How to Clean Watch Parts with IPA
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- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- In this video, I'll show you how to safely clean watch parts using IPA (isopropyl alcohol). IPA is a great way to clean watch parts without damaging them if you know its limitations.
If you're looking to clean your watch parts safely and efficiently, then watch this video! By following my instructions, you'll be able to clean your watch parts without any damage done.
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I learn a lot from these videos. Save me a lot of googling and questions. The rest of the watchmakers on youtube is out of my budget range and knowledge.
I am glad I can help.👍👍👍👍
What a fantastic scientific test to put the question to rest!
That was my goal for sure. Some people say never use it some people say it’s OK so now you have it.
Thanks for this great tutorial. Based on your video on cleaning watch parts, I’ve been adding IPA and a hexane rinse steps to the ultrasonic cleaning protocol I use. The IPA is excellent for removing some gunk that the L&R ultrasonic cleaner and naphtha rinse steps leave behind. But I was always afraid to include the pallet fork and balance wheel in the IPA step. This video shows us exactly what these parts can take, and what they can’t. Thank you, Alex!
Hey aPaul. I think the video on Ultrasonic cleaning I’m working on now will be eye opening.
Great video as always. I love the "scientific method" style of testing with lots of controls on the procedure. Also, as it happened, pallet fork + ultrasonic cleaner was the first mistake I made on my first movement I was servicing, the pallet stone came right out when I went to grease the pallet fork. And as you said, when my replacement pallet fork arrived, it didn't work because the tolerances were off. Great Video!
Been there done that! 🤣
My goal in these types of videos is to hopefully prevent exactly what happens to you. There are many times when a pallet fork will be fine in an ultrasonic, but why take the chance on a vintage one.
It’s not like guys working at home have some sort of quota to met.
It has been a well asked question with mixed answers. At last we get the correct answer and the proof to back it up.
Thanks again Alex for a another brilliant video. Really finding the series so helpful. Looking forward to the ultrasonic cleaning video.
Another subject with varying degrees of opinion so we’ll see how it comes out
YESSS!!! Excellent! This was exactly the information I was looking for… I just put out a video and received cautionary comments since I used IPA as my final rinse. I wasn’t sure where to turn for an absolute answer, and then you dropped this video. Bam! Great job and thank you! 👏🏼
Yea man. Thanks Mike
Thanks for your videos, helps allot! That's should be the lesson number one for beginners, i skipped mistake cleaning with IPA intuitively, only because have some skills in vintage furniture restoration and know some about shellac.
My pleasure. I wanted to make this video because people have heard never use it and some people have heard it’s OK do use it. I wanted to demonstrate how much exposure was OK and how much was too much before damage occurs.
What a shame not to have discovered your channel before, I followed the wrong instructions of another channel and my pallet fork is already history, I managed to glue the piece but I broke the pivot when doing it and now I can't find the spare part. I started a few months ago with this hobby that is exciting and I thank you very much for sharing your knowledge with the newbies, they are very helpful to continue excited, learn and advance little by little. Greetings from Spain
Thank you my Antonio. Love to hear from my friends in Spain
I have been waiting for this kind of test for so so long...everyone talking IPA but I messed a palet fork up in the ultrasonic in just cleaning. Since then I only dip 1 min in IPA which you kindly confirmed is the right way. Thanks!!
I read a lot of things online on forums and it’s hard to separate fact from fiction sometimes. So videos like this I really meant to give the subject closure and take the guesswork out of decision-making.
Thanks for the very important info. I have never cleaned these delicate parts out of fear. Armed with this knowlege, I am confident I can now safely clean it.
Perfect. That’s what you really need to do.
After losing some stone early on, I started hand cleaning the pallet and balance and have not ever had anymore issues.
Thank you for the empirical testing you've done Alex. Lots of online arguing about this and I'm glad you've managed to finally put this to rest
It’s funny you say that because this just came up in a forum. What a professional watchmaker does in a fully equipped shop is not the same as what a home watchmaker should do. You can’t compare part quality between a Rolex and a freaking 50 year old low grade watch.
A Watchmaker working in a service center or any other high-end shop is using a 10k machine with not only has access to parts but the equipment to fix a problem should it occur.
This is a case where was good for the goose is not good for the gander . Damn I’m getting old.
