Best liquid for a lathe washdown??

[Splat]

While refurbing my Heavy 10 I happened to add some acetone to "Simple Green ProHD Professional-Grade Heavy-Duty Cleaner" (from Home Depot) mixed in with a small bit of water. Made removing grease even easier, and that Simple Green stuff works pretty good already. Just remember to open a window or door to get some air or you get this...

 

[RWL]

The easiest way I've found to remove dried on oil and crud is spray-on oven cleaner. Get the easy off that works at room temperature, not the kind that you need to heat the oven. It can lift paint if left on for several minutes. I typically spray a small area, lit it sit for a little bit, then test wipe to see how much crud was lifted. I'll let it soak another minute or two if it isn't ready. The second best choice has been the purple cleaner from the automotive dept at WalMart.