Noisy Utrasonics

Note the first one that can invent a ''quiet ultrasonic" will be a
millionaire. I want to buy the first one! I will pay DOUBLE the
going rate to get one !!

Signed TIRED of the noise Jeff Ellis

Jeff: we are working on it. should have something for you in the
near future.

Best regards
Mike & Dale
Lone Star Technical Service
Factory trained and certified ELMA repair service

    Note the first one that can invent a ''quiet ultrasonic" will
be a millionaire. I want to buy the first one!  I will pay DOUBLE
the going rate to get one !! 

It is unfortunate that this piece of equipment’s name does not quite
describe its’ function. I take Ultrasonic to mean “beyond the range
of audible sound.” Manufacturers of these handy devices would be
well served by sound-insulating them somehow but, until they do,
maybe we can do something about it ourselves in the meantime.

I’ve never tried this, but I can’t think of a reason why it wouldn’t
work. Get a box that is somewhat larger than your ultrasonic, so the
unit can fit inside with enough room to work. Then, get some
acoustic paneling. Ceiling tiles will work, as will the “egg carton”
type of foam rubber (I’ve recorded in music studios that used this
for soundproofing). Line the box with the material of your choice
and place your ultrasonic inside.

If you try this approach, please be careful. Jewelry cleaners may
emit fumes that might accumulate inside the box. Then again, they
accumulate under the ultrasonic’s lid as well. I use Simple Green
All-Purpose Cleaner in my ultrasonic. It is a great
cleaner/degreaser that is non-toxic and biodegradable. Still, it is
a mild eye irritant if contact is made, and the label cautions you
to use in a ventilated area. So does my leftover bottle of jewelry
cleaner.

James in SoFl

I am a Goldsmith and not an Electrical Engineer so this is a thought
not a fact but I would think that an Ultrasonic having an Electrical
motor or Heater should be well vented to allow the element to stay
cool.

If you were to place the Ultrasonic in a box and surround it with
the material you suggest, the machine may overheat. On a day when I
have used my machine for long extended periods, I have had to turn it
off for a while to allow it to cool down.

What I do to keep the noise down is to place the machine on a towel
or rubber mat. I then fill the tank up with plain water. I place a
rack in the machine and then I take a small plastic container such as
a round butter tub and fill it with my cleaning solution ( I use Mr.
Clean and water) and place this tub on the rack. I use small brass S
shaped hooks to hank pieces in the tub. This doesn’t eliminate all
the noise but it does cut down on quite a bit of it. It also makes
clean up a breeze.

Greg DeMark
email: greg@demarkjewelry.com
Website: www.demarkjewelry.com
Website: www.outdrs.net/~demark

One of my first jobs out of school was working for Neal Rosenblum
in Worcester, MA, making a line of “organic design” wedding bands for
his shop, and cutting the molds. Neal has his ultrasonic in a
cupboard lined with foam. Nice and quiet! Cindy

Cynthia Eid

I bought my ultrasonic 2nd hand and it came without a lid. I took a
plastic cutting board and cut it to the size of the top of the
ultrasonic and attached a handle. It seems to muffle the noise a bit
compare to ultrsonics with a metal lid. The cutting board is about
1/2" thick and cheaply priced at discount stores.

Rick Copeland
Silversmith and Lapidary Artisan
Colorado Springs, Colorado
http://home.covad.net/~rcopeland/

Note the first one that can invent a ''quiet ultrasonic" will be a
millionaire. 

Has anyone tried an ionic cleaner? I got one about two weeks ago
and it is a beautiful little machine. I got the super-duper Turbo
model–for only $175.00. There are four other models ranging in
price (and size) from $45.00 to $125.00. Except when sung the Turbo
mode, they are TOTALLY SILENT. They use a cleaning solution with no
ammonia or other odor-producing substances. The main reason I got
mine is the fact that they do a beautiful job on pearls (not strung),
opals, and other soft stones that are a definite no-no with
ultrasonic cleaners. Cleaning action only takes seconds. The solution
is used at room temperature, only needs water added when evaporation
takes place, and can be used until cloudy. Mine is still as clear as
when I put it in the tank.

They are not made for production quantities, but for normal cleaning
requirements I would never go back to my old, noisy, stinky
ultrasonic. Usual disclaimer–no connection with manufacturer or
sellers. Just an evangelist for great new (or old) products and
techniques that make life better.

Del Pearson of Designs of Eagle Creek in Beautiful South Texas,
where we are starting to have an occasional cool evening.

 Has anyone tried an ionic cleaner? I got one about two weeks ago
and it is a beautiful little machine. 

I got one the hangs on the side of my ultrasonic. I use one or the
other, or for the best worlds, both of them simultaneously! Depends
on what the particular gemstone(s) can stand. The ionic cleaner can
be used (given it’s particular solution) with any gemstones or
pearls. Electrical conductivity (i.e., metal contact) is important,
but it seems to be an effective addition to the ultrasonic!

