Recommendations for and experiences with ultrasonic cleaners

[impcon]

It is said that it is best to learn from the experiences and mistakes of others and so I am here to ask about ultrasonic cleaners - mostly  for stripping models of their paint and maintaining air brushes. For those who have one, what would you suggest would be the best size and cleaning fluid capacity for 1/25 to 1/18 styrene and die cast models. Like many in the hobby, I am on a limited income, so going out and buying the very best and most expensive unit is not really a possibility. Does anyone have any suggestions as to brand and technical specs on a decent unit and what is a good source to buy from? Would a three liter capacity be large enough for most any use or is a larger one preferable? Also, specifically what should a new person look for when buying their first unit and what would you suggest avoiding when purchasing one?

Also wondering if anyone would care to share experiences and some experiences ( good and bad )and photos of projects that you have used an ultrasonic cleaner on. I think that what ever information is shared on this thread may benefit more people than just myself who are curious about and/or contemplating buying one.  Any input will be appreciated.

Edited November 28, 2019 by impcon
spelling error

[Deuces]

Great question.... So, how about it guys????.... ?

[Spruslayer]

Ultrasonic cleaner is the best modeling tool purchase i have ever made.

I have a 2.1 quart with a heating option,think i spent about 90 on it.

Since owning this i have never had to use any kind of brush or tool to keep my AB as clean as the day it was new.

A solution of half water,half dollar tree degreaser keeps everything sparkling.

The 2.1 quart tank is big enough for most car bodys but there are some big rig and semi trailer parts that will not completly fit in it.

Using Super clean in it speeds up the removal of of paint but still needs a bit of soaking time to do the job.

Not to mention all the other household chores it can do.

I think Harbor Freight sells them but not sure of the quality of those.

 

[Tesla]

I also  have the two quart ultrasonic cleaner. Works great for styrene. I DO NOT recommend it for resin parts....they warp real easy.

[impcon]

1 hour ago, Spruslayer said:

Ultrasonic cleaner is the best modeling tool purchase i have ever made.

I have a 2.1 quart with a heating option,think i spent about 90 on it.

Since owning this i have never had to use any kind of brush or tool to keep my AB as clean as the day it was new.

A solution of half water,half dollar tree degreaser keeps everything sparkling.

The 2.1 quart tank is big enough for most car bodys but there are some big rig and semi trailer parts that will not completly fit in it.

Using Super clean in it speeds up the removal of of paint but still needs a bit of soaking time to do the job.

Not to mention all the other household chores it can do.

I think Harbor Freight sells them but not sure of the quality of those.

 

Thank you for the information.

Do you spray water based paints or enamels/lacquers? I am assuming that the cleaner will work for both based on what I have read this far. If you were to buy another unit, would you go with something a bit larger next time? I suppose for those big truck parts, you could always turn them over in the cleaner basket to clean the other side..??

1 hour ago, Tesla said:

I also  have the two quart ultrasonic cleaner. Works great for styrene. I DO NOT recommend it for resin parts....they warp real easy.

Thanks Dennis. This may seem like a silly question, but I have learned the hard way to never assume anything -  do you feel that resin bodies would be safe in the cleaner if heat is not used? Given the cost of most resin kits, one would want to be very careful.

 

[440 Dakota]

I have a small one that I bought at an estate sale that was actually marketed  as a jewelry cleaner, maybe a pint (16oz) works perfect for AB and small R/C stuff, I see the small ones  often at sales for a few bucks

[Spruslayer]

99% of what i do is water based.When i do use oil base it still cleans just as good.if the part doesn't fit i just turn it over. If i was to get another one it would be nice to have a bigger one but as the tank size goes up the price follows.Also some of them can be loud,they make a buzzing sound.When shopping for mine i did find lower priced units  but most of them did not include the heater option.Isnoic is the brand name of mine,had it about 2 years still works like new

[my66s55]

I have the Harbor Freight ultrasonic cleaner and it works fine. I use it to clean excess resin off 3d printed parts. A car body will easily fit in it. Just be careful about using alcohol in an ultrasonic cleaner. Using heat will cause a fire.

[robdebie]

Here are my experiences:

https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/ultrasonic.htm

Rob

[Tesla]

I also  have the two quart ultrasonic cleaner. Works great for styrene. I DO NOT recommend it for resin parts....they warp real easy.

Thanks Dennis. This may seem like a silly question, but I have learned the hard way to never assume anything -  do you feel that resin bodies would be safe in the cleaner if heat is not used? Given the cost of most resin kits, one would want to be very careful

I used mine with the heat  off.  I believe the warping is due to  the ultrasonic cleaning action of the unit  and the  resin itself.

Any resin that needs to be stripped of paint I will  put it it in the "Purple Pond" from now on.

[iBorg]

One point, if you're like me and hearing aid dependent, ultrasonic cleaners interfere with them. When I use any of my three cleaners, I must turn my HAs off. If not they have a loud buzz sound.

[Bainford]

On ‎29‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 2:10 AM, Tesla said:

.

Any resin that needs to be stripped of paint I will  put it it in the "Purple Pond" from now on.

Beware of resin in the purple pond. I've read it can destroy resin. Be sure to test scrap bits before committing an expensive body to the stuff.