Cleaning up a filthy machine

[jgedde]

I use "purple power' from lowes. spray it on full strength, get a cup of coffee, respray, hit it with my favorite brush, then hose or wipe off and rinse. No oil film left and it don't hurt the paint.

Purple Power is good stuff. I agree. Another product available at True Value HW is Super Clean., Also in a purple bottle. That's what I use.

Sodium Metasilicate is the active ingredient that does wonders.

John

 

[Tony Wells]

I would be very hesitant to use gasoline for cleaning a machine. Even outside. Not many readily available solvents are nearly as volatile as gasoline. The fumes travel low, near the ground, and if there is a source of ignition, it will flash back to the point of use very quickly. Probably the cheapest, but by far the most dangerous cleaner to use. Plus there is the whole carcinogen factor.

But I'm no one's mother, just want to point out the risks and dangers.

 

[george wilson]

We just used Purple Power to clean off very stubborn grease from the microwave over the kitchen stove. It had defied a lot of products,but purple cleaned it without hurting the plastic.

 

[Pacer]

Gasoline -- for cleaning a machine -- yeow!! Thats scary to even think about...

Its pretty obvious there are many ways to go at getting one of our "toys" cleaned up, so I may as well add my choices here...

Im presently also refurbing a mill, an Induma, probably from the 70's and it is well abused and for sure never had a bath. My first choice is the Purple Power already mentioned. l got one squirt bottle for smaller pieces and the 2 1/2 gal jug for the pump up sprayer, I use it full strength for these super dirty guys (mind you, at full strength, itll remove some paints) then, on a machine like this one - read: SUPER filthy - after a wash down with the purple power, I get the oven cleaner out, and boy o boy, there aint much that that stuff wont get off - even most paints!

 

[Tony Wells]

Oven clean, like EZ Off, the old stuff anyway, contains NaOH, or Lye.....yes, it will take off paint.

 

[DMS]

So, progress update, we got everything but the apron and table clean, everything except the saddle and table has chips filled and painted with a an oil based paint that should match pretty darn well once it is fully dry.

We started with mineral spirits, which worked OK, but moved on to concentrated Simple Green in a spray bottle. That stuff worked great, and even removed some stains that the mineral spirits wouldn't touch.

DMS