cleaning tips (any?)

[sactoC10]

OK, fire away.

As I am tearing things down, removing them, cleaning them and returning them, what are some ideas out there for removing 30+ years of road grime and crud?

When I can, I use and old screwdriver or a wire brush to scrape away, then some sort of cleaning solvent afterwards. This gets a bit pricey, buying the cans of solvent every week.

Any detergents, fabricated tools, etc... that may improve this lengthy process?

[TooMany2count]

I like soaking my greasey stuff in kerosene for a while & then use a wire brush & paint brush to finish the cleaning, then use either paint thinner or good old soap & water to remove the residue. On big stuff use the kerosene too, it will take a bit longer cause you have to do everything by hand but it'll come clean........joe

[sactoC10]

Soap and water, like a granual laundry detergent or dish soap? I'd think that car wash soaps would be too mild, no?

[Shane]

Use generic cheap oven cleaner (NOT Easy Off - buy the store brand) ... buy it at your local K-Mart/Dollar Store/Wal-Mart for around 99 cents a can ... spray it on really greasy-grimey stuff ... let it sit ... scrub with wire brush or scrape with a small puty blade.

Be Careful! This stuff contains some sort of acid/solvent/something, and it will burn you if it comes in contact with your skin. Wear gloves, long sleeves and eye protection.

Hope this helps!

[TooMany2count]

dish soap.car wash works great too, but for those hard to get to & hard to get off stuff, you'll still have to scrub it.........joe

[vycc]

carstrol super clean......works great, i'll use nothing else

[cdowns]

i vote for the cheap oven cleaner, i spray it on let it sit 1'2hour then spray over it again letting sit for 15minutes then hose it down or pressure washer it into submission

[ljbear]

I spray the part with some simple green, let it soak, then scrape off the goo with a stiff 1" putty knife. From there it's into the blast cabinet. Everything comes out clean and ready for paint. Just wipe it down with a little grease and wax remover, then prime and paint.

LJ

[70 Jimmy]

ljbear,

FYI: Allowing grease to contaminate your blasting cabinet can very easily contaminate parts you wish to paint later. The high pressure can impregnate the grease into the metal. I wouldn't recommend doing that.

I realize you said

Just wipe it down with a little grease and wax remover, then prime and paint.

but why take a chance?

[ljbear]

Jimmy, most of the grease and dirt is off before the blast process. What is there does mix with the abrasive, that's why I said to wipe with the grease and wax remover. Also, the abrasive needs to be changed. In my case I have three different abrasives I use, and always use the cleanest as my final blast media.

LJ