Old lathe cleaning

[talvare]

I used kerosene with rags and brushes to clean my mill when I bought it. Worked pretty well. I'd be concerned using any water based cleaners just because it's too easy on a fully assembled machine for the cleaner to get into places that you may not be able to get dried out. Just food for thought.
Ted

 

[Chipper5783]

It depends. I doubt there is one potion that will work for all the cleaning. Different surface finishes will be degraded by the cleaning solution. So try all the suggestions above, do little test areas and see how they go. I have used a lot of different chemicals - no substitute for proceeding carefully and plenty of elbow grease.

 

[p3bhambama]

Dawn Power Wash, in the stay bottle.

Another vote for this. My 1954 G&E shaper arrived looking like it hadn’t been cleaned since 1954. Crud Cutter didn’t even make a dent. Dawn Power Wash melted the old hydraulic fluid instantly. Came back behind that with a damp rag and then some kerosene

 

[NCjeeper]

Super clean full strength to start off with.

 

[Batmanacw]

Mineral spirits and Crud Cutter is working so far!

 

[Nesse1]

Nice and NICE!

I love those Period Correct timbers under the base! Those ain't no sissy modern, skinny, boards.

And holy $hit, that chuck is a monster! Did I say no sissy stuff?

 

[sdelivery]

I use this for cleaning BUT I also use it with my stone on machine tables. It brightens the table top right up.
Easy on the hands , no fumes, non flammable.
Environmentally safe.
If you dilute it with very hot water and use it in a spray bottle, you can watch the " stuff" run off

 

[Pevehouse]

Anything sodium hydroxide based,lol

 

[DeadGuyAle]

WD-40 works extremely well on grease and oil residue removal with no rust worries.
Soak it down, let it sit for a bit and wipe it off.

 

[Janderso]

Kerosene or diesel. Diesel is cheaper in California.
A gallon of mineral spirits is over $10.
Can't buy most of the good stuff.
Simple green full strength is strong stuff. It will take paint off.

Have fun.