Guys, I'm looking for suggestions for cleaning my lathe and mill without having
to diassemble it. I need to get rid of the accumalated gunk and swarf that
loves to cover the bottom of the chip pan and all the little nooks and
crannies. I've done spots with brake cleaner and it does a decent job but I
still have a lot of ares that I do not want to get brake cleaner in to go. What
kind of solvent/cleaner do ya'll use and how often. I go through this a couple
of times a year when they get so nasty that I am ashamed for anyone to walk in
and see them. Been turning a lot of poly and find that I am getting too many
oily fingerprints on my turn parts! Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Purple power sold at Wal-Mart and many auto parts works wonders. Be careful
it will eat some painted surfaces. I used it one time on an old snow blower
with lots of grease and layers of paint. It worked so good it removed all
the grease and all the extra paint and left the original paint, can't see
way anyone repainted it.

"GMasterman" wrote in message
...
Guys, I'm looking for suggestions for cleaning my lathe and mill without
having
to diassemble it. I need to get rid of the accumalated gunk and swarf that
loves to cover the bottom of the chip pan and all the little nooks and
crannies. I've done spots with brake cleaner and it does a decent job but
I
still have a lot of ares that I do not want to get brake cleaner in to go.
What
kind of solvent/cleaner do ya'll use and how often. I go through this a
couple
of times a year when they get so nasty that I am ashamed for anyone to
walk in
and see them. Been turning a lot of poly and find that I am getting too
many
oily fingerprints on my turn parts! Thanks in advance for any suggestions!


DO NOT USE ANY WATER BASED CLEANERS! You don't really want the problems
they have the potential to provide.

There is nothing on the market that will serve you better than using either
Stoddard solvent or mineral spirits (paint thinner). Each of them will
clean all the hydrocarbons from the machine and leave nothing behind, and
won't effect the paint on your machines. You can use a paint brush to
apply the solvent, and allow the machine to drip dry when finished. Use a
generous amount of Oil-Dri (kitty-litter)around the machine to absorb
spills. Be sure to ventilate the room, too.

You can buy Stoddard solvent from most oil distributors. They carry it in
bulk and will gladly fill your 5 gallon container, at least where I've come
from. I highly recommend against using kerosene, diesel fuel and other
oils, none of which are SOLVENTS, in spite of their ability to dissolve
other oils. They do not dry clean the way solvents do. I have high hopes
you're not one of the fools that chooses to clean with gasoline.

Harold

Harold & Susan Vordos writes:

You can buy Stoddard solvent from most oil distributors. They carry
it in bulk and will gladly fill your 5 gallon container, at least
where I've come from. I highly recommend against using kerosene,
diesel fuel and other oils, none of which are SOLVENTS, in spite of
their ability to dissolve other oils. They do not dry clean the way
solvents do. I have high hopes you're not one of the fools that
chooses to clean with gasoline.

What's foolish about gasoline vs the other light hydrocarbons you are
advocating?

Thanks! No gas for cleaning for me. I may not be all that smart but I am smart
enough not to use gas for anything but fuel in my vehicles

SOLVENTS work good but WILL enjoy some paint. The biggest problem I have is
most solvents, kerosene, or others is the smell and fire concerns. I have
used mont of them, either way you need to remove your cleaner, I have found
some of the strong non petro cleaners work excellent and as long sa you
clean up what you have done you will have no problems.

"Richard J Kinch" wrote in message
. ..
Harold & Susan Vordos writes:

You can buy Stoddard solvent from most oil distributors. They carry
it in bulk and will gladly fill your 5 gallon container, at least
where I've come from. I highly recommend against using kerosene,
diesel fuel and other oils, none of which are SOLVENTS, in spite of
their ability to dissolve other oils. They do not dry clean the way
solvents do. I have high hopes you're not one of the fools that
chooses to clean with gasoline.

What's foolish about gasoline vs the other light hydrocarbons you are
advocating?

I'll assume you're jerking my chain here. Surely, you jest!

Harold

In article , Harold & Susan Vordos says...

