Just realized ultrasonic cleaners aren't just for jewelry

I always thought they were a waste of money for circuit board work until I borrowed a buddy's unit last month. Cleaned a nasty flux residue from a 90s amp board in 3 minutes flat that I'd been scrubbing for an hour. Has anyone else found a use that surprised them?

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thomas2913mo ago

3 minutes of ultrasonic can ruin a perfectly good vintage board.

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valsullivan3mo ago

Perfectly good" is doing a lot of heavy lifting there, Thomas. I've seen plenty of boards that were already dusty, noisy, or had crusty old flux that an ultrasonic actually saved. You just can't throw a mint condition 1985 BOSS pedal in there for 10 minutes, but a quick 30 second dip on a board with a dozen crusty switches? That's a lifesaver. I think people blow the risk way out of proportion, like every vintage board is a sacred relic. It really depends on what the board is and what kind of shape it's in before you start.

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