Cleaning Solvents

[steelheadtom]

What is the best, and recommended solvent for cleaning reels? California has banned just about every decent solvent..that being said, what do you guys recommend?

[philaroman]

well, the nail-polish Capital of the World could never ban Acetone 

[oc1]

Varnish Makers and Painters (VM&P) Naphtha from the hardware store.  Nearly the same as expensive Ronson lighter fluid.
-steve

[thorhammer]

Oh, there's acetone free NPR and acetone has a regulatory limit on benzene PPM, 25 in US and 10 in EU. I used to work for the major player in nail polish in California and this particular subject was my headache to deal with.

That said- I never use solvent on reels. Dawn or simple green in US cleaner, no SG on aluminum parts, just dawn. Once clean, I'll soak anything showing corrosion in white vinegar a couple of days, then rinse. You have to be careful with solvents on painted parts, and plastic- they may destroy entirely or minimally haze / peel.

The only thing I use a solvent for is to flush bearings I'm not going to pull seals off of. Cover the bearing with lighter fluid in a small jar, I like a pimento jar, cap, and swish it around every hour or so. Flushes out a lot of gunk, when the fluid stays clear, I'll let dry then soak in Corrosion X.

Everyone on the board will do something different, and pull shields, soak all metal in MEK, use TS321, whatever...all good. this works fine for me and gets things clean and casting as long as my thumb will do- not a function of bearing speed.

Some of the pros use lacquer thinner- which can be turpentine, acetone, or other hydrocarbon based, but it gets expensive (Fred just spoke of this today). Faster yes, but more costly and potentially hazardous, plus waste disposal. I don't think I've had anything the US with Dawn or SG wouldn't deal with, if so I might spray with WD40 and scrub out first. My 0.01.

[Brewcrafter]

I think "best" kinda depends on your situation; how many reels you do/how beat up they are.  I'm purely a hobbyist and only doing a handful for myself and buddies over the year and Dawn dish soap, isopropyl, and white vinegar along with "elbow grease" are my staples.  I have used lacquer thinner in the past as well to good effect.  But cost has never really been a driving factor since it's not like I'm doing a dozen reels a day like the Pros.  And there are considerations with what certain chemicals can do to the reels themselves (swelling bakelite sideplates, dissolved anodizing, etc)  And probably most important there are considerations with personal safety (MEK anyone?) as well, but others here can speak to that with more authority. - john

[Cor]

I use lacquer thinners in the first instance and sometimes acetone, but the latter always on bearings.

I live where the safety rules are less stringent, which may be a bad thing.

[philaroman]

I use lacquer thinners in the first instance and sometimes acetone, but the latter always on bearings.

ditto...  DO NOT want to remove shields, and MUST have residue-free final rinse
that's where acetone is ideal & since I already have the big jug, anyway
it's plenty good enough for sealed initial soak of all unpainted metal
I need nothing else that's noxious or flammable -- just household cleaners, vinegar, WD-40, etc.

would like to try MEK on a pile of bearings that are on the cusp between being used or tossed

[Cor]

I use lacquer thinners in the first instance and sometimes acetone, but the latter always on bearings.

ditto...  DO NOT want to remove shields, and MUST have residue-free final rinse
that's where acetone is ideal & since I already have the big jug, anyway
it's plenty good enough for sealed initial soak of all unpainted metal
I need nothing else that's noxious or flammable -- just household cleaners, vinegar, WD-40, etc.

would like to try MEK on a pile of bearings that are on the cusp between being used or tossed

Is MEK the stuff we use as hardener for Polyester resin...if it is terrible stuff to work with.

[SteveL]

MEK is a solvent that I think would thin polyester and epoxy resins like acetone does.   If I recall correctly, when cleaning a surface prior to applying silicone caulk,  acetone and MEK both work but MEK dosn't evaporate as fast.

[Cor]

MEK is a solvent that I think would thin polyester and epoxy resins like acetone does.   If I recall correctly, when cleaning a surface prior to applying silicone caulk,  acetone and MEK both work but MEK dosn't evaporate as fast.

