Question about cleaning tools

[Tom M King]

I don't think brake cleaner is Acetone. I keep a gallon of Acetone for various jobs, and brake cleaner doesn't have the smell, or evaporate as quickly. Acetone will take some paints off, but brake cleaner won't. It's what about any auto mechanic uses for many things, including cleaning up drips on a concrete floor. It is non-flammable, and you don't want it on your skin, or in your eyes, but I looked at a can this morning, and can't tell what it is by anything written on the can.

I have a parts washer, but if a part is not too bad, like the vise I cleaned last week, it just gets blasted off with brake cleaner outside the shop. Make sure you get the straw with the can, and use it. It washes ages old gunked up grease right off, if it's not caked on too thick. If something is caked on, I lift the cover on the parts washer. The parts washer mostly uses Kerosene. It pumps the solvent over whatever you hold under the stream, and using long, thick gloves, the part is brushed with any of an assortment of brushes for the purpose.

I also keep Carb cleaner for small jobs that brake cleaner won't get, but it will take paint off too, so you have to be more careful what you spray it on.