Cleaning Attys

[SteveLeigh]

Hi Everyone,

I have an idea – maybe a little crazy – for cleaning atomizers.

Has anyone ever tried an ultrasonic cleaner? For those that aren’t familiar, it’s a tank with liquid (typically water, many different types of additives are available) which uses sound waves to “agitate” the liquid in the tank. For example, most tattoo shops use one to clean the needles and tubes on tattoo machines, jewelry stores use them to clean jewelry, and there are very small ones which are used to clean dentures or other small items.

The small ones are very inexpensive, and only have a small tank. The larger ones cost a lot of $$.

http://www.jewelsmall.com/diulclcdasij.html

Ideas?

Steve Leigh

23 days!!

www.sl-prokeys.com/smoke/smoke.htm

Edited November 29, 2009 by SteveLeigh

[Christopher]

I actually use an Ultra Sonic cleaner to clean my parts.

This is the one I use: http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Ultrasonic-Jewelry-Eyeglass-Cleaning/dp/B001DKDAVW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=jewelry&qid=1259517952&sr=8-1-spell

It's cheap and gets the job done a few other members also use the same cleaner.

[Schizophretard]

How well do they work? If you dropped an atty in every night, what would you expect?

[Christopher]

Honestly I use a new atomizer every month no matter what. Either way I wouldn't clean your atomizer every night because your always going to have to wait for it to dry. BUT if you did, it would just give you a nice clean atomizer. No taste or liquid inside. I suppose if you did those often it will improve the life of the atomizer but not enough people do it to be honest. Some say it works great some say it doesn't do anything. Myself, I don't use it to clean atomizer but rather my adapters and other tid bits I have here.

[SteveLeigh]

Honestly I use a new atomizer every month no matter what. Either way I wouldn't clean your atomizer every night because your always going to have to wait for it to dry. BUT if you did, it would just give you a nice clean atomizer. No taste or liquid inside. I suppose if you did those often it will improve the life of the atomizer but not enough people do it to be honest. Some say it works great some say it doesn't do anything. Myself, I don't use it to clean atomizer but rather my adapters and other tid bits I have here.

Hi Chris,

What, if anything, do you use in the US cleaner besides water?

Thanks,

Steve

[Christopher]

The only thing I've ever tried is water to be honest.

[Schizophretard]

Honestly I use a new atomizer every month no matter what. Either way I wouldn't clean your atomizer every night because your always going to have to wait for it to dry. BUT if you did, it would just give you a nice clean atomizer. No taste or liquid inside. I suppose if you did those often it will improve the life of the atomizer but not enough people do it to be honest. Some say it works great some say it doesn't do anything. Myself, I don't use it to clean atomizer but rather my adapters and other tid bits I have here.

I wouldn't use the same atty everyday. If I were to buy an ultrasonic cleaner I would have one atty for each day of the week. Drying wouldn't be an issue.

Edited November 30, 2009 by Schizophretard

[SteveLeigh]

I wouldn't use the same atty everyday. If I were to buy an ultrasonic cleaner I would have one atty for each day of the week. Drying wouldn't be an issue.

I've used ultrasonic cleaners in the past, and have a small one.

The interesting thing about water (don't laugh at me) is that it isn't "wet".

Usually, a few drops of soap (or possibly Simple Green cleanser) tend to "wet" water and take away the trapped bubbles. In other words, it tends to make the water "slippery" .... if that made any sense!

When I tattooed, I had a large Branson (big bux), and a bottle of additive. Water alone barely cleaned the tattoo guns, but a few cc's of additive, and you could see the colors actually explode off the needles and tubes. There is a lot of important info on the web about using US cleaners.

Yesterday, I tried my little US cleaner. I put in 3 drops of dishwashing liquid, then a large cup of scalding hot water, and cleaned some small items: my wedding band, some keys, a pair of hemostats - just a little experimental test to see how it performs. Results were mediocre - this little unit doesn't have anywhere near half the power of my old Branson, but it still DID do some cleaning.

I'm going to continue to experiment (but not with atomizers) and find the correct "wetting" agent.

Steve

(24 days - I love it!)

Edited December 1, 2009 by SteveLeigh

[mcquinn]

I have several atty's that I use and when the flavor starts to go downhill I just get out another,when I get two or three dirty ones I soak them in warm water with a denture cleaner tab for a couple of hours then I soak them in hot water from my Mr. Coffee to get the minty taste out.I am using one atty that is over five months old,still works as good as a new one.I use 302's,510's and 901's I have adpaters so it all fits on 801 batteries or passthrough.

[VaPOOrizer]

So, after reading this thread I get the notion to go ahead and buy an US cleaner and clean my atty's. I use nothing but water and followed the US mfg. instructions for cleaning items, took them out of the water, blew them out and let them dry overnight. Now, they barely work. I can put a couple of drops in and it barely produces any vapor. When I take the tip off and look into the atty while pushing the button, the coil on the bottom glows orange like I had never applied any niquid to begin with. How long does it normally take for these to go back to working good again?

[mcquinn]

Don't used compressed air or at least not very high pressure as this might blow the wick to a bad location there is a little peice of some kind of fiber wick under the wire mesh and it has a tail that goes in the vicinity of the element.I think the US cleaner would be great I haven't had the coin for one yet.It takes a whilt to get one primed and vapin after cleaning but they usually come around .I drip three drops and then put in a full cart and let it sit a while ,then top off the cart and they usually start right up.I have succesfully transplanted a low bridge from a 302 that I killed by poking with a toothpick onto a 801 high bridge just to see if I could.Man I have to hand it to the Chinese that solder these things together not much extra wire in there.Hey if they are not working fix em or finish em off.

Edited December 2, 2009 by mcquinn

[Schizophretard]

I've used ultrasonic cleaners in the past, and have a small one.

The interesting thing about water (don't laugh at me) is that it isn't "wet".

Usually, a few drops of soap (or possibly Simple Green cleanser) tend to "wet" water and take away the trapped bubbles. In other words, it tends to make the water "slippery" .... if that made any sense!

That makes sense but I think that cleaning an atty daily in just water before a lot of cooked burnt residue accumulates would do a better job than waiting weeks to clean a filthy atty with the correct additive.