4x4 North

I picked up a 40 gallon parts washer because I hate cleaning stuff other ways. Originally I was just going to fill it with jet fuel (kerosene) but I'm having second thoughts about burning my shop down.

Anyone used any of the water based solutions with any success? What do you use if you're using a more traditional solvent?

Water based is shit lol. I understand how its better for evironment but once you clean oily stuff with it then it is no longer water based. Also seams to leave a residue or layer on the material.
Ive always just used traditional solvent but i dunno how expensive it is, works tho

I use the wurth water based cleaner as it’s about the same price per gallon of that to solvent. It works great but I also run it 50/50




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I always wash everything in hot hot water after and that seems to get the film off.


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And after a heavy use I have a filter setup I run it thru to get rid of the goo


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varsol / mineral spirits/ solvent whatever you want to call it seems to be the best. its a bit expensive to fill the parts washer the first time ( $80 for a 20L pail is pretty average) but you should never have to change all the solvent for new stuff if you have a good filter setup and pump out the tank every once in a while to scrape the gunk off the bottom, re using the solvent you pump out of course. It has a pretty high flash point and unless your welding table is right next to it or you like to juggle lit road flares while you clean parts i wouldn’t worry about it catching on fire. You also wont need 40 gallons of the stuff. 3-4 20 litre pails should be enough depending on how your tank is set up. You’ll probably have to buy a few jugs every once in a while to top it up from evaporation/ spillage/ varsol fights etc.


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pointsnorth wrote:I use the wurth water based cleaner as it’s about the same price per gallon of that to solvent. It works great but I also run it 50/50




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I didnt know about this stuff. sounds like a better alternative to varsol. it works with an old school parts washer or do you have to modify it?


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I use it in my old school snap on parts tank.
It also loosens off heavy rust. Toyota knuckles pulled off zero wipe down or clean out of old grease soaking in it 72 hours. Rinsed in hot water and air dried and all they needed was a quick buffing with a rollock disc and ready for paint


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I have a spare house water filter setup lying around I'm pretty certain, and the filters for them are dirt cheap and huge. I was planning to plumb that in if I went water based.

One downside is I don't have running water in the shop so a post cleaner rinse isn't super easy, especially not in the winter.

I'd planned to get a stick on oil pan heater to warm the tank up too, since it seems like that makes a big difference with any of the water based stuff.

I'll see what the Wurth stuff costs though the company account. It sounds like it's worth (ha ha) a try either way. If not I'll use jet fuel with some water in the bottom of the tank.

The oil pan heater might be the ticket for the film on the parts afterwards


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So that water based cleaner wont fill my shop with fumes? I have a small shop and big varsol tank thats been empty because ive had the same concerns as scott. Lots of sparks/welding very close to it

No fumes


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this the stuff I use


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Sweet. I'll try to get a quote on it through our work account.