Cleaner recommendations for old grease

[Dago Red]

Hey guys, cleaning so,e old revolvers for a friend, strip down to get it all. And I mean OLD.

Now, I usually use one shot, as a spray it works good. I hate CLP am not sure why everyone thinks it?s great but maybe I?ve missed something. Maybe I stills have some somewhere even.

Over the years I?ve gathered a bunch of things. I really like blue wonder for barrels and the fact it?s a hoop and doesn?t evaporate I think helps. Usually I will use the blue winder for fouling and follow with the one shot. One shot for outsides, slide rails and so on. Not dealing w a lot of copper but I have 762 if needed. I have some slip 725 as well but seldom use it.

I?m wondering, is there something else good I should try? Stick with my combo? I?m thinking something that can be scrubbed on and then let it work, like the blue wonder. Maybe I?ve already got the winning combo?

A lot of people I know have never heard of the BW. It?s pretty awesome if you haven?t tried it. I?m just open to improving my methods. Short of buying a sonic cleaner. Can?t justify it since almost everything the last few years is the shotguns

Thanks
Red

[jarhead714]

Get ahold of some avgas maybe?

[Dvrjon]

For really old grease? Brake Cleaner (non-chlorine).

Remove wood, plastics, cover paint areas.

Don't screw up.

Liberally re-oil everything because all lubrication will be gone with the grease.

[CSACANNONEER]

25 years ago, I bought a handheld steam cleaner to cut through cosmoline. I'm sure your old grease isn't any harder to remove than cosmoline.

[ar15barrels]

Originally Posted by Dago Red

Hey guys, cleaning so,e old revolvers for a friend, strip down to get it all. And I mean OLD.

Diesel fuel, kerosene, white spirit, stoddard solvent or real paint thinner will all work.
You can't buy real paint thinner in most parts of CA anymore but they are still pumping diesel fuel at many gas stations cheaper than you can buy any of the other solvents.

[geedavell]

Kroil

[Rickrock1]

As AR mentioned diesel fuel.

LetsGoBrandon!

[bruce381]

Originally Posted by ar15barrels

Diesel fuel, kerosene, white spirit, stoddard solvent or real paint thinner will all work.
You can't buy real paint thinner in most parts of CA anymore but they are still pumping diesel fuel at many gas stations cheaper than you can buy any of the other solvents.

good thoughts or go to home depot and get a quart of mineral spirts take off wood and plastic soak for a few hours and clean.

[bruce381]

Originally Posted by ar15barrels

Diesel fuel, kerosene, white spirit, stoddard solvent or real paint thinner will all work.
You can't buy real paint thinner in most parts of CA anymore but they are still pumping diesel fuel at many gas stations cheaper than you can buy any of the other solvents.

or get a quart of mineral spirts which is stoddard solvent and soak a few hours take off wood and plastic put back into can and re use the clean stuff.

[bruce381]

Originally Posted by ar15barrels

Diesel fuel, kerosene, white spirit, stoddard solvent or real paint thinner will all work.
You can't buy real paint thinner in most parts of CA anymore but they are still pumping diesel fuel at many gas stations cheaper than you can buy any of the other solvents.

and or go to home depot and buy a quart of mineral spirts works great

[ar15barrels]

Originally Posted by bruce381

good thoughts or go to home depot and get a quart of mineral spirts take off wood and plastic soak for a few hours and clean.

CA mineral spirits is nowhere as effective as non-CA mineral spirits.
I believe that CA mineral spirits is water based now.
Same for the paint thinner.

I buy my mineral spirits and paint thinners out of state now.

[smoothy8500]

Kerosene always worked pretty well for me as a solvent. Although in California it's probably now made with water as Randall AR15Barrels mentions.....

[ar15barrels]

Originally Posted by smoothy8500

Kerosene always worked pretty well for me as a solvent. Although in California it's probably now made with water as Randall AR15Barrels mentions.....

The kerosene alternatives are nothing like good old oily kerosene.

[Dago Red]

Seriously, even our thinner and mineral spirits are frickin different?! Such BS. I have a couple cans though, one of each. They’re OLD, at least 15 years, so I’ll see if they are good or Water based. I have some acetone too, does that do any good?

Diesel is probably easiest and cheapest. I’m not sure if the others need that much, I haven’t taken them apart yet, doing one at a time. I’m sure just the stuff I have will work but I figure this is a good opportunity to test methods and see which I like best.

I’ve been reluctant on any of the strong degreaser, due to the whole “oiling it really well” because I’m not sure I’d it’s a oil it all wipe it off, or does a spray and dry lube, like the one shot, work well enough. I guess if I just do synthetic motor oil and wipe it off is it enough?

I run synthetic 5w-20 in my suburban, is that fine? I’ve got quarts of it because damn thing leaks

Thanks guys.
Red

[ar15barrels]

Originally Posted by Dago Red

Seriously, even our thinner and mineral spirits are frickin different?! Such BS. I have a couple cans though, one of each. They?re OLD, at least 15 years, so I?ll see if they are good or Water based. I have some acetone too, does that do any good?