Sorry yes, I had it very wrong, I was thinking of MEKP the catalyst.    https://www.tapplastics.com/product/fiberglass/gel_coat/tap_mekp_liquid_catalyst/40#:~:text=MEKP%20(Methyl%20Ethyl%20Ketone%20Peroxide,cures%20(hardens)%20the%20resin.

[Tiddlerbasher]

IPA, Acetone, MEK in that preferential order.

[SteveL]

It is interesting that many people are thinning TSI321 with isopropyl alcohol rather than acetone often citing nylon races in the bearing that could be harmed by acetone.   I have been soaking my bearings in mineral spirits, kerosene or napha (i.e. camp stove fuel or lighter fluid) folllowed by a quick soak/rinse in acetone.  I usually dilute TSI321 with mineral spirits, sometimes with acetone.  Dried bearings get a dunk/quick soak in the diluted TSI.

So, I checked a chemical compatibility chart for nylon and found some interesting info.

The following is from https://www.calpaclab.com/nylon-chemical-compatibility-chart/ at 72 degrees F:

• Isopropyl has a severe effect on nylon
• Ethyl Alcohol has excellent compatibility
• Methyl Alcohol has good compatibility
• Acetone and MEK have excellent compatibility, though not necessarily with other reel components
• Kerosene has excellent compatibility
• Naphtha has excellent compatibility
• Naphthalene has excellent compatibility
• Mineral spirits has excellent compatibility
• Lacquer Thinner has excellent compatibility
• Ethane has a severe effect on nylon
• Heptane has excellent compatibility
• Nylon is generally chemically resistant to oils and fuels, gasoline, mineral spirits,kerosene and naptha
• Nylon is NOT compatible with  most acids
• Acetic acid (vinegar) has a severe effect on nylon
• Citric Acid  has excellent compatibility
• Ammonia (10%) has excellent compatibility

Denatured alcohol can be a mix of Ethyl alcohol with Methyl and/or Ispopropl alcohol with up to 30% water (not good for mixing with TSI).

I listed Ammonia, not usually associated with cleaning reels, because I clean smoker grill grates and greasy stainless pots and pans with Dawn dishwashing liquid and ammonia (works great).  I am not recommending it or trying it myself with reels or bearings, but it does cut grease.  (It could be an ingredient in some cleaners/degreasers.)

I use Dawn on side plates, graphite frames and some parts I don't want to soak in a solvent.

Other plastics may also be used for bearing races and could have different compatibilities.

Edit: Copied Naphthalene from the chemical site and treated it as Naptha (lighter fluid/camp fuel).  They are different.

[Tiddlerbasher]

I use IPA a lot - not because it's the best solvent (it isn't) but it is one of the least harmful to me and plays nicely with most things

[SteveL]

I use IPA a lot - not because it's the best solvent (it isn't) but it is one of the least harmful to me and plays nicely with most things

I've used IPA before, but since finding that WD40 (safe on most reel parts ) is about 50% mineral spirits, and some rod and reel cleaners contain a good bit of mineral spirits, I don't worry about getting mineral spirits on most parts of a reel.  

IPA may be fine for most parts of a reel, but the above info indicates it is not the best for soaking bearings or diluting TSI321 for use on bearings.

IPA might seem safe, but it absorbs through the skin as well as through breathing vapors.  Same is true of acetone.   Alan would likely know a good bit about the harmful effects of various solvents absorbed via skin or lungs.  Gloves and ventilation probably recommended for everything but Dawn dishwashing liquid.

IPA 91% is more than $2.50 a quart at Walmart.  I haven't found it cheaper by the gallon.  ($20 a gallon is the lowest I found on 99% IPA).   A gallon of camp stove fuel is about $10 at Walmart.  I don't recall the price of a gallon of mineral spirits but I don't think it was much more.  My choice of mineral spirits or naphtha is really determined by what is on the shelf and the price when I am at the store.  

[thrasher]

$20 for a gallon is cheap indeed for 99%, ACE has gallons for $33 but I can pick that up locally and avoid shipping costs(I always try to buy local first). I still have a gallon of denatured alcohol left over from rod building that I have been using for bearings, seems to work ok. I have been removing the shields before they get dunked. Dawn, simple green and vinegar works for everything else. I really try to avoid acetone