Degreaser

This topic has 25 replies, 16 voices, and was last updated 14 April 2013 at 20:45 by Sub Mandrel.

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11 April 2013 at 11:15 #6659
Graeme Starkey
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@graemestarkey91347
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11 April 2013 at 11:15 #116615
Graeme Starkey
Participant
@graemestarkey91347
Can anyone tell me where I can obtain degreasing agent, I am ready to braze my. Boiler for the mini but can't find a degreaser help
11 April 2013 at 11:24 #116617
doubletop
Participant
@doubletop
I asume you are in the UK

Halfords? Gunk or Jizer?

Unless you are doing a copper boiler and really need a deoxidizer. Then you need cirtric acid from the baking section in Tescos or your local home brew shop

Pete
11 April 2013 at 11:26 #116618
Russell Eberhardt
Participant
@russelleberhardt48058
Hot water and washing-up liquid is good enough and dirt cheap. A quick dip in acid pickle to remove any oxide is a good idea. Your flux should do the rest.

Russell
11 April 2013 at 11:28 #116620
JohnF
Participant
@johnf59703
Hi Graeme, I have not used it for the purpose you intend but brake cleaning fluid is a good de-greaser, you can buy it at most motor factors–never seen it in DIY motoring shops.

Personally for the job in hand I would use a mechanical process, i.e. emery and elbow grease-works every time with a suitable flux ! If there is a greasy film on your copper just wash with soap and water then use the emery.

Remember when soldering "cleanliness is next to Godliness"

John
11 April 2013 at 11:40 #116622
Gordon W
Participant
@gordonw
Hot water and washing powder, better and cheaper than wash. liquid. Also washing up lquid has oil/ grease in it to protect my hands.
11 April 2013 at 15:09 #116638
Russell Eberhardt
Participant
@russelleberhardt48058
Posted by Gordon W on 11/04/2013 11:40:51:

Also washing up lquid has oil/ grease in it to protect my hands.

Yes, Fairy Liquid contains geraniol, an oil found in geraniums etc. It can cause some problems with painting but I've never had problems withy silver brazing. The heat of the torch soon burns off the minute quantity left behind.

Russell.
11 April 2013 at 18:23 #116651
Andyf
Participant
@andyf
Stuff comes out of the dishwasher pretty clean, in my experience.

I've put some pretty mucky items through it from time to time, though I haven't cleaned iron or steel that way in case the hot water and air give it a slight rust coating.

Andy
11 April 2013 at 21:06 #116662
Gordon A
Participant
@gordona
A fair selection of de-greasers here:-

http://www.cromwell.co.uk/shop/080602/degreasers

Gordon.
12 April 2013 at 00:10 #116671
nigel jones 5
Participant
@nigeljones5
gunk..gunk..gunk..but rinse it off properly, best with a jetwash!
12 April 2013 at 07:06 #116676
Speedy Builder5
Participant
@speedybuilder5
Hi Graeme, you use the term Braze. Preparation for brazing could be different from silver soldering. Personally, I would not use emery cloth to clean copper as a preparation method as the soft metal would become impregnated with the emery, steel – probably OK. Gunk leaves a filmed surface in my experience. What material are you making the boiler from ?

Bob
12 April 2013 at 08:41 #116682
Michael Malleson
Participant
@michaelmalleson22793
Cellulose thinner is the best degreaser by far, leaving a clean and dry surface, I use it all the time. Sticky tapes stick fast after it's use. Obtainable fron your local motor factor. BEWARE – highly flamable with low flashpoint. Mike.
12 April 2013 at 10:46 #116693
Graeme Starkey
Participant
@graemestarkey91347
Posted by Speedy Builder5 on 12/04/2013 07:06:28:

Hi Graeme, you use the term Braze. Preparation for brazing could be different from silver soldering. Personally, I would not use emery cloth to clean copper as a preparation method as the soft metal would become impregnated with the emery, steel – probably OK. Gunk leaves a filmed surface in my experience. What material are you making the boiler from ?

