• These commercial threads are for private transactions. diyAudio.com provides these forums for the convenience of our members, but makes no warranty nor assumes any responsibility. We do not vet any members, use of this facility is at your own risk. Customers can post any issues in those threads as long as it is done in a civil manner. All diyAudio rules about conduct apply and will be enforced.

Ultrasonic Record Cleaning

Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
Interesting that the higher frequency is supposedly better suited to cleaning the fine grooves of LPs AND is also cheaper! I would consider the lack of a heater something easily worked around, if one really wanted warmer water. I'm not so sure variable frequency is necessary.
 
Louis,
I would sell directly from your site. There are a number of credit card payment apps available nowadays all depends on your projected volume.

Having a non heat option would probably be beneficial. Personally I like having the heat option.

I would keep the 60 KHZ. If not maybe as a special order. I own both 60 & 80 KHZ cleaners and my results are much better with the 60 as it is a little more aggressive. The 80 is fine for pretty clean records not the typical yard sale/thrift store finds. Are transducers any cheaper in the 40 or 50 KHZ varieties? I would love to have a 40 - 50 version. I have no desire to deal with the Chinese crap!

Maybe the best business model would be to build custom request with 50% upfront to begin build. This would allow a client to pick and choose options ie KHZ, heat, tremolo, drain, tank size etc. Just a thought as this may encourage people to order instead of having them wait for announced fully assembled units. Would also give you better idea of needs and wants.

A previous asked question above, would side mount transducers make any kind of difference or does it matter?

Another question: the Sonix IV used piezo type transducers, is there advantage/disadvantage in with using those? Are they less reliable, expensive, unobtainable??
Dino
 
Last edited:
Louis,
I would sell directly from your site. There are a number of credit card payment apps available nowadays all depends on your projected volume.

Having a non heat option would probably be beneficial. Personally I like having the heat option.

I would keep the 60 KHZ. If not maybe as a special order. I own both 60 & 80 KHZ cleaners and my results are much better with the 60 as it is a little more aggressive. The 80 is fine for pretty clean records not the typical yard sale/thrift store finds. Are transducers any cheaper in the 40 or 50 KHZ varieties? I would love to have a 40 - 50 version. I have no desire to deal with the Chinese crap!

Maybe the best business model would be to build custom request with 50% upfront to begin build. This would allow a client to pick and choose options ie KHZ, heat, tremolo, drain, tank size etc. Just a thought as this may encourage people to order instead of having them wait for announced fully assembled units. Would also give you better idea of needs and wants.

A previous asked question above, would side mount transducers make any kind of difference or does it matter?

Another question: the Sonix IV used piezo type transducers, is there advantage/disadvantage in with using those? Are they less reliable, expensive, unobtainable??
Dino


Dino:
These are very good suggestions!
The reason I don't sell directly from my website is that these third-party sites do all the fraud checking. I may could do PayPal direct from the site?

Tindie used to have a backorder feature which allowed customers to preorder, and allowed me to order ample supplies. I will check Big Cartel and see if this is an option.


I'll see if I can do some sort of "options" feature for customers to pick their desired features. That was my original intent when I started, but didn't know how to implement at the time.


The 40khz Transducers are about half what the 80khz transducers cost. There is a 51-54khz transducers, but I have not priced these in a long time. I'll do a price check.


As for the Sonix4 transducers- I don't believe they build their own ultrasonic machines any more, but instead rebrand units from Clangsonic. Their older unit had a problem with the transducers cracking and falling off the tank. Although they advertised these as being 60watts a piece, they were really only 35watts and were overdriven.



As far as I know, there is no difference where the transducer is mounted, he cavitation is unaffected. The most convenient is the bottom. Side mounted transducers, especially the longer, heavier type like I use, would make the unit too bulky and risks damage, such as falling off or warping the tank during rough shipping.
I have experimented with side-mounted 35watt 40khz wafer transducers, since they are thin, but I just can't seem to get enough cavitation out of them to be beneficial.



-Louis
 
No2:
Probably, my experience with my 100w 40khz is that cooling is more of an issue
Have not used the built in heating for vinyl cleaning.


pellesmil:
That's true. Back when I worked for Sonix4, a customer wanted a way to cool the tank. I believe he was a dentist who worked with wax.

My idea was to mount a peltier devise on the tank, but condensation would have been a problem for the electronics inside. We never did build it.


-Louis
 
I'd like to get some opinions on ideas to help lower the cost of our Ultrasonic Cleaners.

1) Have no experience.

2) Would an Ultrasonic Cleaner WITHOUT a Heater/Thermostat option be desirable?

Yes. I find with my 80kHz Vibrato, that after a 15-16 minute degassing session, the temperature is about where I want it to be to clean a set of records. I've discovered that I do not want the temperature to be above ~26 to 27°C. RCA Dynaflex records are the first to warp. However, I would want to know the temperature of the solution, while an external thermometer could do that for me. When the temperature does get to 27°C, I circulate the solution until the temp comes down a few degrees. Then I clean the next batch.

3) I'm considering dropping the 60khz model.

No experience. I have experience with a 40 and 80kHz models. But, if wishes could be fishes, how about a variable frequency and variable output USC. A machine that could be used at 40kHz, then 80kHz and where the power output was through a potentiometer.

Or what about a USC that has side-mounted transducers? Would that be better or matter in USC vinyl records.

Thanks for asking.


BendBound:


Thanks for the input. I will implement a heater-less option!


I'm working an a true 40/80khz model, put like I mentioned in another reply, I'm having difficulty getting enough cavitation out of the 40khz wafer transducers.
A variable frequency in not an option - once a transducer is off it's "resonant" frequency, there is no cavitation/no power !
Transducers do have "harmonic" frequencies, but in my experiments, running the Ultrasonic Generator at these harmonics draw more power from the generator, causing it to overheat!

I haven't found a reliable way to vary the output power. I experimented with a triac circuit - sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Still need to work on this.


I addressed the side mounted transducers in the other reply.



Thanks for replying!
-Louis
 
Well, its 2020, so I thought I'd post an update:


We are trying to add some new products to our line- most notably a line of Guitar Effects (also known as Foot Pedals or Stomp Boxes).


As a result, our Ultrasonic Production had fallen behind.
We will be replenishing our parts supply and sheet-metal to begin building more Ultrasonic Cleaners this week.


Please bear with us as we search for another supplier of 60Khz Transducers. Our current supplier is very expensive and the shipping/tariffs are outrageous !

Therefore, there will be a temporary hold on the production of 6-Quart and 10-Quart 60Khz Ultrasonic Cleaners.


Thanks for your support!
-Louis
Vibrato, LLC.
 
Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.