What are you using in your parts washer?

[1BAD68]

I picked up a 20gal parts washer at a auction and am wondering what solvent to use.
Someone used a water based cleaner in it and now the bottom has some rust that I need to remove and repaint the tank.
So I would like to stay away from water based solvents and am thinking about mineral spirits or kerosene.

[doctor4766]

I often wash parts in kero so I'd say that'd be a good choice.

[Domino]

mineral spirits are much less smelly, even odorless available.

Price is about twice that of kerosene.

[moparstuart]

zep and diesel

[62dodge]

simple green I also use a small hot plate under the parts washer to heat up the simple green works awesome

[Tilar]

If you have a fuel distributor nearby they generally have parts solvent in 5 gallon cans. That is what I use but I have used mineral spirits which works pretty good, but it seems to leave a residue.

[rt green]

solvent 140 but i'm old fashioned

[John_Kunkel]

Solvent/paint thinner/mineral spirits all same same.

[ACUDANUT]

They don't taste the same. 

[tan top]

 paint thinners /solvent   

[1BAD68]

Been reading a lot on this subject lately and just a warning.
Paint thinner and mineral spirits are NOT the same thing.
Paint thinners are mineral spirits with other additives, which vary by the manufacturer and can be extremely flammable.
While mineral spirits are refined more making it a bit safer and giving it less odor.
There's a lot more to it but basically, Paint thinner=UNSAFE and Mineral spirits=SAFE.

[John_Kunkel]

When I used to buy solvent in bulk I would go to my local petroleum supplier with my own 55-gallon drum and pay for 55 gallons of solvent, I would then drive back to the pump where an employee would fill my drum from a bowser labeled "mineral spirits". In line with me would be commercial painters filling their drums from the same bowser and I'm sure their receipt was for paint thinner.

"Paint thinner" is a generic term, the thinner used with lacquer obviously isn't the same as the thinner used with polyurethane, etc. just as thinner for oil-based paint is way different.

[1BAD68]

John you're probably right but thats just what I had read.
Anyway, I saw a cool idea for a parts washer and figured I only have 20 bucks in this one so I tried it out and it works really good.
This is based on the drum type parts washers only I didn't have a drum but I have an old wash basin from the basement.

[1BAD68]

then i cut the legs off my parts washer so it can sit on top of the basin

[1BAD68]

then I dumped 5 gallons of water into the basin and set the pump so it sits just above the water.
The water will act as a filter where all the junk will settle.

[1BAD68]

Then I dumped 10 gallons of K1 kerosene in.
The pump can only pump the kerosene and basically any junk that goes down the drain will settle in the water leaving the kerosene clean.
I had to sand and paint the parts washer tub because it was used with some water based degreaser that rusted it. I also added a kitchen sink drain.

[1BAD68]

Now I can either plug the drain and pump about 10 gallons of kerosene in the tank to let parts soak

[1BAD68]

Or just use it like a sink to clean stuff.
The main reason for doing this is just to keep the kerosene (mineral spirits or whatever you use) cleaner.
Either way this is a huge step up for me, no more coming in the house wreaking of gas from cleaning stuff in my plastic bin with gas and a toothbrush.

[66chargerkid]

Thats pretty awesome. I need to get a parts washer for the house. They yard has one but its not very accessable.
Q

[John_Kunkel]

The thing I don't like about most of the available parts washers is they rely on the pump on an elevated tray, I like to soak my parts and lay them aside on a drainboard to drain. I found this for $1 at a local surplus sale, it was used in a photo lab.

[mikesbbody]

"I'd buy that for a Dollar"    "Robocop movie quote"    great Buy John! 

[1BAD68]

Man this parts washer has instantly become one of the handiest things in my garage.
I've been cleaning everything, leaf blower, weed wacker, old electric motors, all my hand tools, all my drill bits, all the extra parts laying around for my charger, and all my oil pans are now squeeky clean.
I even put a old lawn tractor engine in and let it soak for an hour then rinsed and it looks almost new.

[Charger RT]

I like the homemade tank. I too have an old wash tube I use. I might need to mod mine. I don't have a pump but I use mineral spirits and I use a hand pump to pump it back into my 5 gallon drum to prevent it from evaporating since i don't work out in the shop all the time.
plus 1 more for mineral spirits.
Tim

[tan top]

The thing I don't like about most of the available parts washers is they rely on the pump on an elevated tray, I like to soak my parts and lay them aside on a drainboard to drain. I found this for $1 at a local surplus sale, it was used in a photo lab.

have a same sort of set up  , also have a large plastic  container with a sealable lid , to soak heavly greased/oiled parts in   close lid thinners don't evaproate then ! when soaking for a day or two

[69rtse4spd]

Got some of the good stuff years ago, you know , the stuff that cracks your skin up. Well the guys over in fort truck repair told me to cut it with tranny fluid, so that's what I did, works great, but I still wear rubber gloves.