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Thread: Question about cleaning tools

  1. #16
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    Feb 2014
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    Lake Gaston, Henrico, NC
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    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.
    Last edited by Tom M King; 08-05-2022 at 1:01 PM.

  2. #17
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    Aug 2019
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    Pittsburgh, PA
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom M King View Post
    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....
    Tom,

    I did a quick internet search of the safety data sheet (SDS) of brake cleaner. Here's is one of them, this one is mostly acetone:

    https://www.safety-kleen.com/sites/g...6Brev12-16.pdf

    This one is 100% Tetrachloroethylene, used as a degreaser and dry-cleaning fluid, non-flammable, sounds like what you use.

    https://www.conncoll.edu/media/websi...ts_Cleaner.pdf

    It looks like there are several types of mixtures that are sold as brake cleaner, so the term is not specific.

    Regarding Kevin's original question, the vise looks really good and I would have just wiped it with a rag and installed it on my bench.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
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    Northern California
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    664
    Quote Originally Posted by Richard Coers View Post
    Canned air? If you can't afford a compressor, a drinking straw in your mouth will worked nearly as well as canned air. And much better ecologically.
    I have a compressor and use it to blow the dust off of larger machinery, among other things. For smaller stuff, I prefer canned air.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    New Hill, NC
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    2,568
    That is a really nice looking vise! Good score!!!

    Although I have a bead blast cabinet, the patina on that vise is so nice I would hesitate to use it. Instead I would opt for either Dawn or Simple Green in hot water, followed by the heated drying.

    I'm not real big on having WD-40 in the wood shop due to the possibility of contaminating a finish, but that's just me.

    At any rate, great score on the vise!

    In lieu of mineral spirits, d-limonene is the key ingredient in citrus solvent and is a great alternative to paint thinner, mineral spirits or even turpentine. I buy mine off of e-bay.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
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    Millstone, NJ
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    A good degreaser to start, Rust killer second, Then recoat with a good protective barrier.
    For my TS i use a firearm cleaning spray to pull up old finish, Rust free to remove surface rust, Glidecoat to reseal.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
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    West Simsbury, CT
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    384
    Quote Originally Posted by Rafael Herrera View Post

    Regarding Kevin's original question, the vise looks really good and I would have just wiped it with a rag and installed it on my bench.
    Wow, thanks everyone for the suggestions. I will go with Dawn and hot water tomorrow. It’s gonna be a hot, sunny day here so it should dry quickly. I’ll follow with a good penetrating lube that dries (my go-to is Starrett M1). I like the idea of starting with the most mild method. I’ll share pics when done. I’ve been looking for one of these vises ever since I used one in a woodworking class, the long jaws are very versatile.

    And Raf, I knew you’d go with the wipe it off and just use it method!!

    Thanks again, all.
    Kevin

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Edmond, Oklahoma
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    Richard,

    I looked up a small number of SDS on different brands of brake cleaner, and each of the small sample I looked at turned out to have different components. None were the same. The one I especially thought was hazardous had 20% to 40% each of both methanol and toluene, I believe, and a certain amount of acetone also. (I may be wrong on the amounts, but that is what I remember the listed components to be. At any rate that brand had a lot of both toluene and methanol in it and also a smaller amount of acetone, but the acetone content was also significant.)

    Methanol is also known as wood alcohol and when folks drink very much of it they go blind. I remember an article in the newspaper from years ago that some inmates in prison thought that they could make it safe to drink by straining it through bread, and some went blind. (Any good chemist would have told them that straining it through bread would not change its toxicity one whit.) It has a boiling point that is low enough that you should avoid the vapors, and it is both flammable and toxic. You should avoid breathing the vapor and should not get it on your skin. I don't know about methanol, but some organic compounds can be absorbed right through your skin, so protective chemical handling glove should be worn when handling it.

    Acetone is the least dangerous from the health perspective, but is has a low flash point, and is thus easy to set on fire. I buy and use it, but do handle it with care since it is highly flammable. (I have used literally hundreds of gallons of high purity acetone in my lab work over the years, and years ago we did not use very good safety practices like we do today.)

    Toluene is bad for you, is somewhat toxic, etc., but is nothing like Benzene. It seems to have more short term adverse effects, but the symptoms seem mostly to disappear over a limited time period. It does have reproductive system bad effects. Again most symptoms seem to disappear with time, much like the symptoms disappear after a period of time when a person gets drunk. None the less, I would use it as a cleaner only with caution, because there are safer solvents to use.

    One type of brake cleaner appeared to be primarily hydrocarbons.

    In short, brake cleaners vary in composition from brand to brand, they are not all just acetone.

    Regards,

    Stew
    Last edited by Stew Denton; 08-06-2022 at 12:26 AM.

  8. Quote Originally Posted by Kevin Adams View Post
    Hi all,

    Hope you’re staying cool out there!

    Attachment 483782
    Hi Kevin, hope all is well.

    The vise looks great! I have one just like it. I like it.

    My two cents worth: I’d also use dish soap or simple green, and dry it with a heat gun. I’d consider slathering the whole thing with Fluid Film, letting it marinade a while, then wiping it down and using it. Maybe paste wax on the paint on occasion, although I would probably use microcrystalline wax like LV Conservator’s Wax for the light corrosion removal effect.

    I like messing around with different waxes, solvents, etc, so I’m up for experimenting. I’ll try some of the other ideas in the thread. I’ve got a patternmakers vise that needs rejuvenation in the future…

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    West Simsbury, CT
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    384
    Hey John!

    Hope all is well. I used the vise in a class building a JA chair (I know, not a Windsor, but always wanted to try one!). Really like the vertical and horizontal positions and long jaws are awesome for giving access. I’m gonna use Dawn and give it a clean out in the sun. Let it dry and then lube it up and let that bake in. Will mount to a thick block that I can then mount in my front vise when I need it.

    Really hot and humid these days, I suspect out your way too. We need rain desperately, too. Hope you’re getting in a little shop time. Take care.

    Kevin

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