Mechanical Watch Cleaner Formulas...
Chuck Harris
Deciding that I was tired of cleaning watches the same way as my
great grandfather did, I just acquired a mechanical watch cleaner.
Now I should be able to clean watches the way my grandfather would
have, if he cleaned watches, that is.
Looking at the prices on cleaning fluid just about made me gag, though.
$30 for a gallon of cleaner, and $30 for a gallon of rinse!
What is this stuff?
I looked around and found a few formulas, and was looking for others
that some of you all might have had some experience with.
Waltham seemed to be fond of an 8 part system:
1) Degreasing in Carbon Tetrachloride. (Perc should do)
2) Rinse in denatured alcohol
3) Clean in mixture of soap, ammonia, alcohol, and distilled water.
4) Rinse in tap water
5) Rinse in distilled water
6) Rinse in denatured alcohol
7) Rinse in denatured alcohol
8) Dry in warm air.
And, they forbid pegging the hole jewels, or anything to do with
sawdust.
Obviously this method must not be used on the balance, or pallet fork.
---
L&R #1 seems to be composed of:
Ammonium Hydroxide (alias ammonia)
Distilled water
Oleic Acid
Isopropyl Alcohol
Pine Oil.
There #3 rinse was probably Carbon tetrachloride, and is now probably
drycleaning fluid (perc).
---
Another recipe I found is:
1/4 cup Acetone
1/4 cup Oleic Acid
1/4 cup Liquid Detergent (I don't think this will work in a Mechanical
cleaner ;-)
1/2 cup Ammonia 27%
1/2 gal Distilled water
mix 50:50 with distilled water to use.
---
And another is:
5% Oleic Acid
4% Ammonium Hydroxide
1% Methocel (whatever the heck that is?)
1% Pine Oil.
Distilled water to reach 100%
Rinse with hot water
Rinse with Alcohol,
Forced hot air dry.
So, what else is out there?
Anybody have a favorite brew that they use?
Thanks,
Chuck
-----
Chuck Harris - WA3UQV
cfha...@erols.com
Chuck Harris
As the ever classy guy that I am, I will reply to my own post!
I found most of the L&R formulas in the USGOVT MSDS data base, and
added/corrected them below.
As you can see, the L&R #1, and #3 are just solvents we can get for a
couple bucks at Home Depot, the Oleic acid is an extreme grease solvent,
and will have to be had at a chemical supply house, I suppose.
-Chuck
Chuck Harris wrote:
>
> Hi!
>
> Deciding that I was tired of cleaning watches the same way as my
> great grandfather did, I just acquired a mechanical watch cleaner.
>
> Now I should be able to clean watches the way my grandfather would
> have, if he cleaned watches, that is.
>
> Looking at the prices on cleaning fluid just about made me gag, though.
> $30 for a gallon of cleaner, and $30 for a gallon of rinse!
>
> What is this stuff?
>
> I looked around and found a few formulas, and was looking for others
> that some of you all might have had some experience with.
>
> Waltham seemed to be fond of an 8 part system:
>
> 1) Degreasing in Carbon Tetrachloride. (Perc should do)
> 2) Rinse in denatured alcohol
> 3) Clean in mixture of soap, ammonia, alcohol, and distilled water.
> 4) Rinse in tap water
> 5) Rinse in distilled water
> 6) Rinse in denatured alcohol
> 7) Rinse in denatured alcohol
> 8) Dry in warm air.
>
> And, they forbid pegging the hole jewels, or anything to do with
> sawdust.
> Obviously this method must not be used on the balance, or pallet fork.
---
L&R #1 Cleaning solution is composed of:
20-30% Water
30-40% Ammonium Hydroxide
20-25% Isopropyl Alcohol
5-10% Oleic Acid
L&R #111 Ultrasonic Extra Fine Watch Cleaning Solution is:
60-70% Stoddard Solvent (aka varsol)
15-20% VM&P Naptha (aka lighter fluid)
5-10% Oleic Acid
<5% Isopropanol amine
<5% 2-Propoxyethanol
<5% Ammonium Hydroxide
L&R #112 Ultrasonic Watch Cleaning Solution is:
60-70% Stoddard Solvent (aka varsol)
15-20% VM&P Naptha
5-10% Oleic Acid
<5% Isopropanol Amine
<5% Ethylene Glycol Propyl Ether, EKTASOLVE
<5% Ammonium Hydroxide
L&R #3 Rinse is composed of:
70-80% Stoddard Solvent (aka varsol)
20-30% VM&P Naptha
James Fay
Here's my variation on the classic formula:Bicycle degreasing formula (got from Performance Bike Shop, $4.99), mix with warm water (safe for humans and the planet)
Denatured alcohol
Solution of sudsy ammonia and distilled water (ca 1:4), I also add some ammonia if no lacquered parts
Tap water (change often)
Distilled water
Denatured alcohol
Denatured alcohol
Hair dryer
-- James Fay n3...@erols.com
Steve Rayner
You are pretty much stuck with the commercial cleaner. The solvent can be
replaced with any good brand of cleaning solvent/Stoddard solvent/white
spirits. Find a brand that leaves no residue. I used a brand called
"Barline", which saved mega bucks in my old business. The ordinary paint
thinner left a waxy coating behind.
You will have to find a way to disolve soap and ammonia in solvent if you
want to make your own cleaning solution!
--
I'm a Canadian eh! Steve
Chuck Harris <cfha...@erols.com> wrote in message
news:3A2D6B5C...@erols.com...
