Pallet fork - best way to clean

[Bonefixer]

What do you recommend? I generally put it in the elma machine with everything else, and so far had no problems. But I've read that some solutions can loosen shellac, and the heater stage may do the same. I'm currently servicing a 70 year old Landeron 48 and I don't want to have to source another one. 

[AndyGSi]

I've never put a pallet fork anywhere near a machine, always just dipped and cleaned by hand.

[oldhippy]

Ronsonol lighter fluid is what I always used it doesn't harm  shellac. You need a small pot with a screw lid as it evaporates very quick. You could leave parts in it for days and it will not harm them.  

[Bonefixer]

I've got Renata Essence, which smells exactly like B-dip, so possibly the same. Is that suitable?

[Nucejoe]

I concur with AndyGSI , clean by hand, 

Repeatedly peg the face of pallets with a toothpick dipped in lighter fluid, wipe , repeat ...and finally rinse .

You might find repeating  ten times frustrating but TG smiles specially if it a well adjusted fork.

Repalcing , adjusting pallets or replacing with brand new fork complete  is like heart surgery, its part of the watch's heart.

Newness of fork complete doesn't mean the heart beat will be healthy.

Rgds

 

 

Edited October 14, 2024 by Nucejoe
correction

[tomh207]

55 minutes ago, Bonefixer said:

I've got Renata Essence, which smells exactly like B-dip, so possibly the same. Is that suitable?

Yes, it’s basically formulated for balances so will work fine for pallets too

 

Tom

[mikepilk]

8 hours ago, AndyGSi said:

I've never put a pallet fork anywhere near a machine, always just dipped and cleaned by hand.

7 hours ago, Nucejoe said:

I concur with AndyGSI , clean by hand, 

I assumed everyone stuck them in the cleaning machine with all the other bits. I always clean them in the ultrasonic with Elma fluids, and I've never had any problems. 

Do you clean balance jewels by hand too ?

[AndyGSi]

34 minutes ago, mikepilk said:

Do you clean balance jewels by hand too ?

For what's involved with cleaning a jewel I do that by hand too.

[Nucejoe]

44 minutes ago, mikepilk said:

Do you clean balance jewels by hand too ?

Balance jewels can go in ultrasonic.

Pegging cap stones, drop flat face of the stone on a piece of rough surface cardboard, push down on the stone with finger, pour some lighter fluid on it, scrub till you get a perfect shiny surface & rinse.

I know of no trick to clean inside of chaton, other than ultrasonic.

Much depends on how expensive of a piece your working on, spend as much time as neccessary to clean Grand Seiko fork.

Rgds

 

Edited October 14, 2024 by Nucejoe
spelling

[rehajm]

52 minutes ago, mikepilk said:

I assumed everyone stuck them in the cleaning machine with all the other bits.

Me, too. Mine go in a little basket then the big basket for cleaning machine. Never an issue. I do usually try to drop the balance in the hairspring cleaner and blow bubbles

[caseback]

I clean the pallet fork with pegwood and rodico. After that it goes in a small jar with hexane in the ultrasonic. Never in the machine.

The balance jewels are cleaned with pegwood, then rubbed in IPA on a piece of paper. Chaton: pegwood-rodico-hexane.

Edited October 14, 2024 by caseback

[mikepilk]

7 minutes ago, rehajm said:

Me, too. Mine go in a little basket then the big basket for cleaning machine. Never an issue. I do usually try to drop the balance in the hairspring cleaner and blow bubbles

That's what I do for pallets. But with shock protected balances, I clean in the ultrasonic with the balance fitted to the mainplate. The caps/chatons also get the ultrasonic treatment - they go in a contact lens case with cleaning fluid.  For non-shock balances, I put the balance+hairspring in it's own little basket, then normal ultrasonic clean.

In fact, the only things I don't put in the ultrasonic are the very tiniest screws, and small springs which can escape through mesh baskets.

