A handy tip from me

[urbanrifleman]

Since I started making barrels, I've tried to find the perfect solution for cleaning off the parts, removing the oil and blowing off with air to get the best clean finish. It was also important not to take the paint off of my machine.

So that being said, I tried just about everything. All different kinds of alcohol and paint thinners and acetone etc etc etc. all kinds of stuff from Lowe's and home Depot and from different suppliers on the web. Most of them stink. Pretty bad.

The absolute best elixir I finally came up with was close to 100% isopropyl alcohol used in beauty shops and nail salons and the accompanying acetone of the same. Apparently, this stuff is formulated to have almost no smell and it dries perfectly clean and quickly.

I use two parts alcohol to one part acetone. I used to order it from eBay from a nail salon supply house. I recently discovered that I could buy it at my local beauty supply and it is $25 a gallon. Which all in all that is an excellent price for what it is.

The stuff from my local Sally's beauty supply even has a slight cherry smell. Which is much better than stinking like alcohol.

I spray off with a rechargeable hand sprayer from harbor freight. That is charged using my air compressor.

 

[ShtrRdy]

Thanks for the info!! That sounds like a great solution.

 

[Jonnyofalltrades]

I use lots of isopropyl alcohol and acetone, but I had never thought of blending them.
I'll have to give it a try.

Rechargeable sprayers are the way to go.
I use the hand-pump type.

 

[AlNyhus]

We use those air charged sprayers a lot in the race shop. From cleaning the dyno to the underside of the cars, they are very versatile.

 

[LVLAaron]

Something like this?

 

[AlNyhus]

Yep.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Something like this?

View attachment 1732631

Oh wow that's made in the USA.

 

[LVLAaron]

I'll try one of the cheap ones. I paid like 75 bucks for that and threw it away. It was ALWAYS clogged and never worked right.

 

[Multiracer]

I'll try one of the cheap ones. I paid like 75 bucks for that and threw it away. It was ALWAYS clogged and never worked right.

I used those for years, the trick to never clogging is a very fine mesh screen in your filler funnel. Like a paper paint strainer.

 

[LVLAaron]

I used those for years, the trick to never clogging is a very fine mesh screen in your filler funnel. Like a paper paint strainer.

I didn't strain it, but I used gallon cans of Zep ID Red and it clogged over and over and over. I wasn't comfortable with the SDS for ID Red so I just got rid of it. I'm sure the sprayers are fine. Maybe the product I was using was dissolving parts of the sprayer. r

 

[Multiracer]

Some butyl based soap degreasers will form dried balls of material. I have seen this before too.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Some butyl based soap degreasers will form dried balls of material. I have seen this before too.

Soap doesn't work. Totally stopped up one.

Solvents work great.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

We had those sure shot sprayers when I was a mechanic, I always drilled out the nozzle on them. Its too small.

 

[Fuj]

At my old shop, We had several options. The safety zone had an eye wash
station and emergency shower, and that was located within 10 feet of the
hot tank degreaser. Now next to the shower, was the electric power washer
filled with Purple-Matic (not magic). Off to the other side was a 60" tank we
used stoddard solvent. After the major cleaning, yes we used Isopropyl and
acetone and mixed 10:1. Don't really need a lot of acetone. Always bought
the cleaners from our local mill suppliers by the 5 gallon pail. Stoddard was
a 55 gallon drum. We also had a steam gun when machinery needed cleaned.
Steam is an awesome cleaning tool.

And what Alex said about the nozzle. I found an old one quart, Binks spray
gun at auction. Opened the nozzle up and narrowed the spray pattern.

Now generally, since my boy buy's it by the case. I find myself using non-
chlorinated Brake Clean the most.

Lots of options out there. Always wanted to try "Percloroethylene". It's been
the standard for dry cleaners......And like I mentioned in anther thread......Plan
out your ventilation carefully......

 

[Alex Wheeler]

One other thing I can ad is that since i stopped using air to blow off parts I can blow my nose and its clean. I dont use any compressed air at all anymore. My hands are in oil and brake clean every day, I dont need to breathe it too.

 

[VA_XTC_Shooter]

One other thing I can ad is that since i stopped using air to blow off parts I can blow my nose and its clean. I dont use any compressed air at all anymore. My hands are in oil and brake clean every day, I dont need to breathe it too.

You just brush off everything?

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Theres not much I have to brush off but yes, if I need to clean off a thread I throw it in reverse d use a tooth brush. When Im all done and out of the lathe I just hit it all with brake cleaner.

 

[Edd]

I spend several hours a day in auto repair shops, different shops every day. Those Sure Shot sprayers are on the work benches of most mechanics filled with brake cleaner.

 

[ricco1949]

One other thing I can ad is that since i stopped using air to blow off parts I can blow my nose and its clean. I dont use any compressed air at all anymore. My hands are in oil and brake clean every day, I dont need to breathe it too.

A career tool & die machinist from Diamond Tool and Horseshoe, Duluth MN. told me that they had a company policy of not using air to blow off parts and machines.

I've always wondered if that was to prevent oil atomization and lung protection or for eye protection....maybe both.

 

[AlNyhus]

A career tool & die machinist from Diamond Tool and Horseshoe, Duluth MN. told me that they had a company policy of not using air to blow off parts and machines.

Cleaning a mill off with compressed air is bad news, for sure.