What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Best parts washer solvent?

Stein said:
Been watching this thread. My issue isn't smell, it's flammability as my shop is wood heated. Subscribed for future reference.
Click to expand...

Don't think you need to worry unless you're splash it around the wood heater while it's open? Citrol is flammable but it doesn't evaporate very rapidly like other petroleum based liquids. I doubt you would ever create enough vapor to cause a fire/explosion.
 
Yea - I wondered why the heck there's a huge FLAMMABLE warning on the bucket but I guess it burns if you're careless enough. I should try a sample on the floor with propane torch or something. But I'm not worried about it really, I can't see this stuff being a fire hazard to tell the truth.

As for thinning it out - I am almost even tempted to try this myself, but seriously with the milk containers acting as ballast in the tank It really is enough liquid to clean parts with no problem. I know it seems pricy - I agree. However, when you look at the cost of GOOD solvents like we started the thread with you're not very far off!

I've had it in the tank now for about a month, and it doesn't seem to be evaporating at all either with the lid closed.

Another thing I was concerned with was what will happen with the grease / oil / contaminants in the tank? Will they hold in suspension or will they just kinda fall to the bottom of the tank? I am glad to report that most of the stuff just falls nicely to the bottom of the tank and makes a sludge layer on the bottom.
 
Highpsi said:
Yea - I wondered why the heck there's a huge FLAMMABLE warning on the bucket but I guess it burns if you're careless enough. I should try a sample on the floor with propane torch or something. But I'm not worried about it really, I can't see this stuff being a fire hazard to tell the truth.

As for thinning it out - I am almost even tempted to try this myself, but seriously with the milk containers acting as ballast in the tank It really is enough liquid to clean parts with no problem. I know it seems pricy - I agree. However, when you look at the cost of GOOD solvents like we started the thread with you're not very far off!

I've had it in the tank now for about a month, and it doesn't seem to be evaporating at all either with the lid closed.

Another thing I was concerned with was what will happen with the grease / oil / contaminants in the tank? Will they hold in suspension or will they just kinda fall to the bottom of the tank? I am glad to report that most of the stuff just falls nicely to the bottom of the tank and makes a sludge layer on the bottom.
Click to expand...

We use it in my shop diluted to about 50/50 in a spray bottle for general cleaning and degreasing of machinery. I use it in my ultrasonic cleaner for small parts at about the same concentration.
You're right, most of the sediment falls out of suspension. I think I read also that you can filter it and keep re-using it.
 
That's good to know as well, the degreaser (water based) that I currently have it all floats on top and isn't nearly as easy to clean out.
 
Update #2 - watch out plastic!

Proceeded to pop open my parts washer the other day and found out that my big idea of putting the 1/2 gal. plastic containers in the fluid to raise the level was risky business.. The lid on one plastic container of harder material had distorted to the point the water and citrol were mixing. :doah:

I'm thinking I need to thin it some. Well, at least a couple liters of water now added for me! I'm thinking another gallon or so of water would be a good idea but I pulled all the remaining containers out of there before they started leaking. Upon closer inspection they were turning VERY pliable / mushy!

Another thing that's gone a bit wrong is it has locked up the cheap-o pump and swelled the hose from the pump. I don't know if the pump has a rubber impeller in it or something that the citrol clearly doesn't like.

Its also eating the paint off the inside of the parts washer. This part washer was brand new before I put the stuff in, just a cheap-o Tool Shop brand. I wish I'd just used a paint remover first on the inside and the large work surface tray. Paint seems to lift off in large pieces, but doesn't dissolve at least.

I think I might have to drain the tank into the original bucket and filter the citrol.

Summary? This stuff in un-thinned form is wicked. I guess it must be the citric acids or something? It sure does clean the daylights out of parts though. I've had incredible results with some aluminum pieces too - just squeaky clean after a rinse in water when done. Definitely don't leave plastics exposed to it for very long though. I'm sure it is very safe for the most part on anything short term, and just as soon as you hit it with water it washes up just great.
 
Wow. That sucks you're having the issues man. Very sorry to hear. But, a learning experience for all of us really, and it's doing all of us a favor too. This is why I like to share my experience's with things so people can learn something from me hopefully. So, Thank You :waytogo:. Now you've got me thinking about this subject more in depth, mainly because it has been a LOOONG time (years) since I've had my solvent, so it got me thinking about the powder coat itself and how it's held up for me over the years since I built my parts washer. The solvent, if it's lost cleaning strength due to age.

