# How to properly clean watch parts?



## Spartcom5 (Nov 3, 2015)

Hey everyone so I don't know why but I seem to be struggling on how to clean watch parts. I am going to take apart my first watch, Hamilton 910 pocket watch, and am trying to figure out how to go about cleaning the parts safely. I was planning on using an ultrasonic cleaner and suitable cleaning solvent non-ammonia based. I was going to clean each of the parts except for those that are shellacked (balance wheel, pallet fork). After the clean I would swish them around in denatured alcohol and leave to dry on watch paper. How or do I even need to clean the shellacked parts? I heard I could use a small amount of lighter fluid and quickly dip them in and out. Then I would be ready to reassemble? Does this sound like a safe proper method? I know for the older gold plated movements this would not be acceptable because the ultrasonic can strip the plating off..... How would I clean something like that? I don't plan on spending hundreds on a watch cleaning machine atm. Finally, I am up to the idea of hand cleaning everything. Could I just put some cleaner with water in a cup and take a small soft bristled brush and clean/scrub each part, rinse with water, and soak in alcohol, then dry? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

This was the cleaner + ultrasonic I was going to buy. https://www.harborfreight.com/25-liter-ultrasonic-cleaner-63256.html GemOro Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner Solution-Concentrate-Quart
Could this work in place of lighter fluid for the entire balance wheel and balance cock? http://www.esslinger.com/watch-cleaner-one-dip-hairspring-cleaner-2-oz-or-8-oz/


----------



## Molliedooker (Jul 23, 2014)

Read this a couple of times
HOW TO CLEAN AND OIL A VINTAGE MECHANICAL WRIST WATCH OR POCKET WATCH REPAIR


----------



## Spartcom5 (Nov 3, 2015)

Molliedooker said:


> Read this a couple of times
> HOW TO CLEAN AND OIL A VINTAGE MECHANICAL WRIST WATCH OR POCKET WATCH REPAIR


Thanks, I have seen it before but I need to read it again so it seems.... I would love to take a watchmaking class and work with someone who could show me! The only part I don't get in the link is, Is he pushing the jewels out or just cleaning them as is with a brush while they are still in place? His cleaning part sounds very straightfoward.... Seems like he is just putting solution (naphtha) in and brushing them. I can put the jewels in this without damaging them? How safe is this for the older plated movements? Also, how do you clean the balance in this manner? Seems impossible to brush it down.....

I'd honestly prefer not to use Naphtha though.


----------



## Molliedooker (Jul 23, 2014)

Read page 6.
You don't push jewels out . I have a toy ultrasonic to which I add warm water. I then put the parts ( excluding the balance assembly ) in very small jars filled with naptha which I place in the water and run for 3 to 6 minutes. This includes the plates with jewels and pallet fork. For very old watches I would only go 3 mins for jewelled plates and pallet fork .
I then take out, rinse in clean naptha using an artists brush and blow dry.
With the jewels I then peg them with pegwood ( If you don't have pegwood use a sharpened toothpick. ) brush with naptha and dry making sure they are clean.
With the balance assembly I place in naptha and using a fine soft brush and no.5 tweezers carefully clean ,blow dry . All pivots are pithed. There is heaps of info in this forum.


----------



## GeneJockey (Oct 7, 2010)

A lot of cleaning, especially on older watches that haven't seen a watchmaker in decades, involves close inspection and scraping old dirt and oil residue off of jewels, pivots, and pinion teeth. Cleaning machines won't get rid of most of it. This was my biggest disappointment when I started working on watches. I was putting the parts in a mesh tea ball and manually swirling them in the solutions (wash, rinse 1 rinse 2), and then laying them out on paper in small trays to dry in a fan-driven cell culture incubator. And there would still be visible residue on the jewels, which I then had to scrape/polish off with pegwood. Then I had to deal with the pegwood crumbs, but the brush itself would sometimes leave dust on the jewels....

So, I started doing the pegging FIRST, till the jewels gleam, and the pivot holes are perfectly clear. I plunge the pivots into pithwood, until they shine. But you'll still often find schmutz in the pinions, between the leaves. For that, I now us a toothpick, because I can get a sharper point on it. I clean in between each pair of leaves, and then I pick up the debris with Rodico. I also use Rodico to pick up the dust and crumbs from the jewels after pegging. Rodico can leave a residue, so I used it BEFORE running through the cleaning solutions.


----------



## spiro13 (Dec 15, 2010)

Hi

This works for me and is a bit simpler and safer than some of the methods described. BTW, I use the Harbor Freight Ultrasonic Machine.
I first use an electric toothbrush to clean all surfaces and jewels except the Balance. Then I put water in the machine. I put Zenith Waterless Cleaning Fluid in a glass jar and and put the jar in the Ultrasonic Machine. I clean for six minutes using the heat function on the machine. I then put Ultrasonic Rinsing Solution in two glass jars and rinse the parts two times. I blow off the excess rinsing fluid. The parts then quickly dry on tissue paper. I haven't had any problems with jewels coming lose.

Hope this adds to your information.

Tony


----------



## jcoffin1981 (Aug 16, 2009)

I think a toothpick would do a poor job of pegging. The pegwood is made of really soft wood like orangewood and conforms to the unique size and shape of each pivot. I suppose it would do in a pinch, but since it's so important I would try to source it on ebay or a watchmaker warehouse.


----------