I really like your no-nonsense advice for watch making. I follow Marshall Sutcliff as well. He's really good, and has inspired me to take this on, but he leaves out so many crucial details. THANK YOU!
Start with a new inexpensive movement and use that to practice on.
You should be able to successfully service it so that it runs as good or better after you are done. Then you will be ready for the next challenge.
@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks for your encouragement and sharing your knowledge!
Never had a problem but I am stopping cleaning excapement in the machine and cleaning them separately better safe than sorry!🤪THANK YOU
Hopefully you never will.👍
You just changed the way I clean watch parts, thank you very much for the information, and my watches thank you as well.
Thanks for stopping by Chris, I hope to see you around here again we got lots more coming
I’m in for the long haul sir.
Yet another great video containing info and advice not found elsewhere ! Thanks Alex !
It’s always nice to see you, William.
Thank you! Great video, great content in depth analysis, great value for amateur watchmakers and tinkerers.
Well MG thank you. These videos are really meant for newcomers to the hobby, so I appreciate your thoughts.
you are the best on YT for the watchs, thank you very much!
Wow, thanks!
Loved this video and your approach to determining optimal procedures. Great work!
Thank you, Norman. I appreciate the feedback on the subject that a lot of people just don’t care about.
@@watchrepairtutorials I think we should care. Your conclusions caused me to do my own test. I have an old CE Marshal MicroSonic ultrasonic watch cleaning machine. I've never seen another like it anywhere. The power appears to be stepped way down. However, after a five minute clean cycle and five minute LR rinse cycle and spin dry with heat, shellac was definitely removed but the pallet jewels held strong. I suspect in a new full power machine the shellac would be gone. It has caused me to not clean forks in my machine. Thanks for the encouragement to consider these factors because I think I had to cement a pallet jewel because of it.
Excellent stuff, your channel is my current primary source for watchmaking information!
Wow, that’s quite a compliment so thank you very much. I’m glad you’re getting some value out of the work I’m doing.
Just starting my watch repair hobby. Thank you for these videos. They are a huge help.
Cheers
Glad to help Crash.
Thanks Alex, very helpful indeed buddy, I was a little confused over the use of Ipa as a rinse agent, and have treated the pallet fork like its made of cobwebs lol, a quick bath in Hexane then a blow dry
Yea I use it to final rinse all the parts except for the shellacked ones.
Thanks brother.
Thanks, Alex! Perfect timing. I recently cleaned a cheap used Cardinal watch using IPA and forgot to avoid putting the pallet fork in the IPA. I’m guessing it was in there for about 2-3 minutes. It sat untouched for a week and then, when reassembling, the fork didn’t want to move to accept the balance. Checked and found a pallet stone had moved about 45°.
Oh no.
Well now you know what not to do. 😃
@@watchrepairtutorials thanks for the reply. The used, non runner Cardinal cost $25 at a flea market. The lesson was worth the cost. Might try my hand at resetting the stones. If the fork is against the banking pin, then the stone should be at the bottom of the escape wheel tooth, correct?
@@Mars-zgblbl when the fork is against the banking pin, the escape wheel is in full lock on the locking surface of the pallet stone.
On a 18000 beat watch, full lock equals 1/3 of the length of the impulse surface of the pallet stone.
@@alexhamilton9566 got it, thanks!
Alex. Thank you. I usually wash all items in a lighter fluid solution by ultrasonic, then remove the pallet fork and Balance and rinse all again in IPA using the ultrasonic. In future I will just do a small immersion of 1 minute in IPA for the balance and pallet fork. All other items I can continue as before. Better to be safe than sorry. Good information. Thank you. I understood all you have said. Good aren't you.
Sounds good Ross
Wow, what a great experiment! It was really interesting to see the results, and now I don't have to be afraid of giving the pallet fork a quick wipe with IPA. If you're using hexane as a cleaning solvent, it's safe for parts with shellac correct?
Yes it is. I typically soak the pallet, forks and balance assembly for at least 20 minutes sometime is longer with no ill affects.
I’ve been running my pallet forks through two 2-minute ultrasonic rinse cycles. I’m using the same L&R rinse in your video. Since watching your video, I have been checking the palette stones following your method. After doing about six watches, none of the pallet stones have loosened.
Perhaps my ultrasonic machine is less vigorous. It is a low end model. But it seems to clean parts effectively.
