A Machinist's Warning About New Tanks And "Machine Oil"

[suprtrkr]

always wondered what that white slime was in the bottom of the collection pan under the lathe...

Now you know. And it is nasty. I use the stuff called "Cool Tool" and the MSDS sheet outweighs a 55 gal drum of the stuff.

 

[Boden]

Interesting information,Bshady. None of my kayfun V3 or V4 tanks had even a tiny smell or evidence of any kind of solvent/coolant on them. I've read where others said theirs smell like solvent.

If it's squeaky clean and without a sign of coolant, it's ok to vape right out of the box?

Why risk it?

Isopropyl alcohol is cheap. I personally keep a bottle of everclear on hand to wash new attys.

 

[roxynoodle]

I personally clean everything with alcohol on arrival, except plastic tanks. I've had even high end attys arriving with coolant on them. I do call it "machine oil", but yes, I knew it was coolant.

I soak and scrub the plastic tanks with dish soap as I ruined one with alcohol.

 

[mauricem00]

The Problem
To all those newcomers to vaping, as well as some who've been around a while:
I've seen/heard people mention, in the course of discussing the new RBA/RDA/RTA/Whatever they just got, that they can "see" or "smell" "machine oil" in or on some part of the apparatus. I would like to clear up a few things around this subject. If you don't care about any explanations and only want the solution, scroll down to the last paragraph.
As an experienced machinist, I am intimately familiar with the different chemicals used in different machining processes and their properties. Without expounding endlessly upon the various minutiae to look knowledgeable, I can condense the relevant information down to the following:
The only type of "oil" that may be found in/on a tank would be tapping fluid. This is a mildly viscous oil used to make cutting threads by the use of a tap or die less difficult and gentler on the tooling being used. This is somewhat unlikely to be present because (among other reasons) it is most commonly used when cutting threads by hand.
The stuff (let's keep it technical, here) that is often described as "machine oil" is, in fact, coolant. Nearly all CNC Machines come set up to use coolant, and many older manual machines were set up or retrofitted to use it as well. Coolant is a general term that encompasses a whole range of chemical additives in aqueous solution. Without delving into all the different types and their properties, there is a simple Golden Rule that we machinists use regarding coolant: "Avoid that .... as much as humanly possible." If contacted on skin in any significant amount it can/will cause a rather nasty rash - very much like poison ivy. If inhaled after being aerosolized, it can/will cause extreme coughing bouts, choking, dizziness, nausea, and even fainting. Contact with the eyes can/will cause severe (I mean SEVERE, no ....) irritation and pain, and can cause varying degrees of (varyingly) temporary sight loss. Bottom line, this stuff is nasty .....

The Remedy
The solution is very simple. Whether your shiny new RTA has tapping oil in the threads or a fine film of coolant residue all over it, the answer is the same. DO NOT wash it with water, or soapy water, or super-soapy water - this will not clean it to a standard we would consider sufficient for food or medical grade use (which is what we are using it as). You must clean the metal and glass parts (as for PCB parts, I can not vouch for them due to the huge variety of types of plastics in use by different manufacturers, but anything that will stand up to juice should be fine - YMMV) with an alcohol or ketone solvent. Isopropyl Alcohol (Rubbing Alcohol) will work well, as will Acetone (commonly the main ingredient in nail polish remover, check the label). Both are naturally occurring in trace amounts inside the human body and both evaporate rapidly in normal ambient temperatures. All you need do is wet a cotton ball or two with the solvent of your choice (if you use a solvent not listed here you better know what you're doing) and use it to thoroughly wipe down your disassembled tank inside and out. It should not be necessary but, if desired, you can rinse with clean (ideally distilled) water and then leave on a towel to air-dry or dry with a hair dryer on low heat. Then reassemble, build, fill, and vape as per your usual.

This process will ensure that you get the absolute best taste production your tank can give you, as well as avoid any unpleasant side effects of the types I listed above.

Please understand that I take no responsibility nor accept any liability for your use or implementation of any portion of this information. Both alcohol and acetone are highly flammable, and thus care should be taken to not use them on a tank that is connected to a power source as well as making sure that any remaining solvent has evaporated before connecting to a power source. Please, use UN-common sense and extraordinary care in your endeavors.

great advice. I would like to add that it is not a bad ideal to "lubricate" the threads and rubber o-rings with VG before resembling after cleaning. alcohol and acetone do leave a residue that should be removed with dish soap and water. MEK does not leave a residue but is difficult to find

 

[mauricem00]

Interesting information,Bshady. None of my Kayfun V3 or V4 tanks had even a tiny smell or evidence of any kind of solvent/coolant on them. I've read where others said theirs smell like solvent.

If it's squeaky clean and without a sign of coolant, it's ok to vape right out of the box?

just because you can't smell it does not mean its not there. dry residue may be difficult to detect.always error on the side of safety

 

[DaveP]

Dave P, salient advice. It's always a good move to clean ALL components you're intending to use whether tank, dripper or coil. ++

I always clean what I buy, but I don't soak it. I just disassemble the parts and wipe them down with alcohol wipes followed by a water wash and dry. Yes, I know ethanol is safer, but we are talking about a quick wipe of isopropyl followed by water rinsing. That doesn't worry me. I worry more about how things are done in a factory in China. At least the alcohol removes that residue.

