Do all petroleum parts washer solvents smell horribly?

I like the smell of Hoppe's number nine gun cleaner.

Karl

But I need parts washer solvent, something like 40 gallons of it!

Well, you asked for good smelling, not cheap. I see its only $20 a quart.

For cheap, I use a variation of Ed's red. Mostly diesel, mineral spirts, ATF (used OK), and a bit of acetone. Google for a recipe, don't have to follow it exactly. The smell is strong. But you might be able to get a 55 gal drum of parts cleaner at about the same price if you pick up at the distributor. You have learned to buy at wholesale, haven't you?

Karl

Isn't acetone very flammable?

You can certainly get deodorized (or low odor, or what have you) mineral sprits. It will likely cost more than the stinky stuff. The particular stuff I'm most familiar with in that line will cost a lot more as it's an "art supply", but there are likely cheaper sources. The jug of mineral sprits I have from the hardware store stinks like a whole tank of heating oil, by contrast.

The better grades of kerosene (ie, that would not stink up Mrs. O'Leary's barn while burning in that lantern that wasn't really the casue...) might be a cheaper place to start, but I suppose that's perhaps more flammable than "mineral sprits."

Perhaps your parts washer needs a hood and vent.

Parts washer solvent doesn't have to smell bad. You can buy deodorized mineral spirits. At least I used to buy it from a couple places in Seattle. I asked for Stoddard solvent and was told it was just deodorized mineral spirits. The stuff certainly smelled better than paint thinner. Eric

IIRC, its like 1% of the total, shouldn't make a step change in flamablility. Or just leave it out. The mineral spirits and diesel do all the main work. Like others have said, sub perfumeded kerosene and stoddard solvent (WD40) if you want better smell.

Karl

I bought some deodorized mineral spirits once, they stink just as badly.

Then someone mismarked the can. I bought some for oil painting ($14 a freakin' quart!) and it was damnear odorless. Very nice.

The cans marked "Low Odor" are better, but the odorless is a much nicer beast for indoor use.

-- ...in order that a man may be happy, it is necessary that he should not only be capable of his work, but a good judge of his work. -- John Ruskin

Yeah. I bought a jug of "kerosene" a couple years ago and it was dyed pink. And smelled bad. In reality it was just fuel oil, dyed pink so people don't use it for highway use and avoid taxes. But the plastic jug said kerosene, not fuel oil. Eric

Goss's Garage on Motor Week yesterday. Parts washing.

A friend of mine told recently that there is a mens under arm deoderant called Hoppes No 9 ,it smells just like the barrel cleaner

Smells bad in what way? Like bad chemical smell or like bad rancid putrid smell?

If it's the latter then dump it or get a biocide to treat it.