Thanks for your videos! I find them extremely helpful.
Hey Scott,
I would think that many Pallet Forks would make it through an ultrasonic machine fine. Until you run across the ones that don’t.
I no longer put pallet forks through ultrasonic. Thanks much!
@@watchrepairtutorials
What a beautiful lesson, thank you, Alex.
Thank you my friend
thanks and glad i watched this before dunking my watch in an ultrasonic with ipa. could you at some point do a video on the problems with over lubrication? also how do you feel about triflow?
Well, I don’t know if it wanted to, but over lubrication not only will create lower amplitude and eventually it will spread throughout the movement causing more problems.
Tri flow spray for watches. I wouldn’t do it.
@@watchrepairtutorials thanks for the reply, i might just take it in to somebody. it says evaco sa on the case and movement. i dont know how universal parts are and its just not running well right now and i think it when something comes into ownership its nice to maintain them. thanks again
Great video with hands on testing 👏
Thank you
Hey Stuart, how are you today? As always I appreciate you stopping by to let me know.😀
Thank you for sharing such important tips.
I appreciate you being here. See you soon
This is asking the exact questions I have. Thanks!
Glad I could help. Hope to see you again
Awesome info. Thanks. I’m just about to clean a vintage Illinois pocket watch. Dodged a bullet there😅. Thank you Alex.
Steve, sometimes timing is everything.
Great knowledge and presentation. Thank you, greatly appreciated.
Hello Martell. Thank you my friend.
nice stuff man very to the point👍
Appreciate it!
Hello master watchmaker
Please teach how to replace a broken pallet fork pivot.
especially very thin or short pivots such as Omega 565 or Omega 1010 or shorter, thinner and more delicate.
Thank you for all the very professional and excellent videos
Do you have a staking set
@@watchrepairtutorialsI have a stacking set, but my smallest rivet hole for the pivot fork palette is too wide. So I have to replace the pallet fork axis with a very tight pin vise. Please make a video for this article
@@mikbastani honestly, I don’t think it’s possible. Good luck. Let me know how it turns out.
Thank you so much for this! I'm new to this, and I'm preparing for my first complete service, and the balance and pallet fork were my biggest concern for the cleaning portion. I feel a lot better now. Separate, manual cleaning it is.
Brad, there are varying opinions on how to approach cleaning watch parts this is just how I do it based on my experiences working on vintage parts.
Newer parts, say 5 to 10 years old would not be as susceptible to these type of issues as our parts that are 30 to 40 years or older
@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks! I'll still lean towards caution, especially given that I'm using an ultrasonic cleaner. Great videos! You're helping a lot of newbies like myself.
Sir, I am really amazed at the intricate knowledge you have on watch repairing. Can we use white petrol to clean the watch movement, including the pallet and balance assembly? Please guide me. Thank you.
I am not familiar with white petro. It seems to be the equivalent to US kerosene.
I don’t know of anyone who uses kerosene to clean watch parts.
Hello, very educative as always.
What are your recommendations for acetone, of course not for shellac parts.
Acetone should not be used. it's way too caustic for watch parts
great video with clear answers.....thanks for sharing
This is the lead up video to my next one on Ultrasonic machines
@@watchrepairtutorials cheers mate, highly appreciated
Another awesome bit of info and thanks for posting!
Thank you my friend
Thanks for the video. Great information. I was wondering about IPAs reaction on parts. Informative video
Thanks Darryll
Thanks again Alex, very interesting as always
Thank you, Tom
Thanks Alex. Another great video.
Thanks as always Olof.
Thank you for the video Alex. Great information. I’m not one to do Patreon but am seriously considering it with your channel.
Well I understand it’s not for everyone and that’s cool. They will be more advanced topics depending on where you are at.
Just what we all needed. So my question is can you use anything more then IPA. Benzen/Nafta?
Like what solvent and and for what purpose?
Great information as always. Thank you Alex!
My pleasure!
Best tip ever ,thanks!!
Thanks brother. I hope you can use it.
Awesome!!! Thanks for the detailed explanations.
I hope it helps in some small way. Good to see you.
Great info here Alex. Always such a p[leasure to watch your videos. I learn so much every time my friend.
Hello Graham, good to see you again my friend. Thank you as always.
