New machine cleaning

[Michael Merrill]

I'm curious what the right way to clean a new machine of all the manufacturing and shipping grease/oil? Is it just a real solid wipe down with nothing or maybe use a little simple green to help breakdown the oils?

Just got a new Delta jointer and it seems to be loaded more than any other tool I remember.

Thanks,

[Mike Cutler]

I don't think I would personally use Simple Green.
I've always found WD-40, Kerosene, Lacquer Thinner, LPS, or Acetone to work very well. I only use these because I tend to have them on hand, but I'm sure any commercially available degreaser should work just fine. Everyone seems to have their own favorite "witches brew".;)
I then apply a marine paste wax to the tops, but I'm going to try the Boeshields stuff next time.

[Sonny Edmonds]

I've always found paint thinner (mineral spirits) worked great with a roll of paper towels.
Then I followed that with a high flash solvent like laqure thinner to float off the MS and cosmo residue.
Then as many applications as it takes to make the iron slickery.
My TS got 6 applications of Johnson's paste wax to make it slickery by my standards. ;)

[Tom Esh]

I scrape or wipe off the heaviest gunk, then mineral spirits or WD40 to get the residue. Stronger solvents aren't necessary. Plus they can attack the paint and the fumes are dangerous.

[Michael Merrill]

I figured I'd get the big stuff off with scraping and wiping, I would think simple green is less harmful than WD-40 and other solvents? I use it as my automotive degreaser since it is non-toxic (try to do my part for the environment)

Just seems like you need a little something once the heavy stuff is off to get things truly clean.

[Brent Smith]

I wipe off the majority with shop towels, clean everything up with kerosene then a final cleaning with mineral spirits. Don't forget to use a protectorant afterwards, I find TopCote works best for me.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Not positive on this, but I'd think that there is some water in Simple Green, which I personally would not put onto cast iron. I would work, but you're going to have to clean it off with something petroleum based, so why not just start there, and save your landfill a bit of rags?

I use mineral spirits to remove, followed by paste wax to protect.

[Michael Merrill]

Great point Steve, I'm sure there is some water in Simple Green. I'll go the other route.

[Mark Boyette]

lauquer thinner for mineral spirits as noted. Brake cleaner also works well.
Mark.

[John Thompson]

I would under no circumstance use Simple Green as I also suspect it contains some water. I have used kerosene but it emits a terrible smell. I switched to Odor-less mineral spirits which is not quite as smelly as the kerosene but still smelly. I used it for years until....

I helped Steel City assemble over 40 machines for the International WW Fair in Atlanta last August the week before the show. I got assigned cleaning those machines along with one other person. We used WD-40 and a bunch of rolls of paper towel. Any very heavy spots got scraped with a plastic scraper like the ones you purchase to spread putty.

The WD-40 is not as smelly as the mineral spirits and kero-sene and works great. 40 WW machine tops in under 3 hours with two people isn't bad. A very light wipe with mineral spirits just before you apply wax would take off any lubricant the WD-40 might contain. We didn't do that but I would in my own shop just for good measure.

Sarge..

[Steve Clardy]

Scrap off, then wd-40 or lacquer thinner.
Mineral spirits has that lingering stink that I don't like, so I don't use it.

[Alan DuBoff]

Scrap off, then wd-40 or lacquer thinner.
Mineral spirits has that lingering stink that I don't like, so I don't use it.
Not only that, but it's harsh on your hands. I have recently been using kerosene and it is much more mild on the hands, you (I) can actually wash your hands with it and not have them irritated. A blacksmith friend of mine pointed out that mineral spirits will dissolve the rust deposits in pitted iron, so if you use it on old iron, be careful as it will leave voids where the pitting once was.

Be careful what you do use, paint thinner and laquer thinner are different than mineral spirits, and have different levels of solvents in them. Laquer thinner is the strongest, as I recall. It will also take the paint off, so don't get it on the paint of your new machine.

[Steve Clardy]

Yes. Lacquer thinner works well, also on paint. :D

[Tom Godley]

When cleaning off a new machine with cosmoline -- I always scrape off the big stuff with a wood scraper I have. One of those cheap plastic ones would work also. Then I clean it off with rough rags that have been lightly dampened with odorless mineral spirits - you don't need much -- and I outside dry and discard the rags. You can use paper or shop towels but I have found that rough rags work better.

The tools from Grizzly seem to have the most "stuff" on them and whatever it is it can be difficult to remove - But it does a good job of protecting the tools during shipment!

I try to keep my use of solvents to a minimum and I always were gloves. I buy gloves by the box from HF -- they work great and on sale the are .06 each.

When my MM16 came it was lightly coated -- mostly oil. I used what I often use to clean off things in and around the shop "Hercules for Hands". They are towels that come in a cylinder -- 70 to a container - they are fantastic -- I get them from my plumbing house. They are not recommended for plastic or some painted surfaces.

Not sure why you would worry about having a little water around -- we used to clean machines (cast iron) off with steam and use water as a lubricant when working on cast iron at our old factory. As long as it is dried off and nothing remains wet I do not see a problem.

I also use a product called Rejex on all my tools and equipment.

I have used WD40 -- I like it for outside garden tools -- but the smell inside especially when sprayed is strong.