Diesel is probably easiest and cheapest. I?m not sure if the others need that much, I haven?t taken them apart yet, doing one at a time. I?m sure just the stuff I have will work but I figure this is a good opportunity to test methods and see which I like best.

I?ve been reluctant on any of the strong degreaser, due to the whole ?oiling it really well? because I?m not sure I?d it?s a oil it all wipe it off, or does a spray and dry lube, like the one shot, work well enough. I guess if I just do synthetic motor oil and wipe it off is it enough?

I run synthetic 5w-20 in my suburban, is that fine? I?ve got quarts of it because damn thing leaks

Thanks guys.
Red

If they are 15 years old, they are the old style real-deal stuff.

The law went into effect around 2013.
After that, paint thinners and solvents all had to go to a low VOC formula which precludes the use of all the old style solvents like mineral or white spirits that were in all the various thinners and paints before 2013.

Acetone cuts grease too but it just evaporates so fast that it's not as useful.
If you put parts in a ziploc bag or screw-top jar with acetone and seal the container to stop evaporation, it works good.

I recently got an ultrasonic cleaner.
The problem is that you use water-based cleaners so you have to get ALL that water out afterwards and re-oil the gun.
Doing it right requres full disassembly to get all the springs and detents out of their holes and dry the trapped water out.
Compressed air and WD-40 works fine to protect everything and then wipe off the excess with an oily rag.

[bruce381]

Originally Posted by ar15barrels

CA mineral spirits is nowhere as effective as non-CA mineral spirits.
I believe that CA mineral spirits is water based now.
Same for the paint thinner.

I buy my mineral spirits and paint thinners out of state now.

No you are partially wrong "mineral spirits" is same as always has been
BUT some other versions thinners have fazed out, it works fine but yes some of the hotter ones are not available.

[bruce381]

"After that, paint thinners and solvents all had to go to a low VOC formula which precludes the use of all the old style solvents like mineral or white spirits that were in all the various thinners and paints before 2013."

In finished products yes like paints and coatings but still avabible in quarts gallon ans pails go to home depot look at paint Isle.

[ar15barrels]

Originally Posted by bruce381

"After that, paint thinners and solvents all had to go to a low VOC formula which precludes the use of all the old style solvents like mineral or white spirits that were in all the various thinners and paints before 2013."

In finished products yes like paints and coatings but still avabible in quarts gallon ans pails go to home depot look at paint Isle.

I think maybe your area has different rules or understandings of the rules than my area as there are no more real mineral spirits in my area.
There are only the "low odor" recipes and those MSDS do not list the same contents as the old high voc versions.

https://www.solventsandpetroleum.com...al_spirits.pdf
https://www.dick-blick.com/msds/DBH_SDS_010321007.pdf

[bruce381]

believe what you want i'm in the business so have nice day

[smoothy8500]

Well, regardless of what "formulation" they call paint thinner, kerosene, or mineral spirits, at least they do some cleaning of old grease....

[Bullwinkle]

Everything suggested thus far works well. If you want something less harsh and biodegradable that still does the job, go to Home Depot and pick up a gallon of Simple Green Pro HD (less than $15). Mix 1:3 (one part Pro HD, 3 parts water).

Immerse the parts in the solution (safe for wood & plastic, too, though I usually use other products for those). Scrub where necessary. Then immerse in plain water to rinse.

Dry what you can with paper towels, (clean) shop towels, Q-tips, or whatever. Then heat-dry the metal parts. I use my BBQ grill (ever since my wife caught me using the kitchen oven and said "no more"). Just place the metal parts on a (clean/degreased) baking sheet and let them sit in a 250-degree (minimum) grill with the lid closed for about 10-15 minutes to let any residual water boil away.

Heating also has the advantage of opening the pores in the metal... so when you're done oven drying, immediately spray with Bullfrog Lubricant With Rust Blocker II (or similar product). Make sure you spray all sides. Use Q-tips or pipe cleaners or whatever to spread the lubricant into tight areas. Warning: Parts are hot.

Let the lubricant soak in while the parts cool. Wipe off any residual and reassemble.

This is how I clean my guns whenever I strip them down to the bare frame, including a 70-year-old rifle that was bought used, and it works great (IMO).

[67Cuda]

I hear elbow grease work pretty good.

[DArBad]

Originally Posted by Bullwinkle

Everything suggested thus far works well. If you want something less harsh and biodegradable that still does the job, go to Home Depot and pick up a gallon of Simple Green Pro HD (less than $15). Mix 1:3 (one part Pro HD, 3 parts water).

Immerse the parts in the solution (safe for wood & plastic, too, though I usually use other products for those). Scrub where necessary. Then immerse in plain water to rinse.

