Homebrew parts cleaner solvent.

[workshoprat92]

Ok did a clean out of my wash tank and stoddard solvent has become way to expensive and can no lonver be bought in bulk in this area. Best I can find is 5 gal buckes for an astronomical price.

So heres the thought. Im gona just use plain old kerosene. I dont think it dissolves stuff as good as mineral spirits solvent but the price for the time being is much better. So I got to thinking what could I add to it to make it cut a little better. Things like gas and acetone are out for the obvious reasons! So setting there at my bench thinking about this and staring me right in the face is a bottle of lucas fuel injector cleaner and a light went on! Thinking maybee adding a botle of lucas or a can of sea foam might do the trick. I know when I treat my fuel with lucas you can really smell it in the fuel.

Whats your thoughts on this craziness?

 

[crane operator]

I just use diesel fuel in mine- dump a little from time to time when changing fuel filters. It cuts the grime/ oil and stuff off pretty good.

And it doesn't dry my hands out as bad as like acetone.

 

[DIYDAVE]

Varsol is what most of 'em use, some oil dealers should have it at a reasonable price, lessn the gubmint has banned it...

 

[thepumpguysc]

Be cautious when using "varsol" or mineral spirits.. They have a process where they are recycling it..
It doesn't work as good & STINKS to HI HEAVEN..
Just a warning if u think the price is TOO GOOD.. ASK>> if its recycled..

 

[fast_st]

So have a safetykleen portable parts washer and a home made unit I run diesel in both, The non portable one is a 5 gallon bucket beneath a kitchen sink, big spin on hydraulic filter and its powered with a small 110v sump pump that seems to hold up just fine, as least for the past few years. I did have to put a valve on the output to slow it down some, think its a 1/8 hp or something, takes a garden hose direct attach. The pump sits up on a wire mesh shelf about 1/4 of the way up in the bucket. The bucket has a plastic bag liner and there is about a gallon and a half of water in the bottom. I have a couple rare earth magnets suspended below the shelf and just above the water line to grab any fine metallics. The oil gets dirty after use but it seems, sitting for a week, it cleans itself out and all the gunk falls into the water. Cleaning is easy, pump off the oil, tip off the rest and toss the bag in the garbage.

 

[Nige]

I just use diesel fuel in mine- dump a little from time to time when changing fuel filters. It cuts the grime/oil and stuff off pretty good.

And it doesn't dry my hands out as bad as like acetone.

The guys I work with today first can't get used to my aversion of using gloves, and second their jaws just drop in disbelief when I dump my hands in a bucket of diesel to get the grease off. It worked for the two previous generations of my family, I can't see any reason why it still won't.........

 

[Jonas302]

It seems like the Lucas fuel cleaner would probably have something it it not so good for you plain #2 diesel works out ok though I dont use my parts washer much mostly simple things like de-greasing bearings

 

[workshoprat92]

Sounds like most of you guys favor diesel fuel. Is that beacuse of price over kerosene? I kinda like kero because it dosent leave as much of a greasy gilm like diesel that you still have to get off with brake cleaner or something that wont leave a grease film. Of course the dirtier it gets its gona leave grease film no matter what.

Scored this today. Should cut down on the need for hand scrubbing in a parts washer by a bunch. Hoping this will make my life much easier!

 

[Old Doug]

A jet cabnet like that would be great dosent it use a special soap? What kind of work do you do cant you charge your custermers for cleaning stuff? Nice trailer my buddys are useing old boat trailers to haul their portable tree stands.

 

[crane operator]

To get kerosene, I'd have to load up all my diesel jugs, find somewhere that I can even buy it, and drive there and back to fill up the parts washer. I've got a 500 gal diesel tank at the shop, and we are always changing out fuel filters - I just dump the filter fuel in the parts washer.

If I've got something small and really nasty/oily/greasy, I'll often just carry it over by the fuel tank, and splash a 1/2 gallon of diesel in a 5 gal bucket with the part and give it a good going over with a rag and a brush, just to keep the mess out of the parts cleaner.

I've also filled a weed sprayer with diesel and sprayed down a leaking 3rd member and frame area or a grease/ dirt covered cylinder and let it soak, before hitting it with a power washer. It really cuts through the 80-90 or grease, and then the power washer can get the rest, otherwise the power washer just likes to smear it around.

I'm like nige, I don't mind getting a little diesel on me, the wife however, is not enamored with my "cologne like" scent, that seems to waft around me at times.

I'd be interested to know how you get along with the cabinet. I've never used one, but I've talked with shops that have them.

 

[petepilot]

Sounds like most of you guys favor diesel fuel. Is that beacuse of price over kerosene? I kinda like kero because it dosent leave as much of a greasy gilm like diesel that you still have to get off with brake cleaner or something that wont leave a grease film. Of course the dirtier it gets its gona leave grease film no matter what.

Scored this today. Should cut down on the need for hand scrubbing in a parts washer by a bunch. Hoping this will make my life much easier!

that`ll work

 

[Tenwheeler]

To get kerosene, I'd have to load up all my diesel jugs, find somewhere that I can even buy it, and drive there and back to fill up the parts washer. I've got a 500 gal diesel tank at the shop, and we are always changing out fuel filters - I just dump the filter fuel in the parts washer.

If I've got something small and really nasty/oily/greasy, I'll often just carry it over by the fuel tank, and splash a 1/2 gallon of diesel in a 5 gal bucket with the part and give it a good going over with a rag and a brush, just to keep the mess out of the parts cleaner.

I've also filled a weed sprayer with diesel and sprayed down a leaking 3rd member and frame area or a grease/ dirt covered cylinder and let it soak, before hitting it with a power washer. It really cuts through the 80-90 or grease, and then the power washer can get the rest, otherwise the power washer just likes to smear it around.

