can't be cleaned with a vibrating cleaner and walnut media or are for some reason better cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaner?
Plastic star posts come to mind, but those I can clean with Simple Green, Bleache White or ammonia and a tooth brush pretty easily. Are there also other things better cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaner?
Mmmmm...walnut media....
We have one at work we use for anything that can't be easily reached by mechanical means (contact with media). Never tried it on pinball parts but I would think it's get into those tight spaces you find on some weldments or plastic parts.
If you break down a drop target bank into component pieces and want to clean and shine and reassemble, would it be better to clean in walnut media in vibrating polisher, or use an ultrasonic cleaner? I would not put the coil, sleeve, switches in of course....
Would the metal parts of the drop target bank be clean and shiny with the ultrasonic cleaner, or only clean? Do you do anything special to rinse and remove water from metal parts when done cleaning in the ultrasonic cleaner?
Could the drop targets be cleaned in the ultrasonic cleaner if no stickers on them, or would that tend to remove the hot stamped ink?
When cleaning plastic parts in the ultrasonic cleaner, do you need to be concerned about multiple plastic parts rubbing against each other and leaving marks (say on translucent pop bumper caps for example)?
I use mine for just about everything small enough to fit in it, as long as it is not painted or have a decal on it. I learned the hard way not to put a decorated spinner in it, for instance. I certainly wouldn't put a slingshot plastic in the ultrasonic cleaner.
I don't have a tumbler, and my understanding is they are noisy and take a long time. The ultrasonic cleaner meets my limited needs (new to the hobby, just a few pins). I put a diluted simple green solution in the cleaner. Does a fabulous job on playfield parts like plastic posts, flippers, screws and gates.
When you finish cleaning some items in the ultrasonic cleaner, what do you do with the solution in the cleaner? Leave it in there? Pour it into a bottle and store it for reuse next time? Discard it and start with new solution next time?
I agree with BTW. I just leave it and reuse it until it looks nasty, then dump it. I do take the time to rinse everything off and get any soapy residue off the parts that just came out of the cleaner.
I bought the bigger Harbor Freight unit, and with a discount coupon it was pretty cheap. Always sceptical about Harbor Freight, but I have used this a lot and it has held up well. Hope I didn't just jinx it! The heating element seems to really make a difference.
Quoted from RoyF:When you finish cleaning some items in the ultrasonic cleaner, what do you do with the solution in the cleaner? Leave it in there? Pour it into a bottle and store it for reuse next time? Discard it and start with new solution next time?
Agree with everyone else. Once it's too black to see the bottom I dump it.
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