Topic: Parts Washer solvent / solution...

[sbparks]

Hello,

 I have a new parts washer bin.  Not sure what to fill it with.  I need 10 to 12 gallons to fill it.

 Tractor supply company has 5 gallons of 'solvent' for $39.99.  Sounds great, but why not use Kerosene or other cheaper solvent?

 I would appreciate some opinions.

Thanks, Scott

[tbpmusic]

Tractor supply company has 5 gallons of 'solvent' for $39.99.  Sounds great, but why not use Kerosene ......

It would evaporate too quickly, and is highly flammable......

[sbparks]

I ended up purchasing the washer solvent from Tractor supply.  Working very well so far.

[ekpent]

8 bucks a gallon-I know its hard to take but you have to use what it takes. Sometime tools are cheap its the stuff you need afterwards.If your solvent is the same stuff Gunk uses for their carb cleaner I would keep a gallon of the fresh stuff out just for them and dedicate it for carbs,that would be a good price  

[Nikkisixx]

I know you already sprang for a product, but my 2 cents is that I use simple green in the recirculating sink type washer.  It is fairly cheap (if you buy it in bulk at a home improvement store), is not flamable, not hard on your hands, can be cut with water, won't harm rubber or plastic, cuts carb varnish and dirt/grease pretty darn well when fresh, and does not (as my wife says about other solvents) "smell like the devil farted in the garage".     I have a 5 gal bucket of the shtuf that is more aggressive that I soak really nasty parts in.

[bucky katt]

i use the parts washer concentrate from northern tool. something like a 70/30 water to concentrate mixture

[dave500]

i use kerosine,i dont smoke and dont do any welding at home im still carefull with the fire aspect though!!,my wife hates the smell and i have to decontaminate afterwards or she sneezes badly from it!whats an australian equivelant to simple green?i dont think we get that here ive read its used to clean all sorts of things ,i was going to get proper cleaning solvent ,but ill bet the smell will still upset my wife,kerosine here is $45 for a 20 litre drum,solvent is $80!!im about to start a couple of days of parts cleaning and dont want to get into trouble from the war office!

[KeithB]

Is this...http://industrial.simplegreen.com/ind_products_extreme.php...what you refer to as Simple Green?

[Hinz]

Same here for the Simple Green. I have the small HF parts washer and 1 gallon of concentrated Simple Green (available at Home Depot) is plenty to get it running.  Get a good set of different material brushes (steel, nylon, brass, etc...available at the dollar store) and a cupcake tin (to put small hardware in) and you should be good to go.  For the really gunked up parts, I dip them in Carb. dip first, then send them through the parts washer.

[Nikkisixx]

whats an australian equivelant to simple green?

Vegemite?   

According to Simple Green web site your contact in Australia is:

CIPL Pty Ltd
P.O. Box 1253
Golden Grove Village LPO
GOLDEN GROVE, SA, 5125

Phone: +61407 747 522
Fax: +61 2 9894 0233
Cell: +64 21 950 283
Contact:  Michelle Rademacher


Web site:
http://www.simplegreen.com/msds_au_nz/

[Nikkisixx]

Is this...http://industrial.simplegreen.com/ind_products_extreme.php...what you refer to as Simple Green?

You can use this as well:

http://www.simplegreen.com/products_extreme_motor.php

[von_Wanderlust]

I grabbed some the other day from Blackwoods. Here you go: http://www2.blackwoods.com.au/LocationsList.aspx?state=QLD

Btw, they say Bunnings is supposed to stock it, but I never have any luck finding any - they only have household stuff like floor cleaners etc.

[ANVkevin]

It would evaporate too quickly, and is highly flammable......

I use kerosene, hasn't evaporated in over a year now. Not great on the hands, smells bad, and for sure flammable. Works great though. Maybe next time around I will try the legit solvent.

[Terry in Australia]

I've used Kero (Kerosine) Kerosine/diesel fuel (50/50 mix) and even straight diesel fuel (which I'm using at the moment) and they've worked well (diesel is better than Kero in my opinion as it doesn't harm most rubbers, whereas Kero fcuks them) but I'm keen to try "Simple green" so it looks like the contents of my parts washer is gonna get up-ended onto my weed covered pavers around my garage to make for for the 'green.

My workshop is full of cutting and welding gear so the fact that SG is non-flammable is a good enough reason to change, as long as it works. Cheers, Terry.  

[Retro Rocket]

Diesel is what i have used for years, works for me....

Mick

[cafenut]

been kerosene for as long as Ive been working on anything or the occasional diesel. Ive had the same kerosene in my parts washer for 3 years and the only prob is its gettin dirtier. i smoke, cut. grind, weld, and never had a prob in closed spaces even. Ive tried to set k1 on fire by anything simulating an accident. all Ive found is that without a wick it dint burst or light, if theres an alarm i sh old be aware of please let me know, other than its not for #$%* for the skin.

