Best degreaser for new machine?

What's everyone using these days? Mineral Spirits? Have a few new machines and need to dig in and get them setup soon.

Reply to
SonomaProducts.com
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I would go with kerosene. It cleans the gunk without leaving it completely bare to the air.

Reply to
Gerald Ross

I would rather use WD-40. With it you do not have to put a protective coating on (I live in the South where a dry day is 65% humidity) the bare metal.

Deb

Reply to
Dr. Deb

--------------------------- Kerosene, if you can find it in Northern California.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

No kidding. I can only find it in the outdoor stores in the Houston area, and it is priced like liquid gold. I use it as a cleaner, plus I soak my ramrods in it for my muzzleloaders.

You can also dab some on a tick and he'll let go of you before he dies. Good stuff and does a good job on adhesive stickers and price stickers

Roy

Reply to
Roy

Ah, a better "goo gone".

Reply to
Doug Winterburn

The little, non 'Ace', non 'Truevalue', hardware store in my NY town sells it. I bought 5 gallons there last year. Maybe Kalifornia has banned the sale because it thinks it causes cancer when drunk.

Reply to
willshak

Kerosene is widely and legally available in California; even at home depot.

scott

Reply to
Scott Lurndal

BUT! I betcha if you use it in California you might get cancer. ;~0

Reply to
Leon

For a bigger machine, you might consider your neighborhood carwash. The detergent and hot water should cut most of the cosmoline.

Reply to
HeyBub

On a more serious note, naphtha works very well, and doesn't leave an oily residue the way mineral spirits will.

Reply to
Doug Miller

No kidding. I can only find it in the outdoor stores in the Houston area, and it is priced like liquid gold. I use it as a cleaner, plus I soak my ramrods in it for my muzzleloaders.

You can also dab some on a tick and he'll let go of you before he dies. Good stuff and does a good job on adhesive stickers and price stickers

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Lamp oil or diesel fuel. Even in the PRC (Peoples Republic of California), you should be able to get one of these.

Reply to
CW

Degreasing starts with removing loose goo, and for that I like to scrape with wood wedges. Then you can use any solvent you like, like oil or kerosene on a rag, and get off any non-polymerized greasy residues. A brush (parts cleaning brush from auto store) helps, too. The gunky stuff, like boiled linseed oil, comes off with paint remover or TSP. Or maybe steam cleaning, if you can get the equipment.

I like to do a final wipe with waterless hand cleaner, myself, because it's bio-friendly, and washes up with water. Goo Gone, turpentine, and Formula 409 have their place. For real clean, though, like for a plating shop, there are ultrasonic cleaners and low-residue things like methylene chloride in Freon (used to be 'Freon TMC') that you can try.

Mostly, though, machine tools get re-greased more often than de-greased.

Reply to
whit3rd

Overpriced xylene. Buy the generic solvent. A quart will last years.

Reply to
Father Haskell

Recommended cleaner for bike chains. Leaves a thin film of lube, with minimal drag and less chance of staining your pant leg than oil.

Reply to
Father Haskell

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