Elma Watch Cleaning Machine

[clockboy]

This guy might be able to help (graham baxter) @ http://www.delphelectronics.co.uk/services.html. He refurbished my L&R & is very knowlegable with electronics etc..

[Marc]

Ok, I had to replace the wiring in my old Elma when I got it a can remember the weird fourth wire. That was a while ago so is a bit hazy but if I remember right you have the live from the plug which goes up to the control head at the top of the column where it connects to the motor switch. It also connects to the heater switch. The other side of the heater switch the cable then goes back down the column and through the heater. When it comes out of the heater it goes to the neutral on the plug.

The neutral side of the motor switch goes through the speed controller then back down the column to the plug. So I think that what you have is 1 earth, 1 live, and 2 neutrals to connect to the plug. That way the power for the motor and the heater are independent of each other. It should be possible to verify this with a meter if you have one. Unfortunately I can't remember which colour was which.

[Alaskamick]

Hi Mark, I think you have the answer.

 

Two neutrals will allow independent operation of two items but only one live is needed as it loops across.

 

So it will be Line ( live ) Black.

 

Neutral Grey.

 

Second Neutral Blue.

 

And Ground ( Earth ) Red.

 

I can check this with a meter so no risk of blowing it ( and myself ) up.

 

Thanks to all of you for your help.

 

Mike

Edited August 17, 2015 by Alaskamick

[SSTEEL]

I think my heater is getting too hot :(

 

Untitled by Micky Aldridge, on Flickr

Edited September 7, 2015 by SSTEEL

[Geo]

Blooming 'eck Micky! Are you guys having an exceptionally hot summer? ;)

[Alaskamick]

I don't think that the basket should be touching the heater especially as the new ones are made from plastic.

 

The heater temperature cannot be altered unless you have purchased a different one.

 

The fault has got to be with the position 

 

Just try raising it up the shaft a little.

 

If you need to buy a new one, try Walsh's instead of Cousins. They are very helpful and cheaper. They also have shops which you can collect from instead of paying postage.

 

Mike

Edited September 7, 2015 by Alaskamick

[DJT2]

Wow Micky that looks painful. I've always wondered how long to leave it in the drying cycle. I personally only turn the heater on when I place the basket in its final rinse & then when placing it in the heater, I turn the speed to minimum, only push the plunger for the basket down approx 1/3 & time for 7min. Even then the basket comes out hot, infact virtually to hot to touch.

What process did you use? as I really don't want to melt mine as well.

[Mark]

Micky please don't tell me you are plunging the basket down towards the heater!

If so then don't plunge down. Just bring the basket into the chamber but don't push the basket plunger any further. Or in other words - keep the basket in the up position

I usually have mine running for 12 - 13 minutes in this position with no problems.

I also turn the heater on just before placing the basket in the heat chamber and not any earlier

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SSTEEL]

Hi Mark,

 

Normally I don't put the basket all the way in the heater, and do as you advise, but for some reason, on Friday whilst finishing up work, I must of accidentally pushed it down after the heater was switched off, (Obviously it was still very hot) lesson learned here, just had to purchase a new basket.

 

Purchased from Cousins, I do occasionally buy from HSWalsh too, and agree, they are helpful.

Edited September 7, 2015 by SSTEEL

[SSTEEL]

The basket wasn't the only thing that melted.  Yup, you guess it, the pallet fork shellac has melted a little, resulting in erratic timegrapher results, renewed it, and the movement is perfectly fine now thankfully.

[steven]

I've melted one before. That day, I don't know why, I had pushed the basket a little inside the chamber and spinning at max speed. Somehow the basket slide down to the bottom during the drying process. Hard lesson learnt, always keep the basket in the up position, as advice by Mark. I think there is a notch in the up position that prevent the basket from sliding down.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[SSTEEL]

Yup, lesson learned, I was so busy that day I must of simply pushed the basket down without realising where the basket was lol

[Mark]

Also might be useful to place any parts that could be affected by heat in the topmost basket where the heat will be less intense.

[SSTEEL]

Good idea!

[GeorgeClarkson]

Small update:

 

As you may all know, another forum member (DJT2) kindly offered to send me his old basket, since he had bought a new one. I can gladly say it arrived today!  :woohoo-jumping-smiley-emoticon:

 

Extremely well packaged, it is a very nice basket, although it is not perfectly copmatible with my Elma: the basket holder on my machine is 1mm smaller in diameter, so that the teeth do not catch the hooks on the basket. This is no problem, though, since DJT2 was so kind to include also the basket holder, so it was just a matter of removing the old one and installing the "new" one.

 

The basket holder bore for the spinning stem is 1mm larger in diameter too, but I could fix it with the screw that serves to block it in place, so now it is properly installed. While spinning, the basket wobbles a tiny bit, since it is not perfectly centered, but I do not mind at all: the wobbling is so minimal it won't cause any problem.

 

Once again, I would like to thank DJT2 (Dave) for sending me the basket for free!!! Thanks pal, I really appreciated it. If anything I can do for you horologically related, just ask ;)

Edited September 16, 2015 by GeorgeClarkson

[GeorgeClarkson]

And here it is:

 

 

The basket now fits perfectly:

 

 

This is the original basket holder:

 

 

As you can see from the picture below, it is probably a newer model compared to what DJT2 sent me:

 

 

But I do prefer it like that: it looks more the part with the age of the cleaning machine...

 

Again, thanks DJT2 ;)

 

And now, only the lids for the jars are missing...

[clockboy]

Looks good. I have an L&R and it is a tool I just could not do without. Tried Elma & L&R cleaning solutions & prefer the L&R it seems to last longer & has less fumes.

[GeorgeClarkson]

Thanks Clockboy, I will try and follow your advice for L&R fluid. ;)

[Men]

OK - I'm jealous, I want a blue basket!!! Mine is boring grey.

:D

Top tip: If you ever need more of the little baskets (you can never have enough IMO) then I usually buy them from this guy - quarter of the price of Cousins:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Siebkapsel-z-B-fur-Elma-Reinigungsmaschinen-/141412294943?pt=Uhrmacherwerkzeug&hash=item20ecd4611f

Follow your advise and ordered some. Nice quality. Absolute worth the money.

Thx !!

[Rafal]

I have a question for those who worked on elma's electronic parts. It seems my machine have problem with setting time - when I start program it should by default spin for about 3.5min and then change jar to next one. And if I want to extend time I should use timer knob to set time.  But for some reason it spins forever untill I use start switch to move it forward (mine is automatic). Do you have any idea what can be wrong? I susspect timer maybe. In the same time I would like to improove my device and add speed control, but I cant indentify component which is used - there are bad pictures on the internet - is it standard resistor with knob? I have asked elma support but they can help me with that, but they provided electrical diagram fro RM90 (also automatic) so at least I have something to start with :).

[Men]

Could you share the diagram?

[Rafal]

sure, just remember its for RM-90. I checked my device and it seems its ok, but because it automatics based on mechanical setup it lost synchronisation, and thats why I have problem.

SP_RM_90_D.pdf

Edited October 22, 2015 by Rafal

[Men]

Now I lost you.... which machine do you have??

[Rafal]

I have an old version of Elma Super Automatic (picture of it its in this thread http://www.watchrepairtalk.com/topic/2044-watch-cleaner/page-2), I wanted to fix my device and at the same time add new futures of RM90 (newer version of my device) Elma could provide diagrams for RM90 only.

[clockboy]

Noticed this on the bay today needs re/wiring etc but seems to have all the jars etc could be a good project.

 

Item no. 141871209681