Parts Washer Help

[BigHoss]

I am looking for "recipes" for my shop's latest addition...my part's washer. (AKA: parts cleaner, cleaning tank, sink, etc.!)

I have just acquired (stole for $30 off Craigslist

) a nice, older model (1988) 20 gallon parts washer on a stand (need 3-5 gallons of cleaning solution), with new pump and toggle switch...It was filthy but cleaned up very nice! I can't seem to decide what to put in it, exactly.

I will be using this to clean everything gun related...except for wood. The parts may be painted, blued, stainless, aluminum, chromed, or finished in the many other ways possible. So, this is important to note.

I've thought about "BROWNELLS - D'SOLVE® GUNSMITH CLEANER" but this is water based...I don't want to risk future rusting for my customer's guns...thoughts?

Due to several factors...and despite it's name, I can't use "BROWNELLS - TANK SOLVENT"...and it costs too much $!...thoughts?

I thought about "ED'S RED"...great product, easy to make...affordable...but being that it is a "BORE CLEANER"...I don't feel it's safe for what I intend to do. (Mixture of Automatic Transmission Fluid, Mineral Spirits and Kerosene as it's "base" + optional Lanolin and Acetone.)...thoughts?

I talked to my mentor...a gunsmith of 45 years. He uses Paint Thinner (which we know is made with Mineral Spirits) and HOPPE'S No. 9...mixed to his satisfaction. He has always used this...mainly due to cost...thoughts?

So, if you had to vote...what would you choose? Do you know of something else, inexpensive and does a good job? Recipe? Other suggestions? Please!

Thanks!

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

I've heard of shops using both transmission fluid as well as gasoline. But that's for mechanic shops. I don't know how either would work on guns. Either way, just make sure you wear your nice, long leather gloves that go up to about mid-forearm as well as apron, face shield, and safety glasses.

 

[ray22]

It's hard to beat www.safety-kleen.com for their cleaning solutions. I've been using one of their parts washers for years. Texas based company with outstanding customer service. Just my opinion.


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[hardcase60]

Zep makes a laundry list of parts washing products.

Don't know about cost but this company has been around for a while.

Food Processing

NOTE: Pay no attention to the link name, it does take you to the Parts Washing portion of their web site. Trust me.......

hardcase60

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

Safety-Kleen is AWESOME. Great company. Zep is probably right on par with them.

 

[LJH]

Go with the Ed's Red. It works well for cleaning and wont mess anything up. ATF is pretty good as a cleaner by itself. Most all "cleaning" solutions you can buy are nothing more than a mixture of common items.

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

It's my personal opinion, that most of the red cleaners you come across are basically ATF, but just slightly tweaked. But I haven't been able to prove this, so that's why I say it's just my opinion for now. I do know that ATF is good to run through injectors on occasion as well as air tools.

 

[BigHoss]

Thanks guys...keep the input coming!

In "Ed's Red" ~ Bore Cleaner...the Kerosene is what "bothers" me. I know his stuff is tested, he created the "recipe" many years ago and it has been tweaked over the years. But, I see it is a bore "only" cleaner...a little nervous to use it in a parts washer...thoughts?

 

[shortround]

WD-40 first ... followed up with CLP.

But not in a parts washer!

Otherwise, Safety-Kleen for the parts washer, followed up with WD-40 & CLP.

Let parts rest for 48 hours, then wipe down with Hoppe's #9.

 

[grasshopperglock]

Brownells would sell their mother to make a buck.

I use Mineral spirits. Diesel works good too. If I have to strip them. I get a industrial degreaser from lowes. Then follow up with WD40 if I don't work on it right away.

Remington 40x bore cleaner. Works better then anything Ive tried. It even gets the carbon off the AR bolt.

But if you just have to have some kind of cleaning tank. Hit harbor Frieght up for an ultrasonic cleaner. Good God....those things will clean out crap, out of areas you never knew were there.

 

[winchster]

Just a question, what's wrong with naphtha?

 

[M. Sage]

Water-based is awesome, especially if you heat it. I've been using the stuff for years on everything from suspension to engine and transmission guts and rusting is only a problem if you're careless. To this day, I clean my guns and gun parts in water in an ultrasonic cleaner, with no rust issues. You just have to take a little care in drying (which hot water helps with - it just evaporates) and apply oil if you think it's something likely to rust, which you probably should anyway, because some of the water-based cleaners can do a very good job of degreasing.

I can't remember where we got the stuff, but there's a special soap for this kind of stuff that works great.

 

[grasshopperglock]

Just a question, what's wrong with naphtha?

Works too good and it's cheaper then what Brownells sells. So it's OUT. Don't bring it up again.

 

[Texasjack]

Parts washers are designed to use low volatility hydrocarbons. Stuff like this PSC 1000. If you pull up the MSDS for it, you'll see that it's aliphatic naphtha, meaning that it has no listed hazardous air pollutants and it doesn't evaporate easily. Without a lot of vapors, it also is a very low fire hazard.

 

[jbcalhoun]

It's hard to beat Ed's Red. I used to remove grips/red dot and soak all my bullseye pistols overnight in a 5 gallon bucket of Ed's Red. Remove and blow off with air, bore snake the barrel and you were done. Enough oil in the solution for all oiling needs. Never hurt the blue or stainless finish.

Just my .02

Brad

 

[ROGER4314]

I used Safety Kleen in the school shops mostly because the company hauls away the old solvent. The previous instructor poured the old solvent in the fence row to kill the weeds. That will get you tossed in jail, now. You may consider that you will need to dispose of the old solvent legally. The environmental boys will nail your butt and I have one living on the end of my street.

Now that I'm retired, I use the blue window cleaner in my small cleaner containers. It's non flammable, water based and I buy it at the Dollar stores in gallon containers pretty cheaply.

Flash

 

[M. Sage]

I used Safety Kleen in the school shops mostly because the company hauls away the old solvent. The previous instructor poured the old solvent in the fence row to kill the weeds. That will get you tossed in jail, now. You may consider that you will need to dispose of the old solvent legally. The environmental boys will nail your butt and I have one living on the end of my street.

Now that I'm retired, I use the blue window cleaner in my small cleaner containers. It's non flammable, water based and I buy it at the Dollar stores in gallon containers pretty cheaply.

Flash

Safety Kleen. That's the stuff.

I was so skeptical when I first tried it, but it seems to work even better than the old solvent, and is a lot easier on your skin, too. And it doesn't hurt near as bad if some gets splashed in your eye or finds an open cut.

 

[BigHoss]

Thanks fellers for the "assistance"! Looks like I'm going to lean towards mixing (2:1:1/8) Odorless Mineral Spirits, Valvoline DEX ATF, and Hoppes #9.

The purpose of this thread was to find other chemicals and/or cleaning solutions that I may have not know about...you mentioned several...I've looked them all up...and I appreciate your input! For those asking, yes...I need a "parts washer" as I am a gunsmith and the number of guns I get in to clean per week...is rising. That's good, except for I needed to look at other ways to reduce production costs...

Again, thank you all!!!

 

[BigHoss]

Works too good and it's cheaper then what Brownells sells. So it's OUT. Don't bring it up again.

LOL!

Actually...for me...it's a bit VOLATILE!

 

[mroper]

what about simple green ?