Chain lube with sound...

[oldpotatoe]

So I have a small untrasonic cleaner. Works great. So for grins, I cleaned a chain what I thought was really thoroughly, in the Ultrasonic cleaner..took out the liquid, put in a chain widths of synthetic motor oil(Mobil One)...and set the timer for 4 minutes..

I was amazed at the gunk that came out of the chain..took it out, onto a rag, wiped off, onto bike..we'll see how long it lasts..:D

[gpendergast]

Nice idea. Excited to hear how it holds up

[oldpotatoe]

Nice idea. Excited to hear how it holds up

I'd try it with bike specific lube, like NFS but too expensive.

[crashnburn]

Did you use the one for jewelry/small items? Battery or electric?
Or is this specific for "your" parts?

I have been thinking about this but I guess after using it on greasy, dirty parts I would have to exclusively keep it for that purpose.

[oldpotatoe]

Did you use the one for jewelry/small items? Battery or electric?
Or is this specific for "your" parts?

I have been thinking about this but I guess after using it on greasy, dirty parts I would have to exclusively keep it for that purpose.

Corded, actually this one. Stainless tub, easy to clean out. About $65(when I bought mine), amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/iSonic%C2%AE-Professional-Ultrasonic-Cleaner-P4820-WPT/dp/B009B2BIKY/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1455629646&sr=8-15&keywords=ultrasonic+parts+cleaner

[crashnburn]

Great!
How does the cleaning differ from lube vs the cleaner concentrate?
Lube will definitely be cheaper to use though.

[oldpotatoe]

Great!
How does the cleaning differ from lube vs the cleaner concentrate?
Lube will definitely be cheaper to use though.

I didn't think running it in lube would create dirt at all since I ran it thru the cleaner first for about 5 minutes with water and chain in plastic bag with simple green and water mix..THAT water mixture came out black and opaque and the chain looked really clean.

[echelon_john]

Pure speculation: I wonder if running it through a second time with clean water/cleaner would have produced the same result (additional yuck expulsion) as the oil?

[jasonification]

would've loved to see photos of the process (and the amount of gunk that came out at each step)..maybe next time! :hello:

[oldpotatoe]

Pure speculation: I wonder if running it through a second time with clean water/cleaner would have produced the same result (additional yuck expulsion) as the oil?

I bet it would have. I did the lube ultrasound thing to get really deep lube penetration..to see if it made a difference. Getting the black goop come out surprised me. 2 trips thru the thing makes it so hot it's hard to grab. :D

[OtayBW]

The oil may be acting as a dispersant. It also has the capacity to suspend and transport the dirt better than water when in the sonicator.

[echelon_john]

"Chisholmz Chainz—Heat Treated For Silence & DurabilityTM"


I bet it would have. I did the lube ultrasound thing to get really deep lube penetration..to see if it made a difference. Getting the black goop come out surprised me. 2 trips thru the thing makes it so hot it's hard to grab. :D

[cp43]

I bet it would have. I did the lube ultrasound thing to get really deep lube penetration..to see if it made a difference. Getting the black goop come out surprised me. 2 trips thru the thing makes it so hot it's hard to grab. :D

I have a similar cleaner. I've never had enough patience to put a chain through it enough times to have the water/simple green remain clean. After ~4 cleaning solution changes, I give up and put it back on the bike.

[oldpotatoe]

I have a similar cleaner. I've never had enough patience to put a chain through it enough times to have the water/simple green remain clean. After ~4 cleaning solution changes, I give up and put it back on the bike.

yup, bike chain..

[eddief]

have added powdered teflon and powdered Molybdenum Disulfide / 1.5 Micron to my plain parafin:

http://moltenspeedwax.com/pages/how-to-wax

[ultraman6970]

Ive been this close to buy one of those just to clean the chain.

[Idris Icabod]

I take my chain to work and sonicate it in hexanes in a laboratory grade sonicator. I usually sonicate for about 15 minutes and then pour out the old hexanes and replace with fresh. After about 4 iterations the hexanes are still dirty, maybe a light gray colour but there are no particles at the bottom and black liquid like the first cycle. I do have to really carefully lube afterwards to avoid a squeaky chain.

[oldpotatoe]

I take my chain to work and sonicate it in hexanes in a laboratory grade sonicator. I usually sonicate for about 15 minutes and then pour out the old hexanes and replace with fresh. After about 4 iterations the hexanes are still dirty, maybe a light gray colour but there are no particles at the bottom and black liquid like the first cycle. I do have to really carefully lube afterwards to avoid a squeaky chain.

http://nobitchbar.com/the-dangers-of-hexane.html

Yikes..

[Cicli]

I used a ultrasonic with kerosene. It worked well. I cant bring myself to use water based solvents to dilute oil based products. It just dosent register for some reason.

[Idris Icabod]

http://nobitchbar.com/the-dangers-of-hexane.html

Yikes..

All done in a certified fume hood in a professional laboratory and disposed of according to regulation. Hexanes is probably one of the nicer ingredients we use!

My grandfather was a chemist back in the day and used to wash his glassware in benzene!

[kppolich]

What did you use to clean it the first few times? Simple Green? And do you use any heat?

[jemoryl]

Having worked in labs where we had to get things really clean (so they could be put into a vacuum), these things are useful. But for a bike chain, I probably wouldn't stress too much about multiple solvent baths until no crud is visible. One or two sonic sessions with something like kerosene and then just oil the chain using your normal stuff should be sufficient.