[Neverenoughwatches]

11 hours ago, AndyGSi said:

I've never put a pallet fork anywhere near a machine, always just dipped and cleaned by hand.

Same.

1 hour ago, AndyGSi said:

For what's involved with cleaning a jewel I do that by hand too.

Same again, i never let the little blighters leave my sight

[Klassiker]

@all of the people saying "never in the machine", is that because of fear of what you imagine might happen, or due to actual bad experience?

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 minute ago, Klassiker said:

@all of the people saying "never in the machine", is that because of fear of what you imagine might happen, or due to actual bad experience?

Fear of what MIGHT happen DUE to actual bad experience . Not all ultrasonic cleaner are equal, i think mine has shellac rage

I swear i could feel one of my front teeth slowly coming loose while i was stood over it yesterday

[Bonefixer]

This discussion has expanded beyond my initial query, which is fine. 
 

For balance wheel, I've taken to mounting it on the main plate, removing the jewels (and closing the springs) then into the machine in its own compartment in the basket. Is that ok? The jewels I do in one dip. 

[mikepilk]

1 hour ago, Bonefixer said:

For balance wheel, I've taken to mounting it on the main plate, removing the jewels (and closing the springs) then into the machine in its own compartment in the basket. Is that ok? The jewels I do in one dip. 

That is the generally accepted way of doing it. 

[Nucejoe]

3 hours ago, Klassiker said:

@all of the people saying "never in the machine", is that because of fear of what you imagine might happen, or due to actual bad experience?

 Mostly fear,  as I haven't actually got my hands on some cleaning solutions you guys have, bad results though in ultrasonic with all solutions in my disposal. Wonder if  my cheap ultrasonic has to do with shellac loss.

Rgds

[HectorLooi]

Do you know that an ultrasonic cleaner can generate more than 120dB of sound in a enclosed room?

I think most of us here are over fifty years old and the natural decline in hearing of high frequencies allows us to be in the same room as a working ultrasonic cleaner.

When I was still working as a dentist, whenever I had a young child in my surgery and the ultrasonic cleaner was turned on, they would cringe and clap their hands over their ears.

I tested the noise level in the room with the ultrasonic cleaner and was shocked. My cheap Radio Shack sound meter went off the scale, even as far as 6 feet away.

Even the tiny ultrasonic scaler that we used for cleaning teeth can generate more than 120dB at a distance of 1 inch away. I can't imagine the actual sound level the patient is subjected to when the tip of the scaler touches the tooth and the sound is conducted through flesh and bone to the eardrums.

No wonder patients never like going to the dentist. And why most dentist are hard of hearing. 

But coming back to the topic, ultrasonic cleaners come in different powers. My mentor uses a 60W and he throws everything into it, including pallet forks and balance wheels and never had any problem.

I have a 120W model and have lost shellac after a 10mins of cleaning. So now I only clean the pallet fork by hand.

[Neverenoughwatches]

We know using different materials for the containers in a US can affect how powerful the cavitations are inside them.  Plastic , glass, and steel differ in how much energy can pass through. I used to use the aluminium cases that tea light candles fit into to float on the surface of the water tank... mostly for cleaning hairsprings, balances and levers of pin pallet movements....after half a dozen uses the bubbles start to punch through. Switched over to tin screw-on bottle tops which last a bit longer or a heavier gauge metal tin which numbs the energy a little morel..compare this to watch parts in steel mesh baskets in a plastic basket holder in a glass jar. Big differences with experiences of how we all clean, heat in the water tank is also known to reduce cavitation size.

[mikepilk]

11 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

But coming back to the topic, ultrasonic cleaners come in different powers. My mentor uses a 60W and he throws everything into it, including pallet forks and balance wheels and never had any problem.

I have a 120W model and have lost shellac after a 10mins of cleaning. So now I only clean the pallet fork by hand.

Mine is 60W and I've had no problems with shellac. I chose that power as the pro cleaning machines are 50-60W.