The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Parts Washer - Kerosene vs. Varsol

I did a search and found some old post on various parts washer fluids. (It's funny how many of those fellas from 06 aren't around the bolt any more, I guess folks come and go. Anyway, what do you guys think? Know Deve uses Kerosene, but I remember dad always had Varsol for cleaning parts at home. I don't want anything that will explode, fumes will not cause cancer (always plan to use protective gloves), and with lighter density than oil, so I can drain the scum off the bottom after things settle out for a while. I don't remember it smelling like gojo, but I always liked the smell of gojo. I used a biodegradable water based one today, and had the biggest darn mess you'll ever see. These water based cleaners don't dilute or break down the hydrocarbons, so guess what the crud floats on top of the water. That's enough of that. Let's hear thoughts.

This is a big question. It depends on what you are cleaning and what you are cleaning off of it. I have never found a need for a parts cleaner. Over rated. If I did have one I would use some kind of biodegradable soap/fluid. But a bucket of gas works for grease. Followed with Simple Green. If you can't use a bucket of gas without killing yourself you should eat with your fingers. I have a sand blaster where a parts cleaner would go. Better use of space.

We use plain old vegetable cooking oil in our parts washer and it works fine.

I still use Varsol in my parts tumbler. It does a better job. When I get done I dump all of it in the used oil tank. In my part of Texas, used motor oil goes for bunker fuel, and once ships get out over open water, nobody cares what they burn.

Bucket of gas is what I was raised on. Right next to the wood stove in a small garage while dad was pulling more parts.
Don't laugh, this is really true.

Huh?

To explain my joke: If you can't clean parts with gas safely, then maybe you should not handle sharp knives and pointy forks either. If it's not funny, it's serious.

I like using either diesel or #1 kerosene & if it's getting painted I rise w/paint thinner or mineral spirits..joe

i have 2 parts washers.. because of the high cost of good solvents anymore, i keep one full of diesel fuel and the other has denatured alcohol in it for things than need a second cleaner washing..i also have a blast cabinet and a pressured pot blaster for those rusty parts.. and sometimes with something large and real rusty i send them to the local monument place when they are blasting headstones