Hey Chris...way to go man! I would like more information IYDM.
What solvents did you try and which do you like best?
Can you recycle or reuse the solvent?
Do you pre-clean parts with air pressure or use air gun after washing?
That aluminum sieve is used in foodservice. I have bought a few of them long ago. Did you find it in a yard sale?
Thanks for your idea!
You're giving me way too much credit. All I did was match some plastic buckets & lids with a need for something cheap to make cleaning parts easier.
It depends on how clean you want the saw or parts. Some folks want a saw or part just clean enough to do what work needs to be done, others find working on saws easier & more pleasant when the saw is really clean.
I usually start by scraping off the thick grunge, and then using compressed air. Some saws clean-up nicely with compressed air, some rags, & a little picking in the tight spots. Others have years of baked-on crud that require a lot more effort.
I use Purple Power, mainly because it's $12.50 for a 2.5 gallons at Auto Zone. I don't have a brand preference. I usually make up two spray bottles, one at 4 parts water to 1 part cleaner for light cleaning, one at 2:1 for tougher grunge. I use whatever empty household cleaner bottle I have handy. It helps if the bottle has a strong pump to give a strong stream, and an adjustable nozzle that gives a spray is a plus.
For really stubborn grunge, and light carbon build-up, I soak parts in undiluted cleaner in what ever container fits the part--plastic coffee containers, small dishwasher deteregent tubs, etc. I'm careful not to let parts soak too long, I learned my lesson when I left a piston & cylinder soaking too long.
I have re-used cleaner (I'm cheap) if the parts didn't leave the cleaner too oily. If you let the cleaner sit for a while the grunge sediment will settle to the bottom, and you can pour the 'clean' cleaner off the top.
After using cleaner, I rinse the parts with plain water using bottles with strong spray pumps. Sometime I use the water hose, but not often. I dry the parts with a shop towel, rag, paper towels, etc., then hit them with compressed air.
I got the sieve from my mother, not sure where she got it. When I did a lot of vegetable gardening I used it to strain homebrew organic fertilizers & pesticides. Now I use it to hold small parts when I clean them.
I also use a Karcher Power Washer that I got when my in-laws downsized. It's too lame for any serious cleaning, but it did come in handy when I went on a saw cleaning binge a couple of months ago. I had too many parts that needed the cracks & crevices cleaned, doing them by hand would've taken forever. I replaced the wimpy Karcher hose that knotted and blew out with a sturdier one. Doing so required a new gun, and I put in a nozzle insert that gives a tight stream.
I do have to be careful of the paint & decals, whether I use cleaning solution or the Karcher.
