Chem Cleaning vs Ultrasonic Cleaning...

[catkins522]

While my repairman finishing my tuba, I think I need to "bathe" with it before the tuba will be mine.

I know the 2 cleaning solutions, one is cleaning the instrument by yourself and one is cleaning the instrument with chemicals. However, I also heard via the internet about cleaning the instrument with ultrasonics.

Is it better ultrasonic cleaning than chem cleaning?

Charles

[pgym]

The techs I'm familiar with who do ultrasonic cleaning use the same chemicals as with traditional chem cleaning, but in weaker concentrations.

FWIW, I seem to recall Matt Walters mentioning that ultrasonic has been known to blow holes in older horns that have weak areas due to red rot. I imagine that it could break weak solder joints as well.

[Paul Scott]

I had a very bad experience with ultrasonic cleaning on an older horn. For whatever reason, it took a very long time to get the valves to work again, (and one piston was damaged). Matt Walters advised me to never have ultrasonic cleaning done on an older horn for the same reasons listed in the previous post. I am sticking with chem cleaning from now on.

[Dan Schultz]

I suppose ultrasonic cleaning has it's place but I'm not going to make the investment into it. I have experience with industrial ultrasonic cleaning and can confirm that there is a definite place for it in manufacturing since the government has banned degreasiing methods that really worked... such as vapor degreasing equipment that utilized perchlor and trichlorethylene.

As far as ultrasonics being harmful to older horns that suffer from weak solder joints or beginning stages of 'red rot'.... I feel the same way about most of the chemical cleaners that are available for brass repairmen. I don't use harsh chemistry unless there are no alternatives.

Take a look inside your horn after your next 'chem-cleaning'. You'll probably note a slight red-dish color inside your tuning slides (if they are brass and not nickel). This is simply where the acids have also leached a bit of zinc out of the surface of the brass.

Stick with frequent cleanings with warm water and Dawn dishwashing liquid.