Dry what you can with paper towels, (clean) shop towels, Q-tips, or whatever. Then heat-dry the metal parts. I use my BBQ grill (ever since my wife caught me using the kitchen oven and said "no more"). Just place the metal parts on a (clean/degreased) baking sheet and let them sit in a 250-degree (minimum) grill with the lid closed for about 10-15 minutes to let any residual water boil away.

Heating also has the advantage of opening the pores in the metal... so when you're done oven drying, immediately spray with Bullfrog Lubricant With Rust Blocker II (or similar product). Make sure you spray all sides. Use Q-tips or pipe cleaners or whatever to spread the lubricant into tight areas. Warning: Parts are hot.

Let the lubricant soak in while the parts cool. Wipe off any residual and reassemble.

This is how I clean my guns whenever I strip them down to the bare frame, including a 70-year-old rifle that was bought used, and it works great (IMO).

Simple Green, I knew that, but had forgotten and used nothing but Eds Red and elbow grease until inertia set in.

Thanks for reminding this old geezer.

[Wrangler John]

Back when I worked for a living I used:

Berryman? B-12 Chemtool? Carburetor, Choke & Throttle Body Cleaner [VOC compliant in all 50 states]

At work I used it to remove the rolling mill grease prior to welding, It would cut any grease and evaporated quickly leaving a dry clean surface. Also used it on firearms, reloading dies, and anything shipped with preservative grease. Just don't use it on wood, plastic or that paint finish on some metal parts - a Ruger 10-22 receiver will need repainting.

[compulsivegunbuyer]

Originally Posted by bruce381

believe what you want i'm in the business so have nice day

If you were in the business, then you would know that California is broken up into a multitude of air quality management districts, and that it depends where you are, as to what is available.

Attachment 1158006

[ar15barrels]

Originally Posted by compulsivegunbuyer

If you were in the business, then you would know that California is broken up into a multitude of air quality management districts, and that it depends where you are, as to what is available.

The VOC map is actually better here as it shows that some areas don't have VOC limits other than the state's limits and the guy might live/work in one of those areas.

[sofbak]

Originally Posted by ar15barrels

The VOC map is actually better here as it shows that some areas don't have VOC limits other than the state's limits and the guy might live/work in one of those areas.

Your map is WORTHLESS without a legend that indicates what each color represents.....

C'mon almighty randall, are you slipping???

[ar15barrels]

Originally Posted by sofbak

Your map is WORTHLESS without a legend that indicates what each color represents.....

C'mon almighty randall, are you slipping???

The names on the colored zones are the names OF the air zones.

The importance is that there are many un-named zones which do not have specific VOC limits so therefore follow state guidelines.
The smaller lines within a zone are county lines.
Some zones span multiple counties while other zones are a single county.

[newbie1234]

I clean everything on the gun with Hoppe-9.

[Forestgnome]

I find WD-40 works surprisingly well at dissolving old grease. Great for washing out bearings with hardened grease.

[WOODY2]

Originally Posted by ar15barrels

Diesel fuel, kerosene, white spirit, stoddard solvent or real paint thinner will all work.
You can't buy real paint thinner in most parts of CA anymore but they are still pumping diesel fuel at many gas stations cheaper than you can buy any of the other solvents.

Not to mention the wonderful fragrance, but it does work and plentiful.

[Usmc0844spare]

Originally Posted by bruce381

No you are partially wrong "mineral spirits" is same as always has been
BUT some other versions thinners have fazed out, it works fine but yes some of the hotter ones are not available.

I can state for a fact that my local bay area peninsula Home Depot had "normal full strength" mineral spirits that worked like gangbusters.

Then they switched to some "save the whales" California sh*t that sucks.

[Usmc0844spare]

Have you tried simple "really hot water"?

In my experience it does a good job, and if it's hot enough it heats the metal enough to flash off any residual water when left to dry.

[divingin]

Originally Posted by Dvrjon

For really old grease? Brake Cleaner (non-chlorine).

Carb cleaner is cheaper (or was, at least.)

Lots of stuff will soften/cut old grease: gasoline (no advantage to using avgas unless you're trying to lighten your wallet), diesel, acetone, alcohol, WD-40, industrial degreaser (stuff they use in pressure washers), even oil (if you can afford to wait a while.)

A brass brush or stiff toothbrush will speed things up. As will using an orange stick and scraping off all the heavy stuff first.

[M1NM]

You need to be patient grasshopper (if you don't remember that show insert "my son"). Get some solvent and drop them in check back in 24 hrs and see if it's soft enough to remove. If not come back the next day.
Everything in the world is instant satisfaction.

[bigbossman]

Originally Posted by Forestgnome

I find WD-40 works surprisingly well at dissolving old grease. Great for washing out bearings with hardened grease.

Yup, WD-40 will soften and clean out old grease.

[pacrat]

Originally Posted by Usmc0844spare

Have you tried simple "really hot water"?

In my experience it does a good job, and if it's hot enough it heats the metal enough to flash off any residual water when left to dry.

^^^BINGO^^^ ................. KISS RULE PREVAILS

[SVT-40]

Remove the grips and soak it in kerosene.