Ultrasonic cleaning nozzle with acetone

[Count Spatula]

I just had my first nozzle clog and was having trouble getting the hardened plastic out.  (See previous panicked post) I have an ultrasonic cleaner which works great but not with acetone since it's so flammable.  I did some research and found that you CAN use acetone if you put it in another container within the ultrasonic cleaner.  I had these 'crack vials' which fit the nozzle and a little acetone perfectly.  Put a little acetone in the vial, seal it tightly and then put that in the ultrasonic bath, it can even be straight water.  Make sure to put it in a basket, etc, not on the bottom of the tank.   The sealed container will allow the acetone to agitate without evaporating and causing vapors.

I also happened to have these hardened cotton swabs which fit perfectly into the nozzle, right down to the tip.  I cleaned it for two 20 minute sessions, loosened the plastic with dental pick and swabbed it out. Good to go.  For your convenience, part numbers from McMaster-Carr:  Crack Vials 4417T42  and  Hardened cotton swabs 71035T61.

Sean

[Count Spatula]

Also, the only way I was able to effectively see inside the nozzle was a maglite with the fiber-optic attachment and a magnifying glass. Blah.

[Mark Cohen]

Ah, I have one of those ultrasonic cleaners. Too bad I tossed the
nozzle in the trash. This is actually a brilliant idea. Thanks for
sharing as I think this will help many people.

On Tue, Sep 25, 2012 at 11:54 AM, Count Spatula <counts...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Also, the only way I was able to effectively see inside the nozzle was a
> maglite with the fiber-optic attachment and a magnifying glass. Blah.
>
>
>

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[PropellerScience]

That would work pretty good, but my little cleaner tends to warm the
water. I don't know if expanding acetone in a glass bottle is an
issue, but it's worth noting.

[Count Spatula]

Mine is an industrial cleaner which does heat up the water pretty good and I had no issues. The method I used was listed on various chem sites and they said to seal the container. I was a tad paranoid and kept cracking the vial open and no build up ever came out.

If anyone knows otherwise please speak up. I don't want to blow anyone up.

[Chuck Joga]

Nice suggestion.  I haven't had a clogged nozzle yet, but this is one more trick in my bag.

-Chuck