Ultrasonic cleaning of reeds

[cinnanon]

Anyone ever done this? I have a reed bar with some gunk/oil on it. I’m curious if the ultrasonic will remove the rust prohibitive coating on the reeds.

[beginnersluke]

Let us know if you try it. You could try it on a spare reed and then expose it to a high concentration of oxygen and see what happens. Are any reeds that spare though? Maybe for science...

[sean]

The ultrasound won't knock your socks off.  It won't hurt a chemically-plated finish on reeds, tines, tonebar blocks, nor tonebars. 

Ultrasonic cleaners do a very good job of removing grit and loose crud from fine-detail crevices.
The soapy solution used in the tank will remove grease and oil (and any rust-preventative oil as well).

Ultrasonic cleaners will NOT do any serious rust or corrosion removal.  Just the loose stuff will fall off.  It is a great way to get the remaining dusty crud off after wire-brushing or sanding a metal workpiece.

Sean

[cinnanon]

I have some sort of residue on the reedbar around some of the bolts and some reeds. Looks like someone wiped oil on the whole things at one point also. I’m probably better off taking all the reeds off and running them through the sonics that way. I think the entire reedbar assembly would attenuate too much. Plus the sonic would have to be large.

[pablotiburcio]

So, how to solve the problem of rust on the reeds?
I have tried several alternatives and I have not succeeded.

[marathonmusicgym]

I've had a lot of good luck with Evapo-Rust in an Ultrasonicator, I've used this for reed organ reeds, as well. I'll also use a fiberglass pen-brush for spot cleaning little rust spots.