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Overheard a customer say ultrasonic cleaning ruins vintage radios, but I've used it on a dozen old Philcos with no issues
He claimed the vibrations crack solder joints and loosen coils, yet my $150 Harbor Freight cleaner has saved me hours on grimy tube sets from the 40s, so has anyone else run into this debate or is it just an old wives' tale?
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the_william3mo ago
Ultrasonic cleaning ruins vintage radios" - oh man, that's like saying my cooking ruins cast iron skillets (which it does, but for different reasons). I've got one of those cheap Harbor Freight cleaners too, and honestly, it's been a lifesaver for getting decades of grime off old tube sockets without me having to scrub for three hours. The trick is you can't just blast it at full power and walk away - you gotta keep an eye on it and maybe don't dunk a whole Philco chassis if the coils are already looking fragile. People get scared because they probably dropped a tired old radio in there and watched it fall apart, but that's like blaming the dishwasher for the crack in your plate, you know?
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grace_campbell3mo ago
Is it just me or does every hobby have that one tool everyone blames before admitting they rushed the job?
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