The parts washer I built and had powder coated has held up extreeeemly well. Granted my parts washer probably, (< I added "probably" to make ME feel better :doah:) gets used for a work bench a thousand times more then for parts cleaning, but it has gotten used and abused. I've not been protective of it being freshly powder coated and worrying scratching it up or the solvent degrading it in some way or even completely desolving it away to bare metal, not that I thought it would do that, but still.

Reason why I actually even say that is the store bought parts washer I sold to another member was a painted sink type unit, and the paint in the flat area at the bottom of the sink had desolved and scratching away from use to bare metal. I'm talking BARE. It would not rust while in the garage, closed, for months of non use, infact I don't think it ever rusted while kept inside. But left outside it would over time, a long time. But it would eventually start to rust of course.

I would just run the solvent for a few minutes and skotch brite skuff it a little and it would be good not to rust up for a hella long time. So, as I mentioned, if it desolved away to bare metal, it's totally fine with me. And I'd bet Jess is still using that washer to this day.

But I figured powder coat would hold up well but really didn't know how well it was going to hold up to this particular solvent since I'd never used it before. On a scale from 1 to 10, I give PC a 10. You can't expect any plastic coating to hold up to harsh solvent and not have some degradation. But I'd say powder coat, for a affordable coating is as good as your going to get period. Does it hold up to long soaking time? YES. I've left solvent sitting it the bottom for months. Wipe it away and it's no different then any other part of the unit.

Infact I think it keeps PC from getting "dry", or chalky like PC can thats been out in the sun for a long time. Thats usually when it's a thin poor quality job. I spicifically requested a thick coating, which I got, and am very satisfied with. The guy said he would make sure the blasting was a very good job for this thing since it's going to have solvent in it so the PC would be the best bond possible. I use a quality powder coater and they did a great job.

I purchased all the hardware and all the stuff to build my parts washer from McMaster Carr, less tubing for the frame. Pump starts like a swiss clock even after many months of non use. I've had zero leaks and have moved this big behemoth multiple times. Only issue is the tank lid wasn't a sealable type lid so it's sloshing when being moved has spilled solvent and I've had a minor mess to clean up. I need a new tank that the lid seals and bolts tight and has a one way vent or something. I should build myown stainless tank to better fitting dimensions for space savings. Great! another freakin project I want/need to do :doah:. They're NEVER ending... lol!

The plastic lid now has been warped for years, so the sloshing will spill a little worse, but I have no need to move it for a long time so until I can afford to replace it or fab a custom, this tank will keep working. Solvent still seems to clean the worst caked on years of grime and leaky oil and grease with ease, no difference I can tell honestly. If it's burnt on type crud it takes some soaking. I usually let things soak anyways. Just makes things (MY life lol!) easier.

The odor of this solvent has never been bad to me. It's solvent, but still, not bad. My washer cost a fortune to build and for a home use type thing it is WAAAAY too expensive. But I built exactly what I wanted so the cost was not an issue. Now it's working as a great work bench while still being able to be used anytime needed. Only temporary items are set on it. If I had it to do all over again, the only thing I would do odfferent, would be maybe start with a square fuel tank so the bottom of the tank would be flat instead of round, but mine has a lot of structure since it is a round tank I cut in half to use. I would go deeper too. An axle fits but I can't close the lids cause it hits the center section of the axle. I can close one lid if I slide an axle to one end.

I would use the same solvent too, it's not left me feeling unsatisfied that it took too long to clean or whatever. Sometimes it just takes elbow grease and hard wark to get something grimey and greasey clean. No issue, never been afraid of hard work. :waytogo:. Also, I have fairly sensitive skin to all kinds of things. I do ware gloves but have this solvent on my hands without too much issue. It is super drying on the skin though and will start to sting and tingle after a short time of having it on my skin, and will rash my softer underarm skin easily. I just ware long gloved when cleaning.
 
rdn2blazer said:
Wow. That sucks you're having the issues man. Very sorry to hear. But, a learning experience for all of us really, and it's doing all of us a favor too. This is why I like to share my experience's with things so people can learn something from me hopefully. So, Thank You :waytogo:. Now you've got me thinking about this subject more in depth, mainly because it has been a LOOONG time (years) since I've had my solvent, so it got me thinking about the powder coat itself and how it's held up for me over the years since I built my parts washer. The solvent, if it's lost cleaning strength due to age.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the comments, you're welcome! This is probably one of the first posts I've had that I've actually been able to contribute something here. If I can just give back %1 of all the help I've gotten from the brotherhood, I'd be happy.. The Citrol might not be for everyone, but I'd bet there is a lot of guys out there needing something non toxic in an attached garage. That was a big deal to me with this solution once I started thinking about the basic needs for this cleaner. :deal:

I darn near went with a product like what we'd started this thread with and you recommended but I think once I started thinking about a non-toxic product that was suggested like the Citrol it became a better fit.