What's foolish about gasoline vs the other light hydrocarbons you are
advocating?

I'll assume you're jerking my chain here. Surely, you jest!

Just look at the flash point and mw for each of them.
Actually IIRC stoddard solvent and kerosene are nearly
indistinguishable in both of those.

The actual ingredient in wd40 is stoddard solvent.

Jim

==================================================
please reply to:
JRR(zero) at yktvmv (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com
==================================================

On 07 Apr 2004 22:06:19 GMT, (GMasterman) shouted
from the rooftop:

Guys, I'm looking for suggestions for cleaning my lathe and mill without having
to diassemble it. I need to get rid of the accumalated gunk and swarf that
loves to cover the bottom of the chip pan and all the little nooks and
crannies. I've done spots with brake cleaner and it does a decent job but I
still have a lot of ares that I do not want to get brake cleaner in to go. What
kind of solvent/cleaner do ya'll use and how often. I go through this a couple
of times a year when they get so nasty that I am ashamed for anyone to walk in
and see them. Been turning a lot of poly and find that I am getting too many
oily fingerprints on my turn parts! Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Liquid Tide will cut grease like crazy- works a treat on engine parts
(the cleaner of choice at some race shops) and it won't attack paint.

-Carl
"An honest man doesn't need a long memory"- Jesse Ventura

Harold & Susan Vordos writes:

I have high hopes you're not one of the fools that
chooses to clean with gasoline.

What's foolish about gasoline vs the other light hydrocarbons you are
advocating?

I'll assume you're jerking my chain here. Surely, you jest!

No, I'm not.

Flash point? I use a lot of VM&P naphtha for cleaning, that is what it is
sold for. Very similar to gasoline.

I would use the much cheaper gasoline, except for the unknown (and known)
non-hydrocarbon additives that may be unhealthy. At least the lead isn't
in there any more. Coleman sez you can burn it in their stoves.

jim rozen writes:

Just look at the flash point and mw for each of them.

Offhand, do you know the flash points for gasoline, vs VM&P naphtha,
soddard solvent, mineral spirits?

"Richard J Kinch" wrote in message
. ..
Harold & Susan Vordos writes:

I have high hopes you're not one of the fools that
chooses to clean with gasoline.

What's foolish about gasoline vs the other light hydrocarbons you are
advocating?

I'll assume you're jerking my chain here. Surely, you jest!

No, I'm not.

Flash point? I use a lot of VM&P naphtha for cleaning, that is what it is
sold for. Very similar to gasoline.

Yes, very similar. But that point is very similar, not identical. Flash
point of gasoline is -45 degrees F. Gasoline also evaporates very quickly,
creating an explosive atmosphere readily. Explosive limits 1.3/6.0

Flash point of Stoddard Solvent is 100/110 degrees F.

Petroleum benzin, naphtha, has a flash point of -40 degrees F.

Mineral spirits (Ligroin), which encompass a wide variety of solvents,
including VM&P Naphtha, have a flash point between the two, so they are
safer to some degree than gasoline. You may be using VM&P with success,
but your risks are higher than if you used Stoddard, and I'm not convinced
you benefit in any way with the VM&P. Stoddard dries completely, just as
VM&P does.

Personally, I'm not too interested in dying by fire, nor watching my house
or shop burn to the ground. I use the safest product available that is
suited to the job. Your call.

I would use the much cheaper gasoline, except for the unknown (and known)
non-hydrocarbon additives that may be unhealthy. At least the lead isn't
in there any more. Coleman sez you can burn it in their stoves.

Of course they do. Coleman fuel is white gas. Lead free gasoline typically
has additives to promote the application to better suite its use as an
internal combustion fuel, so there may be things in unleaded gas that would
provide no service for use in a stove, but don't prevent its use there.