Is the pallet fork the only part that can’t go in the cleaning solutions? Is there a cleaning solution for the pallet for? Do they use the same shellac for the jewels?
So just to be clear, a lot of people clean their pallets and balance wheels in their cleaning solution. I do not because I have seen to many vintage parts not make it through safely. The best choice for any shellacked parts are OneDIp or Hexane in my opinion. Yes the shellacked parts use the same shellac.
Hi Alex, first let me say you are a great watch teacher! I do like your no nonsense, no drama, approach.👏
I have a question though: so cleaning the pallet fork is best done with naphtha (lighter fluid) and does it need to be rinsed with clean naphtha or something else? Also the same for the balance wheel/bridge? This since I understood there is also shellac used .... The other watch parts I do clean with naphtha (carefully with a brush, since i'm just a hobbyist) and rinse them in IPA.
Hope to hear from you and hope many insight videos to come!
THX, Frank (The Netherlands)👍
The best cleaner for them would be, hexane or one dip, then naphtha. One issue with Naphtha on hairspring could be impurities from the cleaner might leave a residue behind causing sticking. There are so many different quality levels of naphtha around the world, so If that's not happening, you should be good. Thanks Frank
I use a jar of naphtha reserved for only cleaning hairsprings. It leaves no residue. Residue can make the coils stick to each other, looking under the microscope as if the coils are magnetized. As well as ruining the performance of the hairspring.
A very interesting video. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks my friend. See you again
Are there any other parts besides pallet forks that should typically be cleaned more carefully like this?
The balance wheel. The safety roller has a shellacked impulse jewel.
Alex, how about the impulse jewel? Is the balance assemble as vulnerable because of it? I always see watchmakers refitting them to the main plate, and putting it all in the cleaning machine?
First off, you never see it when they f*** up. Shellacked jewels can fail in both ultrasonic as well at basket machines.
It all depends on the condition of the shellac because the older the part, the more brittle it becomes.
Newer parts are almost never a problem so what you have to determine is what your comfort level is.
For me, the small amount of time it takes to clean those parts by hand is worth not having to even worrying about messing them up. Pallet forks and balance assemblies, to two hardest and most expensive parts to source.
@@watchrepairtutorials Bang on Alex, thanks brother, that's exactly what I figured, old Shellac is old Shellac, no two ways about it, and as a novice when it comes to working on watches, taking extra time and care is where I'm coming
Great video thank you.
Thanks Jon. Know you know.
I wish I could press 100+likes on the video. Really, thank you. I've finally get a feel how to clean my watches. Don't worry, I will test my first cleaning experience with old pocket watches. Even it spoils, no damage for me, just some lessons for me would left. Anyway, I decided to order 60W ultrasonic cleaning machine, because there was no options to 'adjusting' wattage of the machine for the 120W one. Thanks for your advice. I do really appreciate it.
Glad it helped my friend
Brilliant videos with sound advice based on empirical data from practical experimentation - it doesn’t get any better than this, thanks so much Alex?
I have been trying to find a similar definitive answer on the use of acetone, I like that it is so volatile and quick drying with no residue. I know it dissolves some plastics but wasn’t sure if it was suitable for a quick, 10 second rinse on shellac parts. Does anyone know for sure about acetone?
Many thanks! - Alex
Hi Rick, I came here for another short question.. you told me that IPA is good at rinsing water and sort of degreasing, and I am thinking of trying IPA on watch dial cleaning.
How do you think? Will it work?
I'm afraid if it also erases dial printing either.. I've saw a video that cleaning watch dial while soaking in some kind of liquid. Will it make problems on vintage watches?
By the way I have watching your other videos as well these days. Super useful and extremely helpful.. Thank you so much.
NO No No don't do that. Only Q-tips lightly dampened with deionized water or distilled water .
Some old Porcelain Dials can be cleaned in Water with polydent but that's it.
My advice would be if you don't like the patina on vintage dials, just don't buy them. Seriously, there is very little you can do to improve the condition of a watch dial
I see, thank you. Q tips with distilled water, that makes sense.
ua-cam.com/video/14YDHPSxvG4/v-deo.html
It must be not IPA or cleaning solution, just distilled water, right?
Dear alex, could you make a guide on using an ultrasonic for cleaning watch parts?
