What cleaner do you use to wipe the oil off of new metal before welding? Id like to try something new and cheap. Any Ideas?
I usually use dish soap in a bucket of water and a rag and scrub it all when it matters. When building in place I take it to the sand blaster first.
When I get a bunk of cold roll or tubing I dont like to put it in the racks inside until I wipe it down. I have found the cheapest white vinegar with a scotchbrite pad on orbital sander works really well and for the most part is none toxic. Depending on how heavy the oil or whatever the surface grime is I may first use a scraper to take off the bulk. This is my first line and as a elder in the trades told me start with the cheapest first and build from there depending on your needs. Depending on what your working with everything reacts differently such as chlorine can have very ill effects on stainless.
I just use cheap acetone from Home Depot. To be honest I’m surprised they can still sell it.
I know I’m not being environmentally aware, but the water based stuff doesn’t work that great and makes a way bigger mess what with hosing it off. Acetone takes off the oil, and paint maker my steel supplier always writes all over everything.
Mineral spirits. Breaks through the grimy stuff, evaporates quickly and is cheap.
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Hmmm Mineral spirits for me leaves a oily residue as its made with petroleum. My area you pay about $20 a gallon.
When I buy square tube that’s covered in oil, I use inexpensive paint thinner & painting rags to de-grease outside it on some old saw horses so I don’t make a mess in the shop when cutting it to length. I then prep the areas to be welded with a flapper wheel; this is for stick welding, which is a lot more tolerant of minor residual contamination than MIG or TIG. I’ll attack the seams with acetone if using MIG, but I do the bulk of the de-greasing w/ inexpensive paint thinner and painting/staining rags outside. I throw the rags away in the trash once they no longer reek of paint thinner.
I do the same, depending on what I have. Right now I am using a wash thinner I got from a Body shop that closed.