[Ricky_Racer]

Guys, just in case any of you missed the (much) earlier threads... Do NOT use the normal (green) Simple Green on aluminum!  Simple Green now make HP Pro and an Automotive cleaner that are okay'd for airplanes and can be used on aluminum.  RR

[GavinJuice]

These two came up on another forum as alternatives, both water soluble...

http://www.ct1w.mirachem.com/topics/products/industrial/3300/3300-100.htm

http://www.hurrisafe.com/automotivedegreasers/7110carburetorcleaner.html

[Nikkisixx]

Ricky Racer has a good point, and it looks like this topic has been well covered on this site already.

  As with most things in life, moderation is key when cleaning aluminum with SG.  The aircraft grade has a corosion inhibitor that allows you to soak parts for longer periods.  If you just want to toss an aluminum part in the washer, scrub it off, rinse and dry, you'd be fine with the standard stuff.  If you soak aluminum for days it will turn dark/black at the least (trust me on this).  By the way, I do not own stock or work for these guys. Here is some info from their website:


"Aluminum - Is it safe to use Simple Green® on aluminum?
When used with caution and according to the instructions, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner has been safely and successfully used to clean aluminum. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, Crystal Simple Green® Cleaner/Degreaser, Simple Green Pressure Washer Concentrates, and Pro Series™ Simple Green® Automotive Cleaner have been used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green® product residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.
Simple Green has also developed break-through water based cleaners that are safe for use on metals, plastics, rubber and high tech alloys. Extreme Simple Green® Aircraft & Precision Cleaner and Simple Green® Pro HD are available on both the industrial and retail markets, respectively. These products were initially developed for the aircraft industry and extensive testing shows that they are safe and effective on a variety of metals and other sensitive surfaces even in the most extreme circumstances. "

Simple Green® Stainless Steel One Step Cleaner & Polish is another option for cleaning polished aluminum. This product is designed for light duty metal cleaning and polishing.

[dave500]

hey great feed back and good links,thanks all!!when i was an apprentice in the early 70s with the melbourne and metropolitan board of works(mmbw)kero was the norm,depending on your skin it dries it out,i find diesel worse on my hands,it also leaves things oily which is ok for storage,kero seems to dry clean and hoses off somewhat easier.

[Terry in Australia]

Dave, another really good local product is the "Supercheap" solvent degreaser, (not the water based stuff, I don't like it) I've always used their 2 dollar spray cans, but recently I was able to buy a 4 litre drum of it from my local Supercheap store which is great for bigger jobs, and as long as you return the stuff to the can after use, (I strain it thru an old shop rag after each use to remove sludge and the larger particles) evaporation isn't a problem, but of course, not much good in a parts washer. Cheers, Terry.

[Don R]

The super clean product that was Castrol in the purple container will screw up aluminum also. I thought it was just another household cleaner and sprayed it on the dash of my company truck and it cleaned the chrome right off the plastic dash. My boss was real proud of me.

[dave500]

thanks terry,i was going to have a gander in supercheap,4 litres is a good size,my wash tank is a 60 litre drum sliced in two down its length,then the edge is folded over and it locates into a oblong hole i cut into a bench i made in about 30 minutes!!im not keen on the water based stuff for things like gears and other internal parts,what part of melbourne are you in terry?i used to live in glen waverley,belgrave,mooroolbark,clayton

[Terry in Australia]

G'Day Dave, well there you go mate, I lived in Brisbane for a couple of years, I should have stayed there! I still dream of my weekend rides from my house in Ferny Hills up to Mt Nebo and Mount Glorious on my old Bevel Ducati 900SS, I imagine that heaven will be very similar, except that I'll be riding my Triumph Rocket III, ha ha!

I live in Mill Park now, on the northern side of Melbourne. The Supercheap solvent cleaner is great, but it evaporates in unsealed containers pretty quickly. I don't like the water based degreasers that I've tried here, and most of them are unsuitable for use with aluminium anyway. Cheers, Terry.

[steamnjn23]

dave500, how about a write up and some pictures of your setup. 

sounds simple enough to build.

[dave500]

yeah steamnjn23,its only a 60 lire drum split in two,(throw the other half away or make two)then make a cut in each corner about an inch and a half long,fold the four sides so as to be 90 degrees to the drum so itll hang into a hole cut to suit in the top of a crappily made bench,i drive for a skip bin company and can get any amount of old drums and packing crates,thats what i used,i dont have a pump operating with it or anything,ive got a hinged lid over it though,i also found a whole heap of those stainless steel food holders that sit in steamers like in a fast food place,long ones,square ones etc,the best for organizing dissembled motors,i even use them as wash bins.i delivered pre fab kitchens to heaps of mill park in the 80s when it was new terry,childs rd is the main drag if i remember,i drove a j series bedford tray with a chevy 307 and turbo400 ,beat a few small unsuspecting cars off from the traffic lights!!