I am making the video right now, I hope to have it out by the weekend
انا في بلد لاتوجد فيه سوائل تنظيف خاصة بالساعات...
يوجد بنزين يستخدم للتنظيف يباع في الأسواق يستخدمه صانعي الساعات..
هل هو مفيد وهل يمكن استخدام سوائل أخرى...شكرا جزيلا
When you have limited availability in cleaning products you must make some compromises. Don’t have accesss to Isopropyl alcohol or lighter fluid.
Thank you, sir!
Very welcome!
What’s your opinion on using Ronson lighter fluid as a parts cleaning agent ?
Lighter fluid and naphtha are basically the same thing. It is effective for cleaning watch parts but obviously you have to be careful because of the flammability.
@@watchrepairtutorials thank you, I know several watchmen that still use lighter fluid for their watch cleaning all still done by hand with several types of brushes and toothpicks you don’t want to know the lubricant they use, but they run on “time” for years, I have a few that are 20 yrs since cleaning and lubrication and they’re still running fine. Thanks again for that magnificent treatise on cleaning that shows that you don’t really need fancy cleaners or 1000s of dollars in equipment, and that knowledge goes allot further than $$
Great and very useful video. Thank you! 🕐⚙️🍸
People have so many opinions about the use of IPA. I thought a demonstration might be in order.
@@watchrepairtutorials Very good idea. I am just starting as a hobbyist. Fortunately I am working on an EB 8800 which has no pallet jewels. Unfortunately the mix of brass and steel caused a lot of rust in the ultrasonic cleaner. I got it removed but that was a long process. So… ultrasonic is good for some cleaning but not for everything. I have just started the learning process. :) Videos like yours are so helpful.
@@NaNByZero First, there is no question that using profession grade cleaners is far superior and safer than water based cleaning systems.
But professional grade cleaners are designed to be used in spinning basket machines or ultrasonic machines that are explosion proof and have ventilation.
This is not possible for 99.9 % of home watchmakers who turn towards home ultrasonic machines which are designed for using detergent based cleaners.
When using water based cleaning methods you have to be very diligent in your methodology. Using cleaners that are not too alkaline, that are cut or reduced at the proper ratio, the correct temperature, the correct cycle time, not having the small part baskets cramped with parts and proper drying are all individually important for good results.
Discoloration of parts can also be an issue if these steps are not followed.
@@watchrepairtutorials Yes. I am just at the beginning of the learning process. Thank you so much. I think I will get me professional cleaning fluids and try your method with the self made spinning basket. :)
Thanks for the video! Does this also apply to complete balances? Light cleaning with IPA acceptable? Or Naptha?
Well the hairspring is always an issue.
I soak my pallet fork and balance in hexane. Pretty much for as long as I want. Excellent at removing oils.
One issue is going to the purity level of napatha for residue left behind.
If you soaked in napatha, a couple quick dunks into IPA and then drying with a blower would work fine.
Hi! Is n-hexane different from hexane? Can I use n-hexane instead for cleaning the palette and balance assembly?
Yes both are interchangeable for our purposes.
Hi Alex, i'm no native english speaker, i hope it makes sense to you, when i say"thanks for watching"
Thanks for watching as what I say to you. What is your native language?
@@watchrepairtutorials i'm a german who likes wordgames✌️😁 and jokes
@@Michel-7.7.7 and now I get the joke. LOL I’m trying to get accurate close captioning in my videos so that you would be able to view them and German.
Awesome info as always Alex, thank you so much! Any thoughts about those bronze screwdriver tips? I picked up several but haven't had time to really test them
Oh wow, actually yes.
So my experience has been that when you run into tight screws they break at the tip. I would think there is a use, but I’m not sure what I want to use them for.
@It's About Time Would they be good for reassembly maybe?
You are dope as f$&k! Dude! I love how you teach! I learn so much stuff from you. So can I put my balance complete in one dip for a moment? I haven’t finished watching this video yet. Thank you Brother.
Yes you can. And yes, Life IS good 👍
Great vid! My 7 jewel quartz swiss v8 movement watch is running slow, I read it would be ok to dip it in 99% IPA to get the gears cleaned up...any thoughts? I also read lighter fluid.
Quartz watches don’t typically run slow when they’re dirty, they typically run out the battery and stop altogether.
