Janta / Pearl Watch Cleaning Machine

[clockboy]

I use L&R fluids with no issues 

[jimzzilla]

As far as I know this is the MOST comprehensive information there is on the Janta machine.

It Is a shame the manufacture of this machine does not incorporate some of these ideas.

On 12/1/2023 at 12:22 AM, MikeWishart said:

I finally got around to taking photos of my changes.

Full setup.

For baffles in the jars, I went the L&R route.

I did a 4-wire variant of the original circuit.  It does have a minor drawback where switching to "forward" while the red light is on will pass current through both windings for a few seconds which isn't so good for the motor.  Creative soldering is required to get 2 wires on each spade connector.  This is the 21EW91 switch set for 5 second intervals.

Plenty of room for the motor with the right-angle connectors.  3D printed TPU grommet.

I managed to relocate the LED so I can see it from the front.  Potted circuits are a pain!

 

Master switch and fuse.  Also a 3-wire cord that properly grounds the body, plus the really good jar seals. 

I hope the helps someone out.

Looks familiar to me!.....     Great job, well done sir.

 

Edited December 5, 2023 by jimzzilla

[jdrichard]

I got mine three years ago and works well. Need to adjust the rheostat so you don’t need to turn it 180 degrees before the motor turns and has a broader response window.

[MikeWishart]

On 1/8/2024 at 2:51 PM, jdrichard said:

I got mine three years ago and works well. Need to adjust the rheostat so you don’t need to turn it 180 degrees before the motor turns and has a broader response window.

I've been working on just that problem.  This solution works better than the current rheostat.

The problem is this resistor in parallel with the potentiometer.  It's 680k ohms.  On 120vac power, it needs to be somewhere between 100k and 150k.  I wound up going with 122k ohms.

If you're in a 220/240vac country and don't like how your rheostat works, experiment with the resistor.

You don't need to take the pot off the machine.  But here are all the parts.  I wound up replacing the frayed wires with silicone insulated wires.

You can just pry out the dial on the timer by a little bit and wedge the wires between the dial and the case to hold it for soldering. 

Here I put 100k and 22k in series (122k total; series adds the values together).

And the result?  I marked my switch for OFF at 10:00.  Just ON is at 12:00.  You can see the motor is running with the rheostat at 3:00. Full ON is at 8:00.  I will say, the motor doesn't change speed a lot for much of the arc.  It comes on and runs slow, then jumps in speed in a few spots, but at the end of the arc, it really changes speed a lot up to the full speed.  Sort of an exponential curve.  It's easier to use, but the quality of the motor has its limitations.

The real secret is putting the warranty sticker back on!

Edited January 11, 2024 by MikeWishart

[jdrichard]

8 hours ago, MikeWishart said:

I've been working on just that problem.  This solution works better than the current rheostat.

The problem is this resistor in parallel with the potentiometer.  It's 680k ohms.  On 120vac power, it needs to be somewhere between 100k and 150k.  I wound up going with 122k ohms.

If you're in a 220/240vac country and don't like how your rheostat works, experiment with the resistor.

You don't need to take the pot off the machine.  But here are all the parts.  I wound up replacing the frayed wires with silicone insulated wires.

You can just pry out the dial on the timer by a little bit and wedge the wires between the dial and the case to hold it for soldering. 

Here I put 100k and 22k in series (122k total; series adds the values together).

And the result?  I marked my switch for OFF at 10:00.  Just ON is at 12:00.  You can see the motor is running with the rheostat at 3:00. Full ON is at 8:00.  I will say, the motor doesn't change speed a lot for much of the arc.  It comes on and runs slow, then jumps in speed in a few spots, but at the end of the arc, it really changes speed a lot up to the full speed.  Sort of an exponential curve.  It's easier to use, but the quality of the motor has its limitations.

The real secret is putting the warranty sticker back on!

Hey, thanks for all that great advice. I may go back into this thing and try this to see if it helps with the window of operation. I’m surprised mine didn’t come with a warranty sticker. As well, I need to take my rear part, and see if it actually has a resistor at the moment, and the value is. I could jump a variable resistor, and set it to the right value, and then measure it resistance, and then get a resistor to solder in place

[Halfape]

On 12/29/2022 at 7:07 PM, muddtt said:

Got my small parts baskets in today. So now I have all the crappy mesh baskets replaced. If anyone wants these designs let me know.

 

Sorry for the long delay here, but which baskets are these?  I like this idea and I want to make sure I order baskets with the right OD.

Thanks!

[watchweasol]

Hi. Might be a good idea to share the design  or the link to where it can be obtained.

[muddtt]

1 hour ago, watchweasol said:

Hi. Might be a good idea to share the design  or the link to where it can be obtained.

 

 

1 hour ago, Halfape said:

Sorry for the long delay here, but which baskets are these?  I like this idea and I want to make sure I order baskets with the right OD.

Thanks!

6pc Mini Basket Ultrasonic Cleaner Small Parts Mesh Holder Cleaning & Holding | eBay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/204047165350

It has the specs in the listing.

Edited February 21, 2024 by muddtt

[watchweasol]

Hi. Thank you much appreciated. Other members can see what’s on .

[Halfape]

Perfect, thank you!  I have a spool of PAHT-CF drying out right now, planning on printing these baskets tonight.

[MrMacca]

For those of you on 240v struggling with speed control, this is a very cheap game changer and will solve your problems in a heartbeat. No need for a soldering iron!

 

£13 including quick delivery. Can’t believe it took me so long to find this out so I thought I’d share in here.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394603010055?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=v9dncvgztbs&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=QhIpoOcqQfy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[Waggy]

On 2/22/2024 at 10:14 PM, Halfape said:

I have a spool of PAHT-CF drying out right now

I tested regular PETG with an old sample of L&R 111 cleaning fluid, I printed a calibration cube (the X, Y, Z one) and put it into the jar of old L&R 111 cleaning fluid. It's been in there 24 x 7 for almost a month with no visible signs of swelling or degradation. The drying temperature of the cleaning machine should also be well within the limits of PETG. Hence, I plan on printing some baskets and given my results I'll be using PETG.

Previously I tried printing nylon baskets, but this is such a difficult material to print with, and based on my testing, unnecessary.

[Knebo]

Hello Pearl experts! 

In a few hours, I'll go see a seller that is offering a Pearl Janta machine for 250 bucks. 

Anything in particular that I should check (to refuse buying or to negotiate the price)? 

After reading the thread, so far, I can think of:

- condition of cleaning baskets

- smooth/non-wobbly turning of the basket 

- operation of the cranks

-condition of jars and lids 

I'm an absolutely ignorant about anything electrical. I've read the whole thread, but don't understand anything. So if there's anything idiot-proof that I could check, please let me know. 

Cheers