Best method to remove old gearbox grease that has turned to sticky goo??

[Spades]

  Even if you manage to release the liquid from its storage container, it instantly turns to gas while also cooling down.

He could decant/release/deposition into a condenser.  I will show myself out.  Peteki is 100% correct.

[Simon D.]

Actually I think it may be a combination of the solvent quality and the blast of the compressed gas.  Happy to be proved wrong if someone wants to try it out.


I wholeheartedly agree that naphtha is the best liquid solvent, but an advantage of almost instant evaporation is fire safety - I once had some interesting smoke and flame effects from an old Minitrix pacific which I had cleaned 10 mins before putting it on the track.

[peteski]

Actually I think it may be a combination of the solvent quality and the blast of the compressed gas.  Happy to be proved wrong if someone wants to try it out.

I wholeheartedly agree that naphtha is the best liquid solvent, but an advantage of almost instant evaporation is fire safety - I once had some interesting smoke and flame effects from an old Minitrix pacific which I had cleaned 10 mins before putting it on the track.

I'm just curious how you get to release the butane from the bottle since the tip is designed to be inserted into the filling port of a lighter.  It would be very awkward to try to get it to squirt out the liquid.

Butane (as a gas) is much more flammable (and explosive) than naphtha which doesn't have a very fast evaporation rate.  I would be afraid to use butane from a cigarette refill bottle or a cylinder for cleaning anything.  But if it works for you, that's all that counts.

I always blow out any solvent from my models before trying to run them to make sure they are dry. I either use my compressor, or sometimes an aerosol can of "compressed air". Since the cleaning also removes all lubricants, I also oil and grease the mechanism before running it.

[oakcreekco]

A great cleaner, and it's compressed.

Best of both worlds, in one can

[Simon D.]

[size=0px]I'm just curious how you get to release the butane from the bottle since the tip is designed to be inserted into the filling port of a lighter.  It would be very awkward to try to get it to squirt out the liquid[/size]
[/size]
I just found another clean rattle can nozzle to fit on a camping gas can, which disperses at [/size]90°.  It also helps to use those small tubes which come with WD40 etc to really get into the guts of the beast.


Don't you have a collection of nozzles?

[peteski]

[size=0px]I'm just curious how you get to release the butane from the bottle since the tip is designed to be inserted into the filling port of a lighter.  It would be very awkward to try to get it to squirt out the liquid[/size]
[/size]
I just found another clean rattle can nozzle to fit on a camping gas can, which disperses at [/size]90°.  It also helps to use those small tubes which come with WD40 etc to really get into the guts of the beast.


Don't you have a collection of nozzles?

LOL,  Yes. 

It must get quite frosty when you speay the liquid butane out.

You mentioned that you put the nozzle on a camping gas can?  I am familiar with small cans for butane lighter refills.  They also make similar refill cans for camp stoves?  What I'm familiar with are larger butane cans which can be used in camp stoves, and handheld torches.  But those have large threaded couplings.

[timwatson]

Isopropyl alcohol is great at this orrr the Purple Stuff.

[peteski]

Isopropyl alcohol is great at this orrr the Purple Stuff.

I would recommend against Purple Power or clones like Purple Stuff.  Yes, it removes grease, but is caustic, so it can attack aluminum and other metals, and it is also used by many modelers (like me) to strip paint from plastic models.  It is also damaging to human skin (rubber gloves are highly recommended when using that stuff).

[timwatson]

I would recommend against Purple Power or clones like Purple Stuff.  Yes, it removes grease, but is caustic, so it can attack aluminum and other metals, and it is also used by many modelers (like me) to strip paint from plastic models.  It is also damaging to human skin (rubber gloves are highly recommended when using that stuff).

Yup you can’t let metal sit in it but a small soft brush and some of it will clean the grease up quickly, and I use it to strip paint as well. It actually “degreases” the oils in your hands - it’s exceptionally good at that like Pete said but gloves required. Some moisturizing Lubriderm and you’re good to go again.

[Chris333]

I just soak it in cider. 

[Mike C]

I just soak it in cider.