Harold

On 07 Apr 2004 22:06:19 GMT, (GMasterman) wrote:

Guys, I'm looking for suggestions for cleaning my lathe and mill without having
to diassemble it. I need to get rid of the accumalated gunk and swarf that
loves to cover the bottom of the chip pan and all the little nooks and
crannies. I've done spots with brake cleaner and it does a decent job but I
still have a lot of ares that I do not want to get brake cleaner in to go. What
kind of solvent/cleaner do ya'll use and how often. I go through this a couple
of times a year when they get so nasty that I am ashamed for anyone to walk in
and see them. Been turning a lot of poly and find that I am getting too many
oily fingerprints on my turn parts! Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Local 99c store sells spray cans of engine degreaser. Works fine for me.
Though like most cleaners, may tend to fade paint a bit in places.

Simple Green is pretty good stuff also.

Gunner

"rm -rf /bin/laden

Bush = Root"

Once you get the chip pan clean, put a layer of kitty litter in it. when it
gets too dirty, suck it out with the shop vac and replace it. It will hold a
huge amount of oil and solvents. The chip pan surface will stay clean.

Randy


"GMasterman" wrote in message
...
Guys, I'm looking for suggestions for cleaning my lathe and mill without
having
to diassemble it. I need to get rid of the accumalated gunk and swarf that
loves to cover the bottom of the chip pan and all the little nooks and
crannies. I've done spots with brake cleaner and it does a decent job but
I
still have a lot of ares that I do not want to get brake cleaner in to go.
What
kind of solvent/cleaner do ya'll use and how often. I go through this a
couple
of times a year when they get so nasty that I am ashamed for anyone to
walk in
and see them. Been turning a lot of poly and find that I am getting too
many
oily fingerprints on my turn parts! Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Harold & Susan Vordos wrote:

DO NOT USE ANY WATER BASED CLEANERS! You don't really want the problems
they have the potential to provide.

I would agree with the "WATER BASED CLEANERS" but I have used Kool-Mist
cutting fluid/coolant diluted 1:5 with water on my Smithy since I got it
in ~'92. I apply it with a *large* hypodermic with a blunted needle.
When I get an unpleasant accumulation of gunge on/around the machine, I
clean it up with a rag dampened with the same stuff. It seems to be an
excellent solvent for itself, there is no danger from fumes and it has a
very effective corosion inhibitor - nary a rust spot anywhere on or
around my machines. Oh, and cheap like borscht - I'm still working on
the gallon of concentrate I bought with the machine.

Ted

In article ,
Ted Edwards wrote:

Oh, and cheap like borscht - I'm still working on
the gallon of concentrate I bought with the machine.

I can see the effects of slight mis-readings of this post in my mind's
eye, and it's quite a picture - machines whirling away in puddles of
viscous red... "yeah, some guy on the newsgroups said he used borscht
for cutting fluid"

--
Cats, Coffee, Chocolate...vices to live by

I have read all this thread with interest and no one has talked about any
environmental issues. Solvents, all of them, create a disposal issue that
can be very expensive and criminal when not observed. This is especially
true in Europe. Additionally, solvent fumes can also be a problem, both as a
fire hazard as well as a health risk. I have found a solution which works
very well for me. I buy an industrial strength cleaner, similar to the old
"409", but a hundred times stronger. It is used to clean large truck
taupalins and cargo covers. It is only available by the barrel. I put it in
a spray bottle and use a chip brush with shortened bristles, scrub in
circles and wipe away with a paper towel. This does not harm any paint that
I have encountered. It will easily dissolve 30 year old dry oil varnish,
something that most solvents won't even budge. Once done properly, I
directly spray a paper towel and wipe down the machines once a week very
quickly. No muss, no fuss!
Steve

"GMasterman" wrote in message
...
Guys, I'm looking for suggestions for cleaning my lathe and mill without
having
to diassemble it. I need to get rid of the accumalated gunk and swarf that
loves to cover the bottom of the chip pan and all the little nooks and
crannies. I've done spots with brake cleaner and it does a decent job but
I
still have a lot of ares that I do not want to get brake cleaner in to go.
What
kind of solvent/cleaner do ya'll use and how often. I go through this a
couple
of times a year when they get so nasty that I am ashamed for anyone to
walk in
and see them. Been turning a lot of poly and find that I am getting too
many
oily fingerprints on my turn parts! Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

"Ted Edwards" wrote in message
...
cutting fluid/coolant diluted 1:5 with water on my Smithy since I got it
in ~'92.

