[Hurly26]

Hello all, quick question for the forums. Is there a proper way to clean a wire wheel on a bench grinder? Background information: I use a bench grinder with a wire wheel on it to take off the factory coating from the milling process on my steel so that I get cleaner welds. The problem is, I have a lot of pieces to clean for the projects I perform. So, after a while the grease that I'm taking off with the wheel builds up on the wire wheel and just ends up splattering it back on pieces I'm trying to clean instead of actually cleaning them. I'm looking for a way to clean the wire wheel and free it from the greasy build up.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Michael

[WerkSpace]

Take the wire wheel off of the motor, and soak it in a solution of TSP overnight, then rinse it off in the morning.
TSP is found at most hardware stores and some grocery stores. Add water to a small quantity of this BASE powder.
Follow the directions on the package and wear safety goggles and gloves when using it.

Hello all, quick question for the forums. Is there a proper way to clean a wire wheel on a bench grinder? Background information: I use a bench grinder with a wire wheel on it to take off the factory coating from the milling process on my steel so that I get cleaner welds. The problem is, I have a lot of pieces to clean for the projects I perform. So, after a while the grease that I'm taking off with the wheel builds up on the wire wheel and just ends up splattering it back on pieces I'm trying to clean instead of actually cleaning them. I'm looking for a way to clean the wire wheel and free it from the greasy build up.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Michael

[Braehill]

Michael,
There are a few companies that make non-chlorinated brake cleaners (sold at most auto parts stores) that will probably dissolve this build up. Most of these cleaners evaporate quickly but, I would read the label to see if the other contents are within your limit of chemicals that you're willing to expose yourself to though. Before we had places like the internet to see that these chemicals may be harmful to us we would just use whatever worked best.

I've used oven cleaner over the years to clean off some pretty nasty stuff, just spray a liberal amount on the wheel and put a drip pan under it and let it set overnight. You might want to hold a large empty cardboard box in front of it in the morning to catch the loose stuff that will fly off when you start it.

Len

[Mike]

Welcome to the forum Michael.

[Otto Nobedder]

I think TSP is a great option for an end-of-the-day cleaning.

I also think the (yes, non-chlorinated) brake cleaner is a great option for periodic cleaning through the day, but a potential fire hazard, as it's best used with the wheel spinning. Assuming you have a full size stone on the other end of your grinder (to serve as a flywheel), you could come up to speed, kill the switch, unplug the grinder, and spray brake cleaner from the side into the wire-wheel where the wires meet the hub. The combination of centrifugal force and solvent should throw the crap off the wheel nicely.

I would add, with the TSP cleaning at the end of the day, I'd also clean the crap off of the shroud and guards.

Would it be practical to de-grease the material before it goes to the wire wheel? This would reduce the need for cleaning.

Steve S

[jwmacawful]

google "brake cleaner almost kills welder".

[GreinTime]

I'm not going to Google that, but if I had to venture a guess I would say its about Phosgene Gas? We talked about it at school, and CRC used to have (as off the last time I bought some) a specific warning about welding while brake clean and other cleaning solvents are present.

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[Hurly26]

Thanks everyone for the input, the knowledge base on this forum is awesome.

Couple of quick questions now though. Has anyone heard of anything similar to the poisoning that happened with the break cleaner happening with the TSP? Or, is it just safer and a better option to use this over break cleaner?

Next, how does non-chlorinated break cleaner make a difference? I mean as in, are you saying the non-chlorinated versions don't have the chemicals that caused the phosgene poisoning or is it that chlorinated break cleaners will break down parts on the wheel or what?

Anyone else have any opinion on oven cleaners? Since that's made for use in a place that people cook in, would it likely be safer than the other two options so far, TSP and brake cleaners?

@Otto Nobedder, the reason we use the wheel to do it is because it's quick and (usually) easy to do when the wheel is mostly free of the annoying grease build up. Can you suggest anything to clean it that would be similar in speed to the wire wheel? We have fairly stringent deadlines to meet for the project so large changes in time requirements as compared with previous years can't happen. Maybe dipping it in acetone and trying to wipe it off after that? I don't think getting anything like acid (which would quite certainly clean the pieces at the right concentration) is feasible.

These safety concerns are especially important here (and this is why obtaining acid wouldn't work) because this project in particular is part of a club that I'm the fabrication chair for at my university. Thus, there would potentially be other people working on, around, near, with etc. whatever I can use to address the grease problem. With their safety in mind, as well as my own, I would love to hear a little more input on the various options and such.

