Metal cleaning

[SlimJim]

What is the best thing to clean oil on steel to prep for welding?

[Mike W]

I use paint thinner. Break cleaner once in awhile.

[boilerman]

acetone........................

[vipermanz]

i use carb cleaner, it's aerasol acetone!!

[Sandy]

Yeh, like every one says. Any one of the laquer thinners, acetone combos, whatever is cheapest at the time of purchase. Buy the Gallons. They rip you on small containers of anything.

PS
Do not throw the rag/towell any where near your welding area. You'll be seeing a flickering yellow light out of the side of your hood. If you are lucky you'll see it.

[one_rod]

Do not throw the rag/towell any where near your welding area. You'll be seeing a flickering yellow light out of the side of your hood. If you are lucky you'll see it.



Been there, done that, got the scars.....

[sdonecker]

Anybody tried any of the biodegradable degreasers for cleaning steel?

[Ries]

I must be older than you guys- I actually no longer believe I am immortal, and in fact have seen a few friends go from unspecified cancers, guys who used to siphon gas by mouth, while smoking, and wash their hands with trichlorethelene- hey- it works.
So I tend to use hardcore solvents only when nothing else will do the job.
And for cleaning the grease off square tubing, or similar stuff, I find Simple Green works just fine- I use red shop rags, dont cut the stuff with water, and that grease comes right off. And, as I bonus, I smell lemony fresh when I am done.

[sdonecker]

I like to use citrus cleaners/degreasers in general and if the part has a lot of grease I like to use a heavy duty non-toxic degreaser from Ultra One.

Ultra One Degreaser (http://www.ultraoneusa.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=11&cat=Ultra+One+Degreaser)

In the case of an old crusty part I like to first degrease and then use their rust remover. This stuff is not an acid, and not a rust converter. Works great!

Safest Rust Remover (http://www.ultraoneusa.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=10&cat=Safest+Rust+Remover)

I agree with Ries there is no reason to use solvents to clean metal these days.

[enlpck]

I generally try to use less toxic cleaners, but sometimes you gotta go hydrocarbon.

When possible, simple green or a liquid detergent (commercial version of Fantastik) Either is usually BETTER than hydrocarbon solvent for oils and light grease, if the water base won't hurt and the residue can be removed. Sometimes a light dab with mineral spirits or kerosene to soften first (time helps)

Paint thinner/prepsol before painting

Brake cleaner when there is real nasty, tough hardened grease. (non chlorinated types only)

acetone when applicable. If there are plastics or rubbers around, acetone will destroy, but it will take conformal coatings off that nothing else will.

Light alcohols when applicable-- relatively innocuous in practice, but not real good degreasers, either. Denatured wthanol works well as a post-clean-wipedown after simple green and rinse. Takes the last of the residue and dries fast.