hi again two minutes later.
I think now that ive found some time out from biz and home projects that i should report back on something that pertains to the on topic restorer.
A couple months ago I asked the list what they thought about an ultrasonic cleaner ?
The little suckers are pricey but much cleaner than a solvent tank.
Well I bought one on ebay from a company in NY , made in china its called a Kendall and I got the 9 liter model for $468
Quite few people got back to and said about having a small one for cleaning bits with good results but I wanted one to clean the piles of cranks and chainrings, so I took a leap and figured if theyer as good as peopel say , it will pay for itself in time gained and less cancer cells
The machine fits a full chainset, its I believe offhand 500watts for heating and the ehating elelment is the real important stuff.
I used it first with dish liquid, then got a simple of simple green which is a little better and am yet to try some citrus(the sellers said it ok, its stainless)
the first couple batches clened out derailleurs in one 55 minute cycle at 65 degrees celcius f?
This thing cleaned the spots that you need the tiniest brushes to get to and no brushing was necessary
I have lot of sun here so the stuff drys rapidly on the deck to avoid rust-some pieces need to be pulled apart and everything needs some grease or phil oil
Obviously certain things like hubs cant just be tossed in but i put some really nasty stuff in there.
Unfortunately 2 days later the heater stopped, its not the top model but its $400 plus dollars so I was a little bummed
The seller asked if I would be willing to install a new heating element and I said ok, a few days later -new heating element. I got one good batch and it stopped heating again
The best part of the machine is the heating , the gunk gets soft and you can pull the part out and wipe it real quick and toss it back in.
So I was done, i decided I wanted another brand, but that I definitely wanted another ultrasonic. Afetr speaking with the seller he sent me a prepaid return label and agreed to refund my loot if it happened again but assured me i just got the lemon.
Well, i got the new one yesterday and did 2 cycles of really dirty cranks (I can fit in 2 full crank sets and a few smaller items together.
This one was twice as powerfull as the last - So i believe the first one was a lemon.
As long as it keeps working I couldnt recommend it enough for anyone who plays with lots of vinatge gear, its supposed to work well at pulling off buffing compound too.
When i used to do a lot of 70+ mile rides outside of new york, I would clean my bike up after everylong ride to keep it all lubed and clean. this thing would kill for dropping your cassette into and maybe a few other bits.
If anyone is entertaining the idea of getting one of these i'd definately answer any questions-although im a novice myself. Or the other way around if youve been using one and have some good tips , i'd love it
I just realized i wrote a bunch of wandering sentences, i live far enough from civilization that the communication skills , especially writing need some buffing.
happy hot weather rdiing
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Barry Scott
Mount shasta CA USA