I'm like nige, I don't mind getting a little diesel on me, the wife however, is not enamored with my "cologne like" scent, that seems to waft around me at times.

I'd be interested to know how you get along with the cabinet. I've never used one, but I've talked with shops that have them.

I have to drive 25 miles to buy K1. O Reileys has had a good price on solvent. We use it just for important stuff and tools.

 

[walkerv]

The spray cabinets are nice i worked at dealerships with them , i just scored a parts washer that is supposed to have 10 gallons of water in it then 20 gallons of solvent, i need to order some parts for it to make un cobble it from previous owner but the price was rite.ourfuel and oil supplier has a gas pump at the bulk fueling area that is marked virgin varsol so that will be my solvent choice as i am not found of smelling like diesel and my wife even less .

 

[workshoprat92]

A jet cabnet like that would be great dosent it use a special soap? What kind of work do you do cant you charge your custermers for cleaning stuff? Nice trailer my buddys are useing old boat trailers to haul their portable tree stands.

I do excavating and run dump trucks. There is always something broken and in need of fixing. Washing parts and washing equipment takes a huge part of my time! I am hoping with this jet washer I will gain some time to put to actually turning wrenches! I hired a guy last summer to wash trucks and equipment! He was out the door after I caught him standing on the hood fender to wash windows. How dumb do you gotta be to think that would be ok! The scratches are still on the fender where he spun around after steping up on the fender to get pointed the right way! It was all I could do to keep from ripping him off the hood and stomping him!
The boat trailer works great for small loads like that and is far cheaper to run than a pick up. One thing i would do different on a boat trailer conversion is to square the deck off on the front rather than have the boat shaped taper. The one thing I did right which has been great was put a tie down loop fir straps 1 every foot down the sides. They are little piecec for welding on fence poles to tie barbed wire to. They are cheap as can be like .16 apeice!

 

[workshoprat92]

To get kerosene, I'd have to load up all my diesel jugs, find somewhere that I can even buy it, and drive there and back to fill up the parts washer. I've got a 500 gal diesel tank at the shop, and we are always changing out fuel filters - I just dump the filter fuel in the parts washer.

If I've got something small and really nasty/oily/greasy, I'll often just carry it over by the fuel tank, and splash a 1/2 gallon of diesel in a 5 gal bucket with the part and give it a good going over with a rag and a brush, just to keep the mess out of the parts cleaner.

I've also filled a weed sprayer with diesel and sprayed down a leaking 3rd member and frame area or a grease/ dirt covered cylinder and let it soak, before hitting it with a power washer. It really cuts through the 80-90 or grease, and then the power washer can get the rest, otherwise the power washer just likes to smear it around.

I'm like nige, I don't mind getting a little diesel on me, the wife however, is not enamored with my "cologne like" scent, that seems to waft around me at times.

I'd be interested to know how you get along with the cabinet. I've never used one, but I've talked with shops that have them.

I usually buy kerosene at hoods. I know Danny's service station in town sells it also. I never did mind having my hands in it or the smell. Thats not even the issue. The only thing i never liked about stoddard solvent was how it dries my skin out. I hate wearing gloves and just feel like i cant do $hit with em on. Like i say my only beef with diesel is it leaves a oily film which you still need to rinse with something like brake cleaner. Nothing like brake cleaner fumes in the morning for a good contact high lol!

 

[workshoprat92]

The spray cabinets are nice i worked at dealerships with them , i just scored a parts washer that is supposed to have 10 gallons of water in it then 20 gallons of solvent, i need to order some parts for it to make un cobble it from previous owner but the price was rite.ourfuel and oil supplier has a gas pump at the bulk fueling area that is marked virgin varsol so that will be my solvent choice as i am not found of smelling like diesel and my wife even less .

Whats that virgin varsol cost per gallon? Never heard of it i wonder what it is

 

[workshoprat92]

I have to drive 25 miles to buy K1. O Reileys has had a good price on solvent. We use it just for important stuff and tools.

Whats a good price? I think its over $100 for five gallons. Thats just crazy to pay $20 a gallon when i used to be able to buy it bulk for under $5 a gallon!

 

[walkerv]

Whats that virgin varsol cost per gallon? Never heard of it i wonder what it is

Its mineral spirits varsol is a brand name , its expensive but boss man will be buying it, in just supplying the parts washer and i will have my own lock on the lid so no one can nasty it up , prumary use is gonna be for engine parts we have a crappy tank if people wanna wash of gross stuff, i bought 5 gallons at advance awhile ago with our discount it was 75 bucks

 

[workshoprat92]

As far as what soap or detegent to use in the washer cabinet im going to have to do somd reasearch. I know in my hotsy pressure washer i have tried all manner of expensive soaps and detergents all claiming to be the best and honestly none of them work any better or as good as just plain old regular tide laundy detergent! And its cheaper by a bunch! Thats probably what I will use!

 

[thepumpguysc]

I used a hot water cleaner like that for years.. its handy..
Servicing it was a PITA tho.. u gotta keep the nozzle jets clear. & watch that water level..
If the level gets to low, it exposes the heating element & starts to smoke..
There should be a catch basket in one of the corners for "big stuff" that gets knocked off..
..just keep the water level to the very bottom of that basket & you'll be ok..
The soap POWDER we used came in 55 gal. containers from ZEP.. it was actually floor cleaner & was measured in POUNDS to add to the washer.. something like 7 lbs on a fresh start-up..
Put the washer near a water hose.. or within reach of a hose.. cuz you'll be adding water often..
AND.. the parts that come out of it will burn the hide off of you.!!! You'll wanna cool them off before picking them up.. SERIOUSLY..
Good find..