Ignoramus25542 wrote:

This leadscrew proved exceptionally difficult to clean, in fact, I may
just take it off and use a powerwasher or take it to a hot shower. I
spent a lot of time cleaning it and it is still not as clean as it
should be.

One trick is to grind a small screwdriver or similar piece to match the
thread, and then run the lathe at low speed and hold the tool in the
groove. A keyed Acme screw is a little harder to clean this way, but it
definitely works. If swarf is packed totally hard in the screw, water
won't get it out, anyway, and that is likely part of the threading
trouble. If the screw is packed with rammed-in chips, the nuts will
be worse!

Jon