Thanks again,
Michael

[Otto Nobedder]

Michael, I'd think oven cleaner would be out for two reasons... First, it takes a while to work, and second is highly alkaline making it as dangerous as an acid.

TSP is essentially harmless... If it were used for a thorough cleaning at the end of the day (or once a week, if the following suggestion works), it should be rinsed. Additionally, the brake-cleaner caution does not apply here... The wheel will dry almost immediately with no residue, and as long as you use "non-clorinated" brake cleaner, there is no hazard at all... I use it all the time. You can't make Phosgene without chlorine.

I still think the use of brake cleaner, carburator cleaner, or light naptha used in the manner I described (unplugged, as the motor slowly winds down) is the most efficient method for a quick cleaning during the day. Slinging these solvents, however, does create a fire hazard (flammable fumes).

Perhaps a spray-bottle of a citrus-oil based cleanser (like Fast Orange or Mean Green) would serve the purpose without the flammable vapor hazard, then a spray bottle of clean water for a rinse? If the bench-grinder has a sealed motor, you might not have to kill and unplug it, though safety says you probably should anyway. Then each part could have a quick acetone wipe to remove any residue before welding.

Just some thoughts...

Steve S

[Braehill]

I know Zep makes a citrus based degreaser called big orange I believe. I've never read the ingredients to see what all was in it though. It worked very well for engine degreasing, plus it smells good too.

Len


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[GreinTime]

Michael,

I don't know how large the parts you are working on are, but to keep an acetone bath for any length of time would require a constant topping off, if left open to atmosphere, as the acetone would constantly evaporate. At a machine shop I worked at, we would use acetone as our primary cleaner to degrease the parts after they came back from getting nickel plated. The plating company felt it necessary to load everything up with a cosmolene type shit, and it caused many problems while trying to epoxy magnets to linear motor tracks. We had squeeze bottles with rigid straws (almost like a boxers water bottle, but smaller) that we would douse a rag with and give all the parts a quick wipe, and throwing the rags/cloth wipes away as needed due to contamination.
I don't know that it would be practical to try and wipe off all the shit left over from the actual manufacturing process of the steel, but as Steve said, it should definitely suffice as a post-wirewheeled solution to cleanup of the residue you had described. Plus, it will be way cheaper buying acetone by the gallon, as opposed to non-chlorinated brake clean by the can. Last I checked the cheap stuff was still over $3.99 a can, and this Nu-Tri-Clean stuff that we have, I won't mention its origins, is $16.00 for a spray can (its the shit though.)

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[Tombstone]

Additionally, the brake-cleaner caution does not apply here... The wheel will dry almost immediately with no residue, and as long as you use "non-clorinated" brake cleaner, there is no hazard at all... I use it all the time. You can't make Phosgene without chlorine.

BINGO! We have a winner! What Otto said is the correct information regarding Chlorine.

To the OP, how about a rag and some acetone wiped on the metal part first? Then apply the finishing touch of a wire wheel. The acetone will remove the majority of grease and oil, thus limiting the heavy contamination on the wire wheel. Also, acetone when dry, won't produce poison gas when heat and UV rays (weld arc) is applied to it. Wear rubber gloves though. Like most harsh chemicals, you don't want to absorb acetone in your skin in large amounts, if any.

[RandyS]

Lots of good suggestions here. I'm new to the forum, thanks for letting me join!

I've been searching a lot lately on how to clean wire tools, both bench grinder type and hand held drill types, and have had a lot of difficulty getting answers. With the tips provided in this thread i certainly plan to give them a try. But i do have to ask, being that I saw no mention of Simple Green, can anyone provide any feedback on this? I use it for many things and one of the closest applications that I found successful is soaking my table saw/circular saw/radial saw blades in Simple Green to remove the build up. Works great and wondered if anyone's tried it on wire wheels???

[Poland308]

It will depend a little on how the wheel is actually made. Some use resins or other epoxy’s to hold the bristles in place along with the mechanical crimp. Some wire wheels for drills, lower speed, use plastic hubs. As long as it doesn’t break down the non metal parts you should be fine. I have used simple green for degreaser lots of times. One thing not mentioned is an HVAC coil cleaning chemical. They make some specifically for cleaning exhaust fans for fume extraction, think commercial kitchen hoods. Best degreaser ever and is metal safe. Most ex fans are aluminum and steel so it is non corrosive. Works fast and you can mix it at different strengths to match the grease you are dealing with.
https://www.nucalgon.com/products/aeros ... g-solvent/
Most HVAC supply houses will cary it or the full strength version in a gallon jug.

[tweake]

just be careful with HVAC cleaners. some of those are corrosive and need to be used with care.