A Machinist's Warning About New Tanks And "Machine Oil"
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I just throw mine in vodka, then while the bottle is out I think, well, I may as well have a vodka and mango drink, win win
Ever try Reyka?
Best vodka I have ever enjoyed.
I like it more than Belvedere. And that is saying something!
When you clean with alcohol, even though it sticky evaporates, didn't it leave anything behind? Or since it evaluates so quickly you can just use the device afterwards? Do you recommend after cleaning with alcohol using distilled water or just use the device?
If they were contaminated with the stuff we use to cut parts in the shop, I would in a heartbeat. Mainly because I understand basic chemistry and physics. I've spent most of my machining career doing jobs in two industries: Defense/Aerospace and Medical Devices. Guess all those tens of thousands of people who got the medical implants we machined and cleaned with methanol must all be dead. Strange how with all that regulation and oversight by the FDA and the clients they were extremely .... about insisting that every single part had to be washed with methanol when it's apparently so hazardous even after evaporating.
You sure set me straight.
Without getting deep into the chemistry and physics of all this, I'll try to give a brief explanation and an affirmative answer. With all of the solvents I have discussed, including ethyl and isopropyl alcohol, they will be naturally evaporated away without further action on your part. What you describe as "sticky" evaporation is actually a back-and-forth dance where the alcohol is initially concentrated enough to have a flash point (the point at which evaporation begins to occur) significantly below average room temperatures. As the alcohol evaporates, two things happen: One, the alcohol becomes less concentrated and thus the flash point is raised. And, two, the evaporation itself expends energy and therefore cools the remaining alcohol. Obviously, these two processes act in concert to slow the rate of evaporation and cool the remaining solvent (and by cooling, increase viscosity [thickness]). This process eventually slows, stops, and reverses to continue the evaporation - and so on, and so forth. This is why you can get a "tacky" feeling if you touch a surface that alcohol is evaporating from at the right time near the end of the evaporation cycle. If using isopropyl alcohol it will evaporate completely leaving almost no trace chemicals behind in a short time period of 5-20 mins depending upon local conditions of application amount, ambient temperature, air current properties, and other random environmental factors.
As I stated before, I do not believe it necessary to rinse after cleaning with isopropyl alcohol, provided you've allowed enough time for the evaporation to be complete. However, there is nothing wrong with rinsing your parts with distilled water if it eases your mind. There is something wrong with rinsing in tap water because it is chlorinated, fluoridated, and contains tons of trace salts, metals, and other organic and inorganic compounds (including a permissible percentage of human and animal waste) that will dirty up your nice clean tank!
Those symptoms I listed are generally brought on by exposure to levels somewhat significantly higher than you'd find as residue in your new tank. I was illustrating a point and alluding to the possibility that perhaps the annoying little headache you got last month on the day you first used your new RDA could be more than pure coincidence.
As for Ultrasonic Cleaners, I have one that I use mainly for cleaning brass before reloading which works very well. Nothing wrong with putting your stuff in there for a cycle. I will suggest that in addition to a few drops of dish soap you add a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar. The surfactants in the soap will attach to and carry away most of the stuff we're worried about for the sake of this discussion, but will do it much more effectively with the addition of a bit of a mild acid to act as a solvent to break the unwanted compounds away from the tank materials so the surfactants can "grab" them and carry them off.
I live in the UK so except for Smirnoff, most of it would strip paint off wood.
I will google it and take a look though.
Totally agree. No way would I recommend using acetone, or even isopropyl alchohol even with its low toxicity of its residue. Everclear sounds good, or other drinkable alchohol. And FOR ME I'm convinced washing all the parts in dishwashing liquid hot soapy water and a thorough rinsing does a great job. If I wouldn't wash my pots and pans with it I wouldn't clean my tanks with it! Acetone?? NO!
I recently cleaned a new tank which had lots of small parts and I was amazed at just how much muck was present. The water had a distinct off color, and the amount of actual visible particulate matter floating it was remarkable.
Without getting deep into the chemistry and physics of all this, I'll try to give a brief explanation and an affirmative answer. With all of the solvents I have discussed, including ethyl and isopropyl alcohol, they will be naturally evaporated away without further action on your part. What you describe as "sticky" evaporation is actually a back-and-forth dance where the alcohol is initially concentrated enough to have a flash point (the point at which evaporation begins to occur) significantly below average room temperatures. As the alcohol evaporates, two things happen: One, the alcohol becomes less concentrated and thus the flash point is raised. And, two, the evaporation itself expends energy and therefore cools the remaining alcohol. Obviously, these two processes act in concert to slow the rate of evaporation and cool the remaining solvent (and by cooling, increase viscosity [thickness]). This process eventually slows, stops, and reverses to continue the evaporation - and so on, and so forth. This is why you can get a "tacky" feeling if you touch a surface that alcohol is evaporating from at the right time near the end of the evaporation cycle. If using isopropyl alcohol it will evaporate completely leaving almost no trace chemicals behind in a short time period of 5-20 mins depending upon local conditions of application amount, ambient temperature, air current properties, and other random environmental factors.
As I stated before, I do not believe it necessary to rinse after cleaning with isopropyl alcohol, provided you've allowed enough time for the evaporation to be complete. However, there is nothing wrong with rinsing your parts with distilled water if it eases your mind. There is something wrong with rinsing in tap water because it is chlorinated, fluoridated, and contains tons of trace salts, metals, and other organic and inorganic compounds (including a permissible percentage of human and animal waste) that will dirty up your nice clean tank!
THROW THE TANK AWAY
What the .... is wrong with you guys?
The conditions in the factories where fake products like this are made will make your stomach turn.
If your tank smells like lubricants, send it out for testing and when you get the results, don't be shocked if Arsenic was found in your tank. Very common in counterfeit factories.
What the .... is wrong with you guys?
The conditions in the factories where fake products like this are made will make your stomach turn.
If your tank smells like lubricants, send it out for testing and when you get the results, don't be shocked if Arsenic was found in your tank. Very common in counterfeit factories.
I have had the opportunity to to see how the parts are cut and cleaned from a few different manufactures not mentioning any names and they don't use "white spirits" as you did in your shop, they use a commercial grade ultrasonic and Water-Based Heavy Duty Degreaser Concentrate - SOYAC Industrial
Why would you advise "newbies" going back over with solvents ?
Soak in Dawn hot water, brush, make a new soak bath a second or possibly a third and you will be able to eat off it.
Why would you advise "newbies" going back over with solvents ?
Soak in Dawn hot water, brush, make a new soak bath a second or possibly a third and you will be able to eat off it.
Did you say Methanol ?
CDC - Disinfection & Sterilization Guidelineisinfection - HICPAC
Yes, I did. It's called electropolishing. And, just for your edification, the FDA regulates medical devices - not the CDC.
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