Maybe look up the caliber number to see if it could just be replaced if you’re having a problem
@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks for the reply friend, I went with your advice, actually did find the movement from a high rated source so will just replace it.
Small point but- IPA not only displaces water, it absorbs water. Hexane, acetone, etc. displace water. I know in other videos you talk about IPA rinses of several minutes, I never rinse in IPA more than about 10 seconds- there is no need for discrete parts as there are no interior zero-clearance surfaces that can trap water like in assemblies. And pallet forks and balances I just use one dip and cut-down art brushes on. Because resetting pallet stones is quite honestly above my pay grade.
Yea science, I like it. IPA is a hydrophilic solvent, meaning it can dissolve in water.
Great video! You think that is a mistake to use a very cheap oil (still sold as a "watch oil") for cheaper movements to gain experience? I use my own watches and I plan to re-clean and lubricate the watches that run good even with the first service with cheap oil after I afford more professional grade stuff and have more experience. And also, I used the oil for the pallet stones also, and all pivots except the pallet fork pivots. I want to clean them again in 1-2 years max. You think that is a bad ideea?
I think it’s totally fine to use something like 8000 as a lubricant while you’re learning and often recommend it. As long as you understand that they are not going to last as long or give the performance over the long term. Once you are confident in your lubrication abilities, then you can step up to the proper lubrication. The one place that it will really hurt amplitude of course is on the pallet stones which really requires 9415 for peak amplitude.
So what is the best way to clean the pallet and the hairspring with ipa? Put it for short time of 30 second for 5 interval?
The time limits that were demonstrated are just that, limits to exposure.
iPA is not the best cleaner for grease and oil so I would use a product like OneDip or Hexane.
IPA is best used for minor touch up of the pallet stones.
@@watchrepairtutorials hi again
I can not find in israel the degreasers you recommanded. What can i uset instead?
@@raknin The best dish soap that removes grease.
So do you just use hexane for your pallet fork and balance wheel assembly? A little confused as to best practice for these parts...
OK, no problem. I typically work on vintage moments where the shellac on the pallet fork an impulse Jewel are not always in the best condition.
Because of that, I always clean those two parts by hand. I do not run them through any kind of watch cleaning machine because I’ve had problems with jewels becoming loose.
So for those two parts, I use either Hexane and clean them by hand
The point of this video was to demonstrate the limits of using IPA and the risk that you run when using it because some people say you can use it
@@watchrepairtutorials Ok perfect, got the reasoning behind the hexane vs IPA from the vid, just wasn't sure if you did any additional steps after the hexane / hand clean that weren't mentioned in the video for finishing the cleaning process for these parts.
You're the absolute man, thank you!!
@@daveellis608 actually, yes. I do inspect the pallets stones to make sure that the impulse face is perfectly clean. Occasionally, you might need to touch it up with a fine tip Q-tip, but that’s about it.
@@watchrepairtutorials Awesome, thank you!
What about the l&r cleaning and rinsing solution meant for a basket washer, the cleaner smells like ammonia and the rinse smells like mineral spirit.
L&R are probably my favorite professionally grade cleaners. The ammonia is there as a brighter. The mineral spirit that you smell in the rinse I believe is actually Napatha. The difference in this Napatha and what you would buy in a hardware store is the purity level. L&R is a great product no doubt and should be used if your budget allows for it
@@watchrepairtutorialsthanks for the reply I was wondering about that stuff being safe for the shellac for two or three minutes in the basket cleaning and rinsing, I've already used it on a couple of old movements and I didn't notice any damage, I'm pretty new at disassembling fully and cleaning I've been messing around with my watches for 5 years or so pull a balance clean a cap jewel stuff like that but last summer I got the guts to do full disassembles on some of my older cheaper Swiss watches, then did a couple Omega 565 found them to be easier than some of the older cheaper Swiss ones.
@@sabbath7081 totally safe.
Do you have any opinions of using L & R #566 ultra sonic cleaning solution? I would think not putting the balance and pallet fork in the ultra sonic is still a good move. I'm curious if the cleaning solution breaks anything down though.
IMO detergent based cleaners are more appropriate for ultrasonic machines. One of its big benefits is the heating capability.
If you read the msds sheet, the first thing it says is, warning flammable liquid and vapor.
So then why does it say for ultrasonic. That’s because professional US machines capture vapor and are explosion proof.
