Recommended cleaners, paint strippers, etc. for restoration?

[Domodude17]

Just started taking apart my 9A today. Have the tailstock apart, and the apron partially apart. I've just been using WD40 for gross debris removal, but I wanted to know if you guys have a better solvent that you would recommend. I have an ultrasonic cleaner, so everything that can fit in there will probably go in there with a mix of simple green and water.

As for paint removal, what would you guys recommend? I think I have heard people say oven cleaner works, and I have this REALLY nasty stuff that I used to pull oil out of a gun stock. It ate through two pairs of gloves and gave me minor chemical burn! After paint stripping, what should I do before painting? One last pass with a degreaser? Just rinse it off with water and dry with a hairdryer or in the oven on a low temp?

 

[Adwcali]

For a solvent try out the clear hand sanitizer gel. Around here a large jug is $5 or so. It's alcohol and glycerin, sticks well and dissolves crud pretty quickly. Way better and cheaper than wd40.

 

[gadget73]

A good long soak in your favorite caustic degreaser works very well for removing paint. I used the purple stuff for mine. Soak overnight and most of the paint just comes off. Whatever is left will go away with Citri-Strip.

For painting, I wiped the parts with acetone and then painted it. No special magic. Prime it if you like, I didn't.

 

[kitno455]

I put everything in the electrolysis tank, grease and all. Just leave it a couple extra days. But then, I don't seem to be in as big a hurry as everyone else these days...

allan

 

[Monarchist]

For a solvent try out the clear hand sanitizer gel. Around here a large jug is $5 or so. It's alcohol and glycerin, sticks well and dissolves crud pretty quickly. Way better and cheaper than wd40.

+1 I'm using "Goop" a cheap and abrasive-free hand cleaner, shoe-polish dauber brushes, and cheap-arse paper towels on my latest. The advantage is no pool of nasty corrosive, stain-making crap on the deck under the work area. Clean, undamaged hands are a nice byproduct.

Better yet - I'm only going to need "spot" painting. OEM finish is still in rather good shape, most large surfaces.

 

[hsracer201]

I soak most everything in Purple Power. It cleans, de-greases and also strips paint.

 

[Dana22Rim]

I use the degreaser from Harbor Fright and the purple one from the auto parts store. If you can get your hands on an ultrasonic cleaner (I guess you did!) it works amazing on small parts when used with the purple stuff (I use the full strength). All the gears, bolts anything that will fit. Even if you have to flip the part over its worth it. I pulled mine out when I was 90% done with my 10L and sure wished I had got it out earlier!
I also use the heavy duty oven degreaser, spray, soak, rinse and scrub under running water. Takes off the iron casting filler.
Get metal brushes of all shapes and sizes from Harbor Fright for scrubbing. It really helps to have a shop sink to work in. Blow water off and dry in sun if you have any. Auto body filler for casting filler but use sparingly, it's a drag to sand. Wipe parts with alcohol, let dry and paint.
A bench grinder with a wire wheel is also invaluable as well as a dermal with little wire wheels.

 

[tommy1010]

Purple power works well. I have an automotive machine shop close by so everything gets disassembled and taken for hot tank and glass bead. He charges about $50 to do all of a 9" SB. Take it in and pick it up the next day. Beats anything else hands down. Just blow out all the nooks and crannies and paint away.

 

[socolvn]

Zep industrial degreaser. It will remove paint though so dilute it appropriately . And what ever you do don't get it on your hands . Wow it will take skin off

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[gadget73]

yeah the Zep is what I used. Bought a 5 gallon container of the concentrate and diluted it per the instructions. Definitely wear long rubber gloves, its foul stuff. Its basically lye with some color. Thats what most of those products are really, lye, color, and some amount of water.

 

[CalG]

DOMS, deodorized mineral spirits is hard to beat. Parts don't rust right away after cleaning. Soaking WORKS! and it's relatively cheap and readily available.

Plus, It doesn't have much of an odor! ;-)

 

[Rodm1]

DOMS, deodorized mineral spirits is hard to beat. Parts don't rust right away after cleaning. Soaking WORKS! and it's relatively cheap and readily available.

Plus, It doesn't have much of an odor! ;-)

I have found that minerals spirits does work well in the right situation, but if you do not wipe it off or rinse, it can rust exposed metal. Applying some oil after eliminates this, but you end up having to clean that oil off again before having another go, i.e. ends up being counter productive. It will also dull or washout finishes. Great for soaking small parts though.

 

[RSRains]

Kerosene with a little elbow grease.
Easy off oven cleaner (Blue Can) let sit a little longer then what the directions say.
Wipe down with Lacquer Thinner.
Then Paint.
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[rons]

Lacquer thinner is all you need. I dissolves oil, grease, paint. It can also substitute for a paint reducer for automotive two-part paints. Then use it to clean brushes and paint gun parts. The only other things you need are a wire brush, gloves, and rags.