All the best,
Dave
Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio
Charlotte, NC (USA)

Hi, Del, I’m interested in what you have to say about your ionic
cleaner. I asked about them a while back, and got the sense that
they weren’t considered very effective. But you feel it is a viable
substitute for an ultrasonic? Is it true that they remove tarnish?
My main interest is to refresh finished pieces that have sat in a
gallery or wherever long enough to look a bit dingy. What brand did
you go with?

Thanks!
Noel

Hi Noel, How are you doing?

You are right that the ionic cleaner removes tarnish; it also
accomplishes some mild cleaning.

The back stock of some of my production work was tarnishing and
re-tumbling with cleaner was only slightly effective. Since the
quantity was way beyond what I was willing to refresh by hand I
purchased the Speed Brite and have been pleased with its performance.
The time it saved me covered the cost at my first usage.

Pam Chott
www.songofthephoenix.com

    I'm interested in what you have to say about your ionic
cleaner. 

Noel,

I am very pleased with my ionic cleaner–and so are my customers.
It is so simple and quick to use that I have placed it next to POS
and frequently offer to clean a piece of jewelry a customer is
wearing–free of charge. They are amazed at the sparkle. In my
estimation it works better than the old combination of ultrasonic and
steaming. One exception: it doesn’t remove caked-on red rouge as
well as the steam cleaner. Being able to clean jewelry with opals,
pearls, and other soft stones is a real plus.

I am still using the original batch of cleaning solution (no fumes)
and it is still crystal clear.

In order to answer your question about removing tarnish, I just
cleaned several sterling rings that were really shop tarnished. They
came out as sparkling as I have ever seen sterling. I don’t sell
much gold here in south Texas (this is silver country), but most of
my repairs are on gold. I find that the ionic works just as well on
gold–it just takes a little longer. Silver takes about 10 seconds;
gold about 45 seconds.

The model I purchased (since you asked–usual disclaimer) is the
Speed Brite Turbo.

Del Pearson of Designs of Eagle Creek in Beautiful South Texas,
where we actually had a cool day–in the low 70s–today.

Noel,

The ionic cleaner works great for removing light tarnish from
pieces that have sat out too long. It isn’t a replacement for an
ultrasonic. It won’t remove dirt or polishing compounds from the
non-conductive (stone) parts of the piece.

The Speed Brite cleaning solution is safe for pearls, coral, lapis,
turquoise, etc. Get the one that clamps on to the side of the
ultrasonic and you can use both actions.

The setup we have at our store has the Speed Brite solution in the
tank so the sales staff doesn’t accidentally ruin soft stones. Here
in the shop I use green soap in the ultrasonic. The ionic works well
with it also. I use a beaker filled with Speed Brite set into the
ultrasonic for doing both with soft stones. That involves a separate
cathode in the beaker and some alligator clips. Looks like a science
experiment but it works fine.

If you’re feeling a little adventurous I can tell you how to use an
old 12 volt power adapter from electronic equipment to make your
own. Most people have one or two laying around or headed for the
trash.

John Flynn

Del: The following was from the Speed Brite Systems
website. Since it indicates that some low karat gold or solder
joints may darken, I was wondering did you notice that with any of
your silver? Did any of the solder joints darken?

Kay

  Any precautions? 

  Yes, SILVER is cleaned in a very short time. The unit is
  automatically timed but you will need to watch silver and
  remove it in only seconds rather than leaving it in for a full
  cycle. And be sure to rinse thoroughly so the piece will be
  squeaky clean. It will stay clean longer. Some low karat gold
  or solder joints may darken. This will need to polished to
  remove the oxidation. Limiting cleaning time will help here as
  with the silver

John,

       The setup we have at our store has the Speed Brite solution
in the tank so the sales staff doesn't accidentally ruin soft
stones. Here in the shop I use green soap in the ultrasonic. The
ionic works well with it also. I use a beaker filled with Speed
Brite set into the ultrasonic for doing both with soft stones. That
involves a separate cathode in the beaker and some alligator clips.
Looks like a science experiment but it works fine. 

I would be interested in more about your ultrasonic set
up.

Thanks
Ed Katz in hot, humid Houston

The Speed Brite Systems website indicates that some low karat gold
or solder joints may darken, I was wondering did you notice that
with any of your silver? Did any of the solder joints darken? 

I have not experienced any darkening in anything I have cleaned so
far. Since any such darkening would be surface oxidation, I would
imagine that my “finishing touch” use of a Fabulustre polishing cloth
would easily take care of it. Oops! There goes another of my “trade
secrets.” The Fabulustre cloth is my constant companion–I use it
for finishing almost everything.

Del of Designs of Eagle Creek in Beautiful South Texas, where the
warm weather is back again.