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Post by Mel on Nov 18, 2020 20:48:37 GMT -5
Anyone got any suggestions on a good cleaner to use for an enclosed slab saw that's been sitting for a couple years? This saw is probably the greasiest, stickiest mess I have ever encountered; the oil residue is like tar. I am determined to clean it up as best I can without getting stuck to it  (edited just to clarify, I have all the scraping covered, it's just cutting the residue that I'm worried about. What is too harsh to clean with?) |
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EricD
Cave Dweller 
High in the Mountains
Member since November 2019
Posts: 1,142
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Post by EricD on Nov 18, 2020 20:53:16 GMT -5
Get a scraper and a 5 gallon bucket. It's not fun doing someone else's work, but it has to be done. And, it's fun when it's done!
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Post by Mel on Nov 18, 2020 21:00:34 GMT -5
Get a scraper and a 5 gallon bucket. It's not fun doing someone else's work, but it has to be done. And, it's fun when it's done! The scraping is the easy part; I'm more looking for what can cut the grease/gunk. This stuff is so darn sticky, I'm (only half jokingly) worried I'm going to get myself stuck to the cabinet permanently  |
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EricD
Cave Dweller
High in the Mountains
Member since November 2019
Posts: 1,142
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Post by EricD on Nov 18, 2020 21:06:00 GMT -5
Let's see a picture of what you're dealing with
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pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Nov 18, 2020 21:09:10 GMT -5
I've used Heavy Duty Simple Green and Greased Lightning with some success, but it must soak for awhile.........on really tough stuff, I've found gun cleaners like Hoppe's No.9 and BreakFree work fast on all most any gooooo.......an aerosol like Ballistol works great too.........just make sure you wipe everything down dry, since they will leave a protective residue.........I've even cleaned neglected BBQ's with such..........the gun cleaners will burn off pretty fast, leaving no smells or residual film once you let the BBQ temps get above 400* for a few minutes.....
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AzRockGeek
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2016
Posts: 703
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Post by AzRockGeek on Nov 18, 2020 21:16:35 GMT -5
For light duty cleaning I use Purple Power degreaser, for heavy duty cleaning I use oven cleaner I get from the dollar store, just use in well ventilated area. |
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,359
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Post by quartz on Nov 18, 2020 21:42:51 GMT -5
I agree with pizzano, Simple Green and let it soak for a while. We bought a saw that had set with oil in it for about 30 years. It took six weeks with very regular wetting with Simple Green. The bottom of the tub sat in a puddle of Green for about two weeks. Good luck with your project. |
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Post by rmf on Nov 18, 2020 22:13:42 GMT -5
since you are going to fill it with oil again just use a little diesel or kerosene. cheap and easy to access plus the residue will not be a problem with saw oil.
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Post by Peruano on Nov 19, 2020 7:01:43 GMT -5
I rationalize it to conclude that it does not have to be totally clean. I drain, scape/scope/snowplow out the glop and yes using a plastic putty knife, and even an old window squeegie get it down to a soiled oily surface. Wiping it casually with a paper towel is the final step. When I fill, I pour the oil over all of the above surface parts to wash them somewhat from collected particulates. Yes the wash goes into my newly cleaned tank but its actually no more being left in the new oil than one or two days worth of cutting. You are going to get it dirty quickly anyway so why worry about that last 2%. Even 98% clean feels so good to finish. Oh did I say that I wear newspaper plastic bags as arm protectors to keep some of the gunk off. I think it is good to recall that some of that gunk can be toxic so good gloves and cleanup of your body is important.
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Post by HankRocks on Nov 19, 2020 7:26:11 GMT -5
The only "severe" cleaning I have ever done is on the used 24" right after I bought it. Not sure what kind of oil the previous owner had in it and how long it was in there, years maybe, but it had a nasty smell associated with it. I scrubbed with big brushes, toothbrushes, anything I could find. A friend recommended the cleaner Awesome which is available at our local Dollar store. It seemed to work real well. Even took the hood off, with help, as it really gets in the way when cleaning the back corners and I wanted to scrub it down and remove all the residue on it. The outside got a good scrubbing to remove all that residue. It was pristine when I finished.
Now that I am using Mineral Oil I do not see the need to clean as thoroughly as that, as mentioned above, it's going to get dirty after the first cut anyway. Old rags and paper towels on every surface I can reach, done.
