What's on your bench

[heimannm]

Odorless mineral spirits, does a good job of cleaning and doesn't stink up the shop too badly. I clean it out 3-4 times per year and take the dirty solvent to the local repair shop where they add it to their waste oil tank and burn it in the shop heater all winter. I'm tempted to try a water base cleaner but I like the protection I get from the mineral spirits, leaves a very slight film of oil on the parts so they don't rust.

Mark

 

[flatsfisher]

I have one similar. Mine is a Safety Kleen unit from the 1970 era. Run kerosene in it and only use it for the big stuff like yours. They do a great job. jmho OT

I've been using a parts cleaner solution from tractor supply that works pretty good. wonder if kerosene would work as well or better?

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/crown-psc-1000-parts-cleaner-5-gal

 

[heimannm]

How is the odor from that stuff Frank? Significantly less expensive that the odorless mineral spirits I've been using.

Mark

 

[Ed Penney]

Been using the TSC Solvent in mine also. The stuff is pricey at an average of $9 a gallon. I started soaking stuff in 180 +- hot water mixed with Lysol and Dawn pressure rinse it at 120 lbs. through a cheap hvlp paint gun and blow it dry. It keeps the solvent cleaner for awhile and gets stuff really clean fast without a lot of brushing and scrubbing
View attachment 1212127

 

[flatsfisher]

How is the odor from that stuff Frank? Significantly less expensive that the odorless mineral spirits I've been using.

Mark

doesn't seem to have a lot of odor, to me anyway. everyone's different though. cleans better than paint thinner. wear rubber gloves of course.

 

[flatsfisher]

I put 7 gallons in my parts cleaner barrel when I got it. of course, all the grit sinks to the bottom of the barrel. the cleaner gets cloudy pretty fast from cleaning greasy stuff, but I've had it in there for a lot of projects and it's still cleaning well. have thought about mounting a filter to the barrel but haven't gotten around to it.

this parts cleaner came out of an automotive shop. when I got it home, I cleaned it pretty thoroughly. there was about 6 inches of pretty solid sludge in the bottom of the barrel from years of shop use. got it out with a putty knife and some solvent. probably another half inch in there again now from me.