Sounds like you have a beast of a parts washer! Now you know what's coming next - we need pics of that thing! Holy sheeeot, you can fit a freaking axle in it?? :eek1:

I'd totally agree that powdercoat is superior in almost all ways to paint. Aside from touch up, I can't think of many applications for heavy duty / abrasion resistance that it can be beat. I'd bet that even chemical resistance is much better. Kinda cooncidental that we're talking about it being that I have both my axles that are awaiting install over at a local powdercoating facility getting them and several other driveline components done. The place is called Crystal Finishing


I wonder if you'd notice a difference in new solvent vs. your old stuff if you filtered it and removed any gunk? I wonder if it breaks down over time and changes chemical qualities (i.e. fuel to varnish etc...)?? In the long run if I do ever have the means to build my own stand alone shop, you've given me a good idea now to build my own part washer instead of some cheap piece of junk or worse yet spending an outrageous amount on a big name piece that I could just make better for myself!
 
Oh man, that thing is the parts washer KING! Holy crap you must have to have like 15 gallons of fluid bare minimum to keep the sump full? Talk about bells and whistles! Totally awesome - as usual from you!

I noticed you have yours on casters too. I did the same thing with mine and it is a fantastic little mod. Most of the time mine doubles as a little table as well and with it being mobile it sure is handy.
 
Thank you kind sir for the kind words :waytogo:. Definaltey one of the projects I'm proud of that I actually finished. Was a hell of a lot of work, but since it's been done I have been stoked with it and it's been well worth it. THAT'S the main reason why building something yourself with your own two hands is sooo gratifying.

Of course it never fails though. When you REALLY NEED to use it to clean a part and you haven't used it in forever, it's completely piled full of crap you HAVE to now move :doah: :haha:. Like a swiss precision clock everytime lol!

BUT!!! I have to say I got mine fully cleaned off completely just last night, and took pictures of it sitting all clean and pretty. It IS my main work bench for the mill right now. But I want to be able to use it to clean things if necessary so it HAS to remain clean. Thats going to be the difficult part.

And this bench is only for setting stuff and light work not beating on it with a BFH. I have other tables and anvils for that type work. I'm a big kid so I love stickers. Racing, parts manufacturer stickers, whatever. So I started stickering the lid top surface's up and was going to use lexan to keep the top visible yet clean, and ever make some type of seal for the Lexan so fluids if spilled would not seep between the Lexan and lid surface.

Right now I have really quality rubber walkway matting cut to fit the shape of the two lids and just layed on them, but they can just be pulled actually rolled right up and removed easily if necessary. I line all my tool box drawers with the same rubber. I want to be able to put some heavy items on this bench if necessary so I'm going to eventually be either having a buddy build me two butcher block tops for both lids since he has a poop load of oak he works with and is always saying I have plenty if ya need anything, or a sheet of thick quality plywood with a stainless sheet say about 11 or 12ga thick as a top surface. I'll just flat head screw the SS sheet down to the plywood.

A butcher block top wolud match the one on one of my Snappy boxes though :thinking:.
 
rdn2blazer said:
BUT!!! I have to say I got mine fully cleaned off completely just last night, and took pictures of it sitting all clean and pretty. It IS my main work bench for the mill right now. But I want to be able to use it to clean things if necessary so it HAS to remain clean. Thats going to be the difficult part.
Click to expand...

Are you going to start a new post to show updated photos or just update the old post? :dunno: (Didn't see any new pics in there, I just checked)

I love the "covered in stickers" look too. My 60 gal compressor is LOADED with stickers head to toe!
 
Actually I'll be updating my "machine shop" thread soon. Been organizing and moving a crap ton of things for months. Should have it almost completed this weekend hopefully.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom