That $200 ultrasonic cleaner I bought was a complete waste of money

It stripped the coating off a set of vintage circuit boards I was restoring, and now I'm stuck figuring out how to fix the mess instead of just using a brush and alcohol like I always did, has anyone else had a cleaner ruin their components?

3 comments

3 Comments

wade_perez21d ago

Jeez, that really stinks. I figured those things were basically just fancy dishwashers for electronics, guess not. Kinda like buying a "cordless" drill and then realizing the battery only lasts as long as it takes to drive one screw through drywall. Hope the vintage boards weren't too rare, or at least that the coating wasn't the only thing keeping them from turning into dust.

the_oscar21d ago

Read somewhere that those ultrasonic cleaners work by creating tiny bubbles that basically sandblast the surface. So if the coating was already old or weak, it would pretty much get stripped off immediately. Not a good combo for vintage gear where everything is probably fragile. That's why a lot of restorers warn against using them on anything with painted or coated parts unless you test a scrap piece first. Sucks you had to learn the hard way though. Maybe try a gentle brass brush and 99% isopropyl next time, that's what I use for my old ham radio stuff.

craig.tessa20d ago

lol that "fancy dishwasher for electronics" bit is so accurate. It's wild how many things we buy expecting one thing and get a completely different reality. Kinda like those "as seen on TV" kitchen gadgets that promise to slice an onion in 2 seconds but really just make a mess and slice your finger. Or those "waterproof" phone cases that are really only splash resistant until you drop it in a puddle. It's like everything comes with a hidden asterisk these days.