I just got a small parts washer. What's the best solvent to use for cleaning parts? Someone said to use mineral spirts, and suggestions? The parts are not rusted, just oil and grime. Thanks,
I've used Mineral Spirits for years, it works great and rinses off clean. But the last time I bought some it was fairly expensive. Now I hear it's even worse so now I'm looking for something as well. This seems to defeat the purpose of "cleaning" a part.
I use to buy a product from Napa called Stanosol? They carried it in a 55 gal drum and sold it by the gallon, bring your own container. Worked well and was cheap.
If you use Mineral Spirits or Kerosene, after a while you will get tired of the smell. I like to use OMS...Odorless Mineral Spirits...yes, it is more expensive, but I feel it's worth it.
i have stoddard solvent in my parts washer... does a good job , very little smell and won't hardly burn
Last mineral spirits I bought was about $450 for a 55 gallon barrel, no doubt it's more now. I'd like to find a suitable substitute. Been thinking of geting a 5 gallon bucket with lid and putting maybe 4 or so gallons of the new ultra low sulfur diesel fuel in it. Wish I could find the #1 diesel instead of the slightly oiler and more viscous #2, but the #1 just isn't found here in the South. If it worked OK then I would use next time I need to fill my 35 gallon capacity parts washer.Kerosene is just about as expensive as mineral spirits, and about 3 times the price of diesel. Also considering buying one of those cheap Harbor Freight type washers to pre wash with diesel before using the big washer with the high dollar mineral spirits, or maybe vice versa? Just getting crowded in my shop already without another parts washer!
i just recently used some Purple Power to clean up some pistons and rods, it did a fine job. if i ever replace the stoddard solvent in my parts washer i will probably use that
I use 10 gallons of Purple Power in my HF washer. It cuts through the thickest of grease. I'm real happy with it. It's about $20 for 5 gallons at AutoZone. Smells good too!
I put the new #2 low sulphur Diesel in my washer a few years ago when it first came out. Very little smell, good cleaner and it seems to "settle" and is mostly clean every time I use it. It's a very light product, much less oilier than old #2. Frank
My concern about the Purple Power and other strong water based cleaners is that the main ingredient is a caustic, IIRC Sodium Hydroxide. I am concerned that it could cause corrosion in my parts washer, which is a big industrial unit,, forget the brand, but I remember looking it up in an industrial supply catalog and it's very expensive, don't want to screw it up! Rather use something a little oily and then spray down with Purple Power or similart, then hose off and blow dry than take that chance!
looking at a jug of Purple Power i see the ingredients are listed as: water, sodium silicate, edta , butoxyethanol , and surfactants i'm not a chemist ......what does that add up to?
Sounds like water-based "soap" solvent. Not too crazy about water-based solvents. At my work because of EPA/CARB requirements, we've switched to them. They work okay once heated. But if you let them sit too long, bacteria builds up and the solvent will smell like ass!
well , i guess it's just soap then..it did do a fine job for me when i tried it as i said before , i have stoddard solvent in my parts washer
Nitro is for racing Alcohol is for drinking Gasoline is for cleaning parts ! ! Isn't that how it goes ?
If you have smaller parts or a container with a snug lid, cover the part with rags or paper towel and let is sit. Soak it.
I just bought 5 gallons of solvent at the NAPA store retail $15.00 per gallon, sold it to me for $12.00 per gallon. The 5 gallon can was $60.00. It's good stuff, cleans very well, but expensive. Dave.
Mineral spirits, naphtha, Varsol, Solvasol, and stoddard solvent, Coleman fuel, and hardware store paint thinner are all different grades of the same basic product. A good grade cleans well and doesn't leave an oily residue. These solvents are flammable, but not dangerously volatile like gasoline of lacquer thinner. Health wise they are relatively safe to use. Considering effectiveness the price is not prohibitive. New school is water based cleaners.
I have used mineral spirits for years for cleaning parts and also for keeping my pinstripping brushes like brand new. I lay the brushes in a tupperware container about half full of mineral spirits and then snap the lid on. Some of my brushes are over 15 years old and just like new. Great product Jimbo
Ditto. It's not that expensive, can buy it at any home center and if put in a jug the dirt, etc will settle to the bottom and can pour off clear/clean OMS.
Some of the petroleum based solvents are very "dry" and really hard on your hands. Especially when the solvent was fresh. It used to be common practice at our shop to add a quart of oil or ATF to the new solvent when it was changed out. But I don't know if they still bother to do this with some of the newer solvent blends.
I've been using the purple power a lot have had about 15 gallons in my parts washer going on 2 years now still works great , settles well, still smells like the day I poured t in , use it about 3 days a week pretty solid , (and being biodegradable (with out the oils and greases)it makes great weed/ veg. killer around the fence posts I hear)
I used K1 kerosene in a pinch and was very satisifed. I was cleaning some really nasty parts and it turned all the kerosene black. After is sat a a couple of days everything settles out on the bottom. I'll then us a squeze type sypon pump and pump it back into a 5 gallon gas can and then clean the bottom of the parts washer tank. K1 kerosene at the hardwar store is high. There's severa gas stations and rental supplie shops around town that sell it. I picked it up for $4.17/gal a few weeks ago.
t's even cheaper if you buyt it in bulk from an industrial supplier rather than in hardwqare store quantities. It doesn't go bad. So long as the lid is tight it will be there waiting when you need it.