> Hi!
>
> Deciding that I was tired of cleaning watches the same way as my
> great grandfather did, I just acquired a mechanical watch cleaner.
>
> Now I should be able to clean watches the way my grandfather would
> have, if he cleaned watches, that is.
>
> Looking at the prices on cleaning fluid just about made me gag, though.
> $30 for a gallon of cleaner, and $30 for a gallon of rinse!
>
> What is this stuff?
>
> I looked around and found a few formulas, and was looking for others
> that some of you all might have had some experience with.
>
> Waltham seemed to be fond of an 8 part system:
>
> 1) Degreasing in Carbon Tetrachloride. (Perc should do)
> 2) Rinse in denatured alcohol
> 3) Clean in mixture of soap, ammonia, alcohol, and distilled water.
> 4) Rinse in tap water
> 5) Rinse in distilled water
> 6) Rinse in denatured alcohol
> 7) Rinse in denatured alcohol
> 8) Dry in warm air.
>
> And, they forbid pegging the hole jewels, or anything to do with
> sawdust.
> Obviously this method must not be used on the balance, or pallet fork.
>
> ---
> L&R #1 seems to be composed of:
>
> Ammonium Hydroxide (alias ammonia)
> Distilled water
> Oleic Acid
> Isopropyl Alcohol
> Pine Oil.
>
> There #3 rinse was probably Carbon tetrachloride, and is now probably
> drycleaning fluid (perc).
>
Chuck Harris
>
> The price is about the same that I paid in Canadian dollars 20 years ago!
> You are pretty much stuck with the commercial cleaner. The solvent can be
> replaced with any good brand of cleaning solvent/Stoddard solvent/white
> spirits. Find a brand that leaves no residue. I used a brand called
> "Barline", which saved mega bucks in my old business. The ordinary paint
> thinner left a waxy coating behind.
> You will have to find a way to disolve soap and ammonia in solvent if you
> want to make your own cleaning solution!
The solvent/residue issue is the one that worries me the most. Stoddard
is nothing special, it is just varsol. But the stuff that L&R uses
may well be specially refined. Otherwise, theirs is just a 75/25
mix of stoddard and VM&P naptha.
The soap is easy, they don't use any. They add oleic acid to the mix.
It is one of the fatty acids that when mixed with lye becomes soap.
-Chuck
Kathy
rinse for drying the parts, and doesn't seem to leave a residue. I get
mine at Home Depot.
I don't know about causing cracks (cf many discussons on stress corrosion
cracking), but the ammonia does clean by dissolving away some of the metals
in the parts. If you leave brass in ammonia for a few hours the liquid will
turn blue from the dissolved copper.
"Chuck Harris" <cfha...@erols.com> wrote in message
news:3A2EC19D...@erols.com...
Chuck Harris
I keep seeing acetone come up in some home made cleaner recipes.
Personally, I wouldn't use it. It evaporates way too fast, is
explosive at room temperature, eats all kinds of plastics, varnishes,
and shellacs. I hate having the stuff around, but do because it is
sometimes just the ticket.
All of the commercial recipes that I have found by way of MSDSs avoid
such volatile solvents. The more common solvents used are:
isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol)
isopropanol amide (what happens to iso. alcohol if you bubble ammonia
gas
thru it.)
VM&P Naptha (volatile, but won't harm plastics/paints/shellacs)
Varsol/stoddard (not very volatile, and wont harm plastics/...)
water
The ammonium hydroxide percentages are very high, around 40% by weight.
Grocery store ammonium hydroxide solutions are typically 10-13% by
weight.
I am thinking about the "wax" buildup problem with cheap varsol/paint
thinner. I think the answer is to put it in the deep freezer, and then
pour it thru a simple paper filter. The wax will plate out on the sides
of the can, and that which doesn't will get caught in the filter.
Onward, and upward!
-Chuck
-----
Chuck Harris - WA3UQV
cfha...@erols.com
Kathy
btw - do watch shops use any particular services for hazardous waste
disposal, or does the stuff mostly go down the drain?
"Chuck Harris" <cfha...@erols.com> wrote in message
news:3A3009D6...@erols.com...
Chuck Harris
>
> Yes, and in addition acetone is fairly unhealthy.
>
> btw - do watch shops use any particular services for hazardous waste
> disposal, or does the stuff mostly go down the drain?
>
Well, I don't think you will find too many who will talk about that ;-)
Me, I just add the solvent to a jug of stuff that I use to clean
greasy auto parts. I have been collecting for years, and the jug seems
to stay at about the same level. I guess the evaporation rate thru
the cap about equals my usage of fresh solvents.
mitch
usage
You mean "use"? Ham, auto parts, watches you sure are an eclectic new
ageman, "Chuck". If I need to purchase your services is the correct email
provided?
eskenazi
tell me about your watch collection, Sir
Darryl Bryant
>
> A mixture of acetone and ammonia works great. Pure acetone is also a good
> rinse for drying the parts, and doesn't seem to leave a residue. I get
> mine at Home Depot.
>
I won't use acetone in the solutions, I like to keep the pallet stones
attached to the pallets thanks ;-)
dAz
Kathy
for that reason. Perhaps a dip into the naphtha to get any remaining oil off
the faces. I don't put them in an ultrasonic in any solution for worry of
loosening the shellac, since most of the time I'm working on watches made
from 1900 to 1940.
"Darryl Bryant" <da...@zip.com.au> wrote in message
news:3A38C1A0...@zip.com.au...