P
That's a good point, so probably not the best idea to use a small at home ultra sonic cleaner.
Does it have to be 99.9% or is 91% ok.
The purpose of the alcohol is to displace water affectively removing it from the parts. 91% is water down alcohol which means you’re essentially leaving more water on the parts than you want.
You’re using a water rinsing system 99% is what you want to use. Otherwise I would recommend a solvent-based cleaning and rinsing system.
Nice one. Heading over to the patreon page now.
We’ll see you there, my friend. Thank you.
Alex Hamilton. Realy nice Video and cool name.
Because of the Hamilton watch company.😅👍🏼
It also happens to be my favorite pocket watch company.
Thanks man
@@watchrepairtutorials Love it too 👍🏼 especialy the old Railroad Pocket watches.
@@seangerst6561 and my favorite the 4992
@@seangerst6561 I’ll be doing a video on one that I’m restoring in
@@watchrepairtutorials the best thing is the finish inside the old Hamilton watches. It is a shame that we normaly can't even see the movement. And after a service we have to screew the Back on😓😅.
I have generally used naphtha for my parts cleaning. Would you recommend switching to IPA all together or just using the IPA for the final rinse portion. I have also heard some people on WUS talking about adding a tiny drop of olive oil into their rinse solution. Is there any merit in that?
The naphtha is fine for cleaning the parts, but certain brands can have some unwanted additives. I would use the IPA for final rinsing.
Olive Oil in the rinse? Sounds counterproductive when the point of washing the parts is to remove oil.
The goal after cleaning and rinsing is that all the parts come out clean and free of any chemical residue
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Interestingly, today I cleaned a 1930's Bulova 10AN (was previously running) and after inspecting the pallet fork after coming out of my Elma cleaning machine (L&R solvent based cleaner/rinse) the exit stone is cocked about 5 degrees. I don't know if that happened during cleaning (no ultrasonic was involved) or if the watch was able to run with the stone cocked like that. But it made me think of this video after watching it last night.
So, what is your method for cleaning vintage balances and pallets? Do you just dip it in Hexane or scrub with a q-tip? Do you need to rinse after using the Hexane?
I start by soaking the balance in hexane and give it some agitation with a blower.
Pull it out and put in a a balance take holding the balance wheel and blow it dry.
Then soak the pallet fork with some agitation and then inspect it under the microscope touching up if needed with a little ipa until the jewels are perfect. No rinse required.
I don’t even clean these parts in my zenith basket cleaner. Always by hand.
Your pallet would not have run if it was off by 5 degrees so this happened in the machine. It’s why I made the video.
Doubt this would necessarily happen with a newer pallet forks say five or 10 years old, but my experience over the years has just lead me to know that vintage pallet, forks and balance wheels are much safer to be clean by hand.
@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks so much. Love the channel and looking forward to more great videos.
So how do we clean these parts? Q tip with IPA only?
I use hexane or trichloroethylene(TCE)
@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks for the response. Do L&R #111 and #3 cause issues with shellac, since they are mostly naphtha?
@@CristiNeagu not at all. Professional grade, cleaners and rinses are always gonna be the best if you can afford to use.
I learned this lesson the hard way. luckily it was on a 30 dollar seagull movement i didnt care about.
Those are the ones you don’t forget
@@watchrepairtutorials Damn right!
Excellent
Thank you so much 😀
Wish I would have seen this a year ago
oh boy, What Happened?
@@watchrepairtutorials I’ve had loose stones. I always thought it was wear. But now I’m not so sure😟
Integrity
Brother update
What?
Are you archer?
No. My name is Alex
This is a very useful video but unfortunately it is not helpful for me because 99% alcohol is controlled items in the place I live.
Are you in the states? They control it here but sign paper being used for cleaning/sterilization will sell it
@@johnvaluk1401 Negative. Entirely not in North America.
Which is where?
@@BadGuyDennis Amazon list it for like 6$ for 16oz 99%ipa
Thank you guys for the passionate help. But I don't want to reveal where I am. (A little bit of hint: w i n n i e t h e p o o h is a sensitive term here, not that strictly prohibitive but sensitive. We still currently have the freedom to talk this term but I am not that optimistic in future. )
Anyway, surprisingly, lighter fluid is much loose controlled and much more readily available here.