Whatcha using to Clean Your Machines?

Just picked up some Simple Green Purple Industrial Degreaser. I like this stuff. I did a slightly more concentrated mixture than what the bottle had for the strongest mix. It got the caked up, and I mean tar-like, grease a lot easier to remove. My QCGB was so unbelievably caked up with grease. "jawdrop: Now I know why grease is not recommended in a lathe. My bronze feed lever is broke and in neutral so when I tried moving the leadscrew by hand it I could barely budge it. Now I know why! This stuff will take paint off. I hadn't planned on painting the lathe as it doesn't need it but I will have to get a coat on the gear box handles now. A lot of guys use Rustoleum's High Performance Protective Enamel on their machines so I'm going with that in "Smoke Grey" color.
 
swatson144 said:
I use makers mark bourbon.

whilst I smear mineral spirits on the machine and wipe it off.

Steve
Click to expand...

Thanks Steve for the suggestion. I might try that tonight after the shop cools off. The last time I cleaned the lathe I used about a half full glass of undiluted Gentleman Jack. The machine was still dirty when I was finished but it did not seem to matter all that much at the time.

Do I really have to smear mineral spirits on the machine? I don't like to use voc's on the machines, it can't be good for them!

Benny
 
I"ve used all of the above at one time or another, but spray-on oven cleaner - the type that doesn't require the oven to be hot - has worked best of all.
 
I like wd40 for most greasy cleaning jobs as long as its not so bad that it has to be scraped off. It smells good and its about $19 for a gallon if you watch the prices. It has the added benefit of keeping a little light oil on the machine to prevent rust, and doesn't smell so bad as kerosene. Degreasers work great too but then i got to go back and coat everything with wd40. I also have a small parts washer thats filled with wd40 I filter it out and reuse it. Its the closest thing I could find to commercial parts solution and its a bit cheaper if your not buying it by the barrel full.
 
I would up buying a can of carb cleaner to use in the oil holes in the QCGB. Love that stuff, but even trying to be careful it still took some of my new paint off! :mad:
 
I've been curious about this for a long time too. If left uncleaned for a very long time, the dried oil residue resembles a kind of fat-based gum, and mineral spirits just lubes it. I did get some results from mixing isopropyl alcohol with mineral spirits, as the alcohol seems to dissolve it, and the mineral spirits keeps it wet and in suspension. Some paints will be affected. The fumes can also be bothersome.

Another product I have used seemed to clean even better than that; CRC Industrial Heavy Duty Degreaser II (aerosol). Non-chlorinated, low odor, high flash point. CRC part # 03120.
Ingredients: Petroleum Distillates, DPM Acetate, Glycol Ether, Carbon Dioxide

This stuff seemed to soften the crud rather easy. Somehow the cleaning action is different than most of what I've seen, I just can't put my finger on it. I don't recall it hurting the paint, but I do know that it has a high propensity for penetrating your skin in a subtle way. It sneaks up on you, and you can tell something's been messing with your skin hours later, so I would use gloves. I think it may have something to do with the glycol. And perhaps the glycol is a common factor in the way coolants clean too. Any chemists know about this?

The only problem I have with it is the cost; I think you should get a gallon for what the can costs. After this can is through, I don't think I'll be getting anymore, and I'll be looking for something else.

Dave

View attachment 37812
 
This stuff called LA awesome is pretty good and cheap.
You can cut it 50/50 and it still works great.
Also any of the cleaners with the orange oil cuts the crud good too.
 
I posted it before, but I may have lacked details. :o

I use ZEP Orange that you can find at Home Depot. It comes in spray bottles. It was recommended to me by the rigger who brought in my milling machine.
It works great, rinses with water. Use it pure.
 
+1 to the Zep Orange....it's pretty good. Citrastip also works really well if you're trying to remove paint. BUT, It works on grease....it's like the Zep Orange in a gel form.

Super Clean works really well and I hear Royal Purple is good too. You can just leave stuff soaking in it overnight and it will come out very well.

Carb cleaner absolutely rocks for getting all the grease and oil off....but i try to avoid aerosols if I can.

Oh yeah...then there's Kroil....which I really only use to free everything up....not for cleaning.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top