[Terry in Australia]

That's it Dave, I live in Bowman Drive, first on the left off Childs Road after Dalton Road. We've only been here since 2001, when I retired from the regular Army and needed to find somewhere to live. The house was built in 1992, so I guess I don't have one of your kitchens? Cheers, Terry.

[dave500]

the factory was in springvale terry,long haul to mill park ,somedays wed do it twice in a day,we had an old j series bedford tray truck,the six was thrown out and a chevy 307 and t400 shoe horned in,we pretty much drove all over the place,mill park was a bigger development at the time ,as was fountain gate and all the other stale same as each other beautifull estates,patterson lakes,endevour gardens,taylors lakes,orlit homes was the main contract,little boxes on the hillside etc!!kept me employed i suppose,i did it for years,ended up buying my own acco van and being a subby to the same manufacturer,went on to tippers after that.

[mark]

Tried diesel once... nasty, smelly stuff that wouldn't dry off. yuck. glad I didn't fill a parts washer with gallons of the stuff.

Paint thinner a.k.a. mineral spirit works just fine.

Carb spray gets used over the tank, mixes readily with the solvent.
When it gets gunky, I have access to a recycling unit.... no waste.

I think I'll skip the water-based stuff.

Kinda hard washing parts with a popsicle.

 

[Retro Rocket]

Hi Mark, thinners is both dangerous to breath and have on your skin, it eats the layers of fat away under the skin on your hands and slowly does nerve damage. I would advise wearing chemical grade gloves when doing that and do it in an area that has good airflow. Methylated spirits would do a similar job and is alcohol based and lots safer..

Mick

[dave500]

as soon as i smell thinners i get dizzy,how about turpentine?ive just bought from supercheap 4 litres of their "solvent degreaser"its a hydrocarbon stuff,it looks a little yellow and isnt too fumy,or is that fumie?ill try some gangerous old carbies in it .,ill probably keep with kero,this stuff was $20 for a 4 litre tin.

[Terry in Australia]

Hi Mark, thinners is both dangerous to breath and have on your skin, it eats the layers of fat away under the skin on your hands and slowly does nerve damage. I would advise wearing chemical grade gloves when doing that and do it in an area that has good airflow. Methylated spirits would do a similar job and is alcohol based and lots safer..

Mick

Hey Mick, it's not "Thinner" as we know it, the stuff that Mark is referring to is Turpentine. Just "Americanglish".

ive just bought from supercheap 4 litres of their "solvent degreaser"its a hydrocarbon stuff,it looks a little yellow and isnt too fumy,or is that fumie?ill try some gangerous old carbies in it .,ill probably keep with kero,this stuff was $20 for a 4 litre tin.

That Supercheap stuff is really good Dave, I just strain it back into the tin after use and it doesn't seem to lose it's bite? 20 bucks is a lot, but I think it's worth it. Cheers, Terry. 

[Retro Rocket]

Hey Mick, it's not "Thinner" as we know it, the stuff that Mark is referring to is Turpentine. Just "Americanglish". Grin

Them damn Yankees need some edumecating......


Mick

[dave500]

aussie thinners is not terpentine!!!they are two separate entities!,,both are flammable,,,terpentine is a tree product,,,and quite oily,,thinners i think is an acetone and alchohol based,,,not to be cunfused with bourbon or beer ,,which have both been proved to be beneficial to mankind(i mean husband kind,,dont let females drink it!)

[Irk11]

My brother in law worked for safety kleen a few years ago, and said thier parts cleaning solvent was something like 85-90% mineral spirits, and the rest were a combination of chemicals to make it easier to work with, maybe easier on the skin or a little less toxic.?

[1974CB750rider]

Though its probably not enviromently friendly, if it was me I would use varsol. It works well and also evaporates fast on the parts. As long as you keep your parts washer covered it won't evaporate to quickly. Yo can also buy brake cleaner by the gallon cheap to.

[Terry in Australia]

aussie thinners is not terpentine!!!they are two separate entities!,,both are flammable,,,terpentine is a tree product,,,and quite oily,,thinners i think is an acetone and alchohol based

Yes Dave, that's what I said mate, turpentine is not thinner. Read the label in the "thinner" post, it says you can use the stuff to remove tar from paint, now you and I both know that we wouldn't use what we call thinner on paint, or it'd remove that too. However, Turpentine or white spirits would be fine. Now ease up on that drinking mate, you're lowering the real estate values!