 

[DaveP]

Why risk it?

Isopropyl alcohol is cheap. I personally keep a bottle of everclear on hand to wash new attys.

That's ethanol, the safe, drinkable stuff.

 

[philoshop]

What am I vaping on right now?...

The sulphur-based stuff is pretty harsh, and there's a skunkiness to it that makes even beer taste bad.
Just kidding folks.

Good advice regarding the cleaning of attys.
Sawdust and wood chips clogging my drip tips are my personal hassles.

 

[DaveP]

What am I vaping on right now?...
View attachment 476574

The sulphur-based stuff is pretty harsh, and there's a skunkiness to it that makes even beer taste bad.
Just kidding folks.

Good advice regarding the cleaning of attys.
Sawdust and wood chips clogging my drip tips are my personal hassles.

Back when I smoked and spent a good bit of time in my basement workshop I felt like I inhaled more wood dust than tobacco smoke some days. Masks, beards, and mustaches don't play well together.

 

[Gahh]

I'm really glad you were considerate enough to add that info. I don't mix myself, but my ex-wife does (and is pretty talented at it) and has a huge selection of flavors, but it would never have occurred to me to try that. Now I'm feeling a strong compulsion to do just that. In fact.... I'm pretty sure Mango is one of the TPA bases she has.... I forsee my day spent really well or really poorly, depending upon your views toward binge drinking.

Thanks Rixsta!

Have you mentioned to your EX to wash the new gear out ,,,, or leave it to her to get the coughing bouts, choking, dizziness, nausea, and even fainting.
LOL

 

[Bunnykiller]

Good advice to clean parts.
However I want to add a warning as well. If you use acetone, do not make contact with your skin. Acetone will absorb through your skin and it is poisonous. I used it 30 years for cleaning optics and ALWAYS handled it with caution.

no wonder why Im so messed up..... hand washing oil based paint brushes for several years.... I kinda liked the "burn"

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

thanks for the good advice. also if you have good polarized sunglasses you can see the residue as a rainbow.

 

[BShady]

thanks for the good advice. also if you have good polarized sunglasses you can see the residue as a rainbow.

This is true, some polarized lenses under the right conditions can act like a refractometer and allow you to see traces of coolant residue. I would not, however, suggest that if you take a look at your atty through your Ray-Bans and don't see rainbow colors that is assurance that no residue is present.

great advice. I would like to add that it is not a bad ideal to "lubricate" the threads and rubber o-rings with VG before resembling after cleaning. alcohol and acetone do leave a residue that should be removed with dish soap and water. MEK does not leave a residue but is difficult to find

This is also good advice. A (very) little VG on threads will ease assembly and protect O-Rings from tearing (somewhat). Methyl-Ethyl-Ketone would be an ideal solvent, as would Methanol, or any number of other chemicals. However, these are much less common in the average household and require other precautions for their use to avoid injury. I suggest sticking with ethyl alcohol (the good kind, the drinking kind, 80 proof or better), isopropyl alcohol (aka denatured alcohol or rubbing alcohol), or acetone (nail polish remover, some paint thinners) due to their availability and relative safety of casual use. All three of those are also miscible with water and can therefore be completely removed with nothing but a quick rinse in clean (preferably distilled, so no trace deposits are left behind) water.

 

[RandyF]

I clean everything with Everclear, attys when I first get them and wire before I wrap my coils. I even wipe my fingers with a paper towel dabbed in Everclear before wicking my coils. We get the good 190 proof here in AZ.

 

[sonicbomb]

I trust what you are saying. I would have thought that a detergent like dish soap and very hot water (which is what I have always used) would have removed oil as well as a solvent.

 

[QU1T]

Thanks for the info!

What do you guys think about Ultrasonic cleaning machines?

Also, would we have not heard about "extreme coughing bouts, choking, dizziness, nausea, and even fainting." caused by dirty tanks before?
I am not on here for long, 2014, but I have yet to see anyone complain about the above symptoms - just saying, I am not having a go at you!

 

[KentA]

Thanks BShady.
I've been using dishsoap in a ultrasonic cleaner.

 

[sparkky1]

Food or medical grade ?
Like this ? Automatic Washer/Decontaminator Detergents & Lubricants Presoak Detergents Washer Decontaminator - D403 - NSC BetterBuilt funny no mention of MEK, acetone, paint thinner

I wash my food grade spoons in this :http://dawn-dish.com/en-us/?&utm_so...ontent=sZV9MWkKR_64326391011_e_dawn dish soap
For Oiled Wildlife, Dawn Cleans Best : Discovery News
Would you really use MEK / solvents to clean forks and knifes ? and then eat with them ?

 

[Alien Traveler]

Oils are present in many coolants (and they are used not only for tapping, but for turning, etc.), so we have machine oil smell on new attys.
I would never use acetone on my vaping gear. Could be bad on O-rings and some plastics.
Everclear is always good, but it is not kosher (at least for me) to use alcohol in vain. Dishwashing soap makes miracles for me. Do not underestimate the power of a soap.

 

[WillyZee]

I double soak all my Kayfuns in Absolut Vodka ... I then use the glass bottles to keep my PG/VG in.