BTW, I've never been a fan of aqueous based degreasing (e.g. citrus solvents or Simple Green plus water), since it seems like you would get a lot of water trapped inside the chain. When I use kerosene or odorless spirits, the crud will usually settle out and I can decant the clear solvent for re-use. Do recycle this stuff properly!

[oldpotatoe]

Having worked in labs where we had to get things really clean (so they could be put into a vacuum), these things are useful. But for a bike chain, I probably wouldn't stress too much about multiple solvent baths until no crud is visible. One or two sonic sessions with something like kerosene and then just oil the chain using your normal stuff should be sufficient.

BTW, I've never been a fan of aqueous based degreasing (e.g. citrus solvents or Simple Green plus water), since it seems like you would get a lot of water trapped inside the chain. When I use kerosene or odorless spirits, the crud will usually settle out and I can decant the clear solvent for re-use. Do recycle this stuff properly!

How about diesel as a liquid in the sonic cleaner?

[MikeD]

Corded, actually this one. Stainless tub, easy to clean out. About $65(when I bought mine), amazon.



http://www.amazon.com/iSonic%C2%AE-Professional-Ultrasonic-Cleaner-P4820-WPT/dp/B009B2BIKY/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1455629646&sr=8-15&keywords=ultrasonic+parts+cleaner


Looks like the one I bought at Harbor Freight. No offense, but my experience is that it doesn't clean all that well. I was using it with diluted Simple Green. My method of cleaning with boiling hot water and Simple Green in an old water bottle (shaken, not stirred) works better.

[Lewis Moon]

The oil may be acting as a dispersant. It also has the capacity to suspend and transport the dirt better than water when in the sonicator.

I also believe that Mobil 1 is specifically designed to pick up/clean/move dirt.

[Steve in SLO]

Looks like the one I bought at Harbor Freight. No offense, but my experience is that it doesn't clean all that well. I was using it with diluted Simple Green. My method of cleaning with boiling hot water and Simple Green in an old water bottle (shaken, not stirred) works better.

I do similar: an old water bottle filled with odorless mineral spirits. Chain comes out very clean.

Ultrasonic cleaner is a good idea, although I could never face putting my chain in mine directly, since I use it for watch parts. The plastic bag seems to be a good way to go.

[Idris Icabod]

How about diesel as a liquid in the sonic cleaner?

Fill up the sonicator with water and use the diesel in a wide mouth plastic bottle that is easy to get the chain in and out of.

I would think all the hexanes (C6 chain), mineral spirits (C8-C12ish), diesel (real mixture) types of solvents would work equally effectively. They are all greasy solvents and grease dissolves grease.

[OtayBW]

I also believe that Mobil 1 is specifically designed to pick up/clean/move dirt.
Right - well, you need two things here: solubilize the grease, and disperse and mobilize the particulates. A clean chain per se, isn't necesarily all that great if it's still got some grit left in it.

[Mikej]

I've been using wd40 bike degreaser - I don't master link, so I do it on the bike with a hose, dawn and ride around the block, then tri flo-we

[HenryA]

Oil eater works great in an ultrasonic or otherwise.

http://oileater.com/industrial/cleaners-degreasers/original-formula/

You can buy it at most auto parts stores and many on-line sellers.

Mix about 1:1 or 1:2 with hot water and put in plastic cup with your parts. Suspend or float that in the ultrasonic filled with water. Run it about 10 minutes. Rinse the chain thoroughly in HOT water when you are done and re-lube. I'd think about re-lubing with the lube in a plastic bag or small cup floating in the ultrasonic water bath.

Don't lay the chain or any other parts on the bottom ultrasonic tank. They are made to run with the parts suspended and not touching the tank.

[MarkC]

have added powdered teflon and powdered Molybdenum Disulfide / 1.5 Micron to my plain paraffin:

Same here and very happy with the results.

Wax doesn't fair well in rain so the wet bike gets NFS.

[jemoryl]

How about diesel as a liquid in the sonic cleaner?

Kerosene is pretty similar to diesel. As Idris Ichabod points out, a non-polar solvent is best for dissolving grease and oil (like dissolves like). Water is a polar solvent and the water based systems usually depend on some sort of surfactant: a molecule that has a polar end and a non-polar end. The polar end allows it to be miscible in water, while the non-polar end interacts with the oil/grease molecules to allow them to go into solution (see: the formation of micelles).

[oldpotatoe]

I also believe that Mobil 1 is specifically designed to pick up/clean/move dirt.

Remember I was zapping what I thought was a clean chain with sound in oil to get oil deep into chain. Wasn't try to clean the chain with it, just worked out that way. If this works, I'll clean chain longer, always with heat, probably next time with diesel, then oil it via sound. Then clean the mess up.

[wc1934]

I've seen guys take the wet chain from the sonic chamber and to put it directly in a toaster oven to bake out all the water.

[Louis]

Not one of these methods is better than Sheldon Brown's chain cleaning and lube system:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean/images/chainclean01.jpg

[JMacII]

I wipe my chain down with some degreaser. Then I lube it up with some chain lube. Then I go ride my bike.

[oldpotatoe]

I wipe my chain down with some degreaser. Then I lube it up with some chain lube. Then I go ride my bike.

still winter here...:)

[thwart]

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean/images/chainclean01.jpg

Love it.