At work we spend 30min each day cleaning every machine down. This includes
all surfaces (painted, ground, etc.). The only cleaner we use is coolant
(the same stuff we use to cut metal). It takes the crap off the machines
quickly and there are no issues with hazardous fumes. Cheap too.

Regards,

Robin

As I posted above the cleaners I use (purple power or other deagreasers)
work fine and don't cause rust if properly cleaned. In the past I used
solvents most of the time now I only use them once in a while. My shop is in
my basement no way am I going to spray a fire hazard around.

On 07 Apr 2004 22:06:19 GMT, (GMasterman) wrote:

Guys, I'm looking for suggestions for cleaning my lathe and mill without having
to diassemble it. I need to get rid of the accumalated gunk and swarf that
loves to cover the bottom of the chip pan and all the little nooks and
crannies. I've done spots with brake cleaner and it does a decent job but I
still have a lot of ares that I do not want to get brake cleaner in to go. What
kind of solvent/cleaner do ya'll use and how often. I go through this a couple
of times a year when they get so nasty that I am ashamed for anyone to walk in
and see them. Been turning a lot of poly and find that I am getting too many
oily fingerprints on my turn parts! Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

The one thing that none of the others seems to have said yet is; before you
start with the solvents, use a bloody great shop vac and a stiff brush to
remove as much swarf and crud as possible. It's easier on the hands and rags,
and uses less solvent.


Mark Rand
RTFM

On Thu, 8 Apr 2004 21:21:52 +0200, "Steve Lusardi"
shouted from the rooftop:

I have read all this thread with interest and no one has talked about any
environmental issues. Solvents, all of them, create a disposal issue that
can be very expensive and criminal when not observed.

Must be Liquid Tide isn't available in Europe. It's a water based
laundry detergent.

-Carl
"An honest man doesn't need a long memory"- Jesse Ventura

"Wayne" makowicki wrote in message
...
As I posted above the cleaners I use (purple power or other deagreasers)
work fine and don't cause rust if properly cleaned. In the past I used
solvents most of the time now I only use them once in a while. My shop is
in
my basement no way am I going to spray a fire hazard around.

The only reason I suggest to not use water based cleaners is the rust
problem. If you're spritzing the surface with a spray bottle and wiping
things down, rusting is not a serious consideration. I've done that as
long as I've owned machines. The place you get in trouble is when you
flood wash a machine with a water based cleaner. It gets everywhere, and
replaces lubrication with water. If you don't remove all the cleaner, and
your machines are run intermittently, you're asking for problems. All
depends on how well you get the machine dry, and how deeply you are getting
the cleaner.

Washing a machine down with coolant is a different matter. It has corrosion
controlling additives which prevent the same kind of damage. Washing a
precision grinder down with coolant was routine where I was trained, and
I've always done the same thing on my lathe when running the coolant.
Works great, with the only problem being that the coolant is rather
aggressive, eating away the paint slowly.

Assuming you do want to use a hydrocarbon for cleaning, there's nothing that
works as well as Stoddard solvent. Aside from having to put up with the
smell, it's really quite safe to use. The best part is it doesn't do any
damage to precision surfaces, a guarantee you can't get when using water
based cleaners.

Harold

Gene Kearns writes:

Any clue what this miracle stuff is? Trade names? International
availability?

The water-based degreasers are weak solutions of butyl cleaner (various
names for it: 2-butoxyethanol, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, butyl
cellosolve), which is the same surfactant ingredient in 409 or Fantastik.

The "industrial strength" versions simply add a little lye (sodium
hydroxide), which is why they melt off hardened grease and dried oils.
Including defatting your skin, if you contact it more than a little.

Cheapest common retail source is to buy the Zep industrial (purple) cleaner
at Home Depot, and dilute it to whatever strength you need.