Good luck
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Post by greig on Nov 19, 2020 11:15:51 GMT -5
Any idea what they were cutting? A buddy bought a saw that was used mostly for silver ore and he got pounds of gunk out that will now be melted into dore bars. As for breaking down the gunk, I would be tempted to use something cheaper and stronger than gun cleaner. Maybe oven cleaner or engine cleaner. If it has formed a lacquer, then I might try carb. cleaner. All of these options stink bad, so doing it outside is better.
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Nov 19, 2020 11:23:26 GMT -5
I bought a saw with stinky kerosene gunk all over it. Scrapping wasn't easy!
I tried soaking it in more kerosene, but that didn't soften up the gunk.
I ended up taking it to a powder coating business & had them sand blast the gunk off.
It was $ well spent.
Lynn
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Post by Mel on Nov 20, 2020 11:27:07 GMT -5
Let's see a picture of what you're dealing with Behold, the greasy beast. The residue is so sticky it actually pulled paint off the bottom when I pulled out the small vice on the right. I tried scraping it yesterday with a plastic putty knife, and that was a no go. Current plan is to spray the heck out of it with Simple Green and let it stew in its own juices for a few days and try again... greig - Based on the rough I got with it, it was mostly used to cut jaspers (a LOT of mookaite), lots of rhodonite, and bloodstone. |
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AzRockGeek
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2016
Posts: 703
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Post by AzRockGeek on Nov 20, 2020 11:41:27 GMT -5
Let's see a picture of what you're dealing with Behold, the greasy beast. The residue is so sticky it actually pulled paint off the bottom when I pulled out the small vice on the right. I tried scraping it yesterday with a plastic putty knife, and that was a no go. Current plan is to spray the heck out of it with Simple Green and let it stew in its own juices for a few days and try again... greig - Based on the rough I got with it, it was mostly used to cut jaspers (a LOT of mookaite), lots of rhodonite, and bloodstone. That is not bad at all, I was expecting far worse. Put a couple gallons of HOT water in there, enough to cover the muk, add a few cups of degreaser and let it sit over night. Then drain and wipe clean. |
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Nov 20, 2020 12:41:18 GMT -5
I've acquired several old saws over the years with the oil/rock sludge in varying degrees of having dried. And as long as the oil sludge has not completely dried then a good soaking of WD-40 will usually soften it up and start dissolving it. I buy WD-40 in a gallon can and pour it into a large spritzer type cleaning bottle to use to use to spray it on the gunked up saw parts. The WD-40 aerosol cans put too much WD-40 in the air and are much more expensive in the long run than buying it by the gallon and using a spritzer bottle.
Wear nitrile or neoprene gloves. Do small areas at at time. Soak the surface to be cleaned down good with WD-40 and let it sit a few minutes. Then I use a medium grade steel wool to help lift the sludge from the flat surfaces and a harbor freight disposable steel wire brush for the threaded feed rod and to get in the corners and nooks. Keep the surface of the area you're cleaning wet with WD-40 while cleaning. After getting all of the oil gunk pretty much dissolved then WD-40 and a terrycloth rag does a nice job finishing up.
Larry C.
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nik
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2019
Posts: 315
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Post by nik on Nov 20, 2020 16:20:31 GMT -5
Mineral spirits cuts through sticky oil residue pretty well
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Post by woodman on Nov 20, 2020 18:19:07 GMT -5
Looks pretty clean to me! the only time I would want to get it cleaner was if I was going to sell it!
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Nov 20, 2020 19:00:02 GMT -5
I was going to suggest WD40 also, that stuff will remove old contact carpet glue. Oil sludge shouldn't even be a challenge for it
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EricD
Cave Dweller
High in the Mountains
Member since November 2019
Posts: 1,142
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Post by EricD on Nov 20, 2020 19:53:28 GMT -5
Let's see a picture of what you're dealing with Behold, the greasy beast. The residue is so sticky it actually pulled paint off the bottom when I pulled out the small vice on the right. I tried scraping it yesterday with a plastic putty knife, and that was a no go. Current plan is to spray the heck out of it with Simple Green and let it stew in its own juices for a few days and try again... greig - Based on the rough I got with it, it was mostly used to cut jaspers (a LOT of mookaite), lots of rhodonite, and bloodstone. Acetone, outside. Soak a couple days. |
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Post by Mel on Nov 20, 2020 21:07:41 GMT -5
Acetone, outside. Soak a couple days. No soaking with 24 inches of snow on the ground, unfortunately. Will try to come up with a solution though, because I want to use the darn thing. |
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