Cleaning up a machine in daily use

Purple power sold at Wal-Mart and many auto parts works wonders. Be careful it will eat some painted surfaces. I used it one time on an old snow blower with lots of grease and layers of paint. It worked so good it removed all the grease and all the extra paint and left the original paint, can't see way anyone repainted it.

DO NOT USE ANY WATER BASED CLEANERS! You don't really want the problems they have the potential to provide.

There is nothing on the market that will serve you better than using either Stoddard solvent or mineral spirits (paint thinner). Each of them will clean all the hydrocarbons from the machine and leave nothing behind, and won't effect the paint on your machines. You can use a paint brush to apply the solvent, and allow the machine to drip dry when finished. Use a generous amount of Oil-Dri (kitty-litter)around the machine to absorb spills. Be sure to ventilate the room, too.

You can buy Stoddard solvent from most oil distributors. They carry it in bulk and will gladly fill your 5 gallon container, at least where I've come from. I highly recommend against using kerosene, diesel fuel and other oils, none of which are SOLVENTS, in spite of their ability to dissolve other oils. They do not dry clean the way solvents do. I have high hopes you're not one of the fools that chooses to clean with gasoline.

Harold

What's foolish about gasoline vs the other light hydrocarbons you are advocating?

Thanks! No gas for cleaning for me. I may not be all that smart but I am smart enough not to use gas for anything but fuel in my vehicles

SOLVENTS work good but WILL enjoy some paint. The biggest problem I have is most solvents, kerosene, or others is the smell and fire concerns. I have used mont of them, either way you need to remove your cleaner, I have found some of the strong non petro cleaners work excellent and as long sa you clean up what you have done you will have no problems.

I'll assume you're jerking my chain here. Surely, you jest!

Harold

Just look at the flash point and mw for each of them. Actually IIRC stoddard solvent and kerosene are nearly indistinguishable in both of those.

The actual ingredient in wd40 is stoddard solvent.

Jim

================================================== please reply to: JRR(zero) at yktvmv (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com ==================================================

On 07 Apr 2004 22:06:19 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (GMasterman) shouted from the rooftop:

Liquid Tide will cut grease like crazy- works a treat on engine parts (the cleaner of choice at some race shops) and it won't attack paint.

-Carl "An honest man doesn't need a long memory"- Jesse Ventura

No, I'm not.

Flash point? I use a lot of VM&P naphtha for cleaning, that is what it is sold for. Very similar to gasoline.

I would use the much cheaper gasoline, except for the unknown (and known) non-hydrocarbon additives that may be unhealthy. At least the lead isn't in there any more. Coleman sez you can burn it in their stoves.

Offhand, do you know the flash points for gasoline, vs VM&P naphtha, soddard solvent, mineral spirits?

Yes, very similar. But that point is very similar, not identical. Flash point of gasoline is -45 degrees F. Gasoline also evaporates very quickly, creating an explosive atmosphere readily. Explosive limits 1.3/6.0

Flash point of Stoddard Solvent is 100/110 degrees F.

Petroleum benzin, naphtha, has a flash point of -40 degrees F.

Mineral spirits (Ligroin), which encompass a wide variety of solvents, including VM&P Naphtha, have a flash point between the two, so they are safer to some degree than gasoline. You may be using VM&P with success, but your risks are higher than if you used Stoddard, and I'm not convinced you benefit in any way with the VM&P. Stoddard dries completely, just as VM&P does.

Personally, I'm not too interested in dying by fire, nor watching my house or shop burn to the ground. I use the safest product available that is suited to the job. Your call.

Of course they do. Coleman fuel is white gas. Lead free gasoline typically has additives to promote the application to better suite its use as an internal combustion fuel, so there may be things in unleaded gas that would provide no service for use in a stove, but don't prevent its use there.

Harold

Local 99c store sells spray cans of engine degreaser. Works fine for me. Though like most cleaners, may tend to fade paint a bit in places.

Simple Green is pretty good stuff also.

Gunner

"rm -rf /bin/laden

Bush = Root"

Once you get the chip pan clean, put a layer of kitty litter in it. when it gets too dirty, suck it out with the shop vac and replace it. It will hold a huge amount of oil and solvents. The chip pan surface will stay clean.

Randy

I would agree with the "WATER BASED CLEANERS" but I have used Kool-Mist cutting fluid/coolant diluted 1:5 with water on my Smithy since I got it in ~'92. I apply it with a *large* hypodermic with a blunted needle. When I get an unpleasant accumulation of gunge on/around the machine, I clean it up with a rag dampened with the same stuff. It seems to be an excellent solvent for itself, there is no danger from fumes and it has a very effective corosion inhibitor - nary a rust spot anywhere on or around my machines. Oh, and cheap like borscht - I'm still working on the gallon of concentrate I bought with the machine.

Ted

I can see the effects of slight mis-readings of this post in my mind's eye, and it's quite a picture - machines whirling away in puddles of viscous red... "yeah, some guy on the newsgroups said he used borscht for cutting fluid"

I have read all this thread with interest and no one has talked about any environmental issues. Solvents, all of them, create a disposal issue that can be very expensive and criminal when not observed. This is especially true in Europe. Additionally, solvent fumes can also be a problem, both as a fire hazard as well as a health risk. I have found a solution which works very well for me. I buy an industrial strength cleaner, similar to the old "409", but a hundred times stronger. It is used to clean large truck taupalins and cargo covers. It is only available by the barrel. I put it in a spray bottle and use a chip brush with shortened bristles, scrub in circles and wipe away with a paper towel. This does not harm any paint that I have encountered. It will easily dissolve 30 year old dry oil varnish, something that most solvents won't even budge. Once done properly, I directly spray a paper towel and wipe down the machines once a week very quickly. No muss, no fuss! Steve

At work we spend 30min each day cleaning every machine down. This includes all surfaces (painted, ground, etc.). The only cleaner we use is coolant (the same stuff we use to cut metal). It takes the crap off the machines quickly and there are no issues with hazardous fumes. Cheap too.

Regards,

Robin

As I posted above the cleaners I use (purple power or other deagreasers) work fine and don't cause rust if properly cleaned. In the past I used solvents most of the time now I only use them once in a while. My shop is in my basement no way am I going to spray a fire hazard around.

The one thing that none of the others seems to have said yet is; before you start with the solvents, use a bloody great shop vac and a stiff brush to remove as much swarf and crud as possible. It's easier on the hands and rags, and uses less solvent.

Mark Rand RTFM