Guys can be as superstitious and ignorant as washerwomen when it comes to
cleaning products. Learn to find and interpret MSDS's and you'll discover
how these high-priced (but heavily advertised) cleaners work, and are made
from stuff as cheap as dirt. Also see the article on "detergency" in the
Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, all the mysteries and
ingredients are explained.

"Randal O'Brian"
Once you get the chip pan clean, put a layer of kitty litter in it.

If I did that the cat would find it and crap in it. No thanks. If I leave a
pile of sawdust on the floor under the table saw the cat will find it and
crap in it and thank me for the fresh cat box.
Tom, with a cat in my lap.

Gene,
This is difficult,because the label is in Dutch. I buy this stuff from an
Industrial Supply house in Maasbracht, NL. I know that he gets the stuff
from Switzerland. It is labeled as "Industieontvetter. Vlug.
Millieuvriendelijk . Veilig" My limited Dutch translates that to be a
industrial degreaser that is safe for everything. It is sold by :
G/H Reinigings Techniek
Ankerkade 153
6222 NL Maastricht
Tel +31 43 3634289
Import/Export Groothandel
If you like, I can do some investigation to find out if it is imported to
the States and under what brand name it is sold. Contact me directly if you
are interested. I can assure you that I have never found anything like this
before. I recently picked up an 18 x 54 Lodge and Shiply lathe and it was
covered in this oil coolant varnish. It was very thick in many places.
Nothing budged it until I used this stuff. I used something less than a 1/2
gallon and the original grey paint appeared with the original gloss.
Steve

"Gene Kearns" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 8 Apr 2004 21:21:52 +0200, "Steve Lusardi"
wrote:

I have read all this thread with interest and no one has talked about any
environmental issues. Solvents, all of them, create a disposal issue that
can be very expensive and criminal when not observed. This is especially
true in Europe. Additionally, solvent fumes can also be a problem, both
as a
fire hazard as well as a health risk. I have found a solution which works
very well for me. I buy an industrial strength cleaner, similar to the
old
"409", but a hundred times stronger. It is used to clean large truck
taupalins and cargo covers. It is only available by the barrel. I put it
in
a spray bottle and use a chip brush with shortened bristles, scrub in
circles and wipe away with a paper towel. This does not harm any paint
that
I have encountered. It will easily dissolve 30 year old dry oil varnish,
something that most solvents won't even budge. Once done properly, I
directly spray a paper towel and wipe down the machines once a week very
quickly. No muss, no fuss!
Steve


Any clue what this miracle stuff is? Trade names? International
availability?

Ecnerwal wrote:

I can see the effects of slight mis-readings of this post in my mind's
eye, and it's quite a picture - machines whirling away in puddles of
viscous red... "yeah, some guy on the newsgroups said he used borscht
for cutting fluid"

Hmmmmm. Now there's a thought. I've seen recomendations for milk,
orange juice (sorta), anti-freeze,... Why not borsht? Anybody tried
beer? ;-)

Ted

Well, don't keep us in suspense ! Tell us what the solvent is,
already....
On Thu, 8 Apr 2004 21:21:52 +0200, "Steve Lusardi"
wrote:

I have read all this thread with interest and no one has talked about any
environmental issues. Solvents, all of them, create a disposal issue that
can be very expensive and criminal when not observed. This is especially
true in Europe. Additionally, solvent fumes can also be a problem, both as a
fire hazard as well as a health risk. I have found a solution which works
very well for me. I buy an industrial strength cleaner, similar to the old
"409", but a hundred times stronger. It is used to clean large truck
taupalins and cargo covers. It is only available by the barrel. I put it in
a spray bottle and use a chip brush with shortened bristles, scrub in
circles and wipe away with a paper towel. This does not harm any paint that
I have encountered. It will easily dissolve 30 year old dry oil varnish,
something that most solvents won't even budge. Once done properly, I
directly spray a paper towel and wipe down the machines once a week very
quickly. No muss, no fuss!
Steve