Bob

Thanks for your reply, the boiler is copper and yes I should have used the term silver solder, c4 and tenacity flux, I was in engineering for a long part off my life and used a hot degreaser bath for all brazing and soldering work. And perhaps I am looking at this to hard, but to cut the story short I rang the old boss and have a pint of acetone coming my way, yes I do know how dangerous this stuff is.
12 April 2013 at 10:59 #116695
Geoff Theasby
Participant
@geofftheasby
Many nail varnish removers are Acetone. Try your wife's beauty drawer, or make up shop or nail bar.

Regards

Geoff
12 April 2013 at 14:01 #116702
Ian S C
Participant
@iansc
The nail varnish remover has oil (proberbly a vegetable type), and leaves an oily surface to the nail, Straight acetone tends to dry out, and damage the nails, your chemist might be able to supply a small bottle of straight acetone, or maybe a paint shop, don't know never tryed, its one of those chemicals tied up with the manufacture of illicit drugs, so don't expect to be able to buy a 44 gal drum of it. Ian S C
12 April 2013 at 15:30 #116709
Russell Eberhardt
Participant
@russelleberhardt48058
Acetone is available in most supermarkets here at €2 a litre. Don't know why it's so difficult to get here.

Yes, it's an excellent degreaser for surfaces to be painted but a bit OTT for silver brazing. Yes I believe the correct term is silver brazing not silver soldering. I think the difference between soldering and brazing has to do with the temperature not the materials.

Russell.
12 April 2013 at 18:57 #116726
Sub Mandrel
Participant
@submandrel
Or soak in washing soda. Just bought a kilo from Aldi for 87p to cheer myself up for the lack of useful gadgets today – such as a left handed digital vernier at a rock bottom price.

Neil
13 April 2013 at 12:23 #116770
Ian S C
Participant
@iansc
Hand cleaner / Swafega works well for degreasing engine blocks, smear it all over, a good thick coat, and work it in, leave it for a while, then wash off with water, dry as soon as possible, because rust will follow in miniutes, if the cleaned bits are not for painting, protect with oil, otherwise paint it. Ian S C
13 April 2013 at 16:49 #116785
nigel jones 5
Participant
@nigeljones5
As far as I remember brazing and soldering are the same thing (can of worms anyone?).
14 April 2013 at 10:38 #116818
Ian S C
Participant
@iansc
No argument from me fizzy, When I can get it 22/24 swg brass wire is good for steel parts, I think the use of brass is where the term brazing came from. Ian S C
14 April 2013 at 11:06 #116823
Sub Mandrel
Participant
@submandrel
I don't think you'll ever get total agrement on the terminology. Silver soldering potentially cofuses with low temperature silver bearing solders, brazing and silver brazing both imply brass in the filler metal, which isn't the case. Hard soldering seems sensible as a contrast to soft soldering, but you hardlky ever see it used.

Neil
14 April 2013 at 12:39 #116845
Gary Wooding
Participant
@garywooding25363
Don't worry about using washing up liquid as a degreaser – it's common practise to add a drop or two of it when mixing the flux powder with water; it improves the "wetability" of the paste.

Gary
14 April 2013 at 19:19 #116885
nigel jones 5
Participant
@nigeljones5
I use fairy in mine…goes a horid shade of black though!
14 April 2013 at 19:43 #116887
MICHAEL WILLIAMS
Participant
@michaelwilliams41215
Why do you need a degreasing agent ???

The only time I've ever had need to specify degreasing for a brazing job was when using the vacuum furnace process where it is nescessary to clean off anything that can produce gassing or surface contamination when heated .

For doing a brazing job on a copper boiler in the open air – a mild scouring , a longish weak pickle soak and a slosh off under the tap are all that is usually needed .

MikeW
14 April 2013 at 20:00 #116888
TSH
Participant
@tsh73987
For those looking for Acetone it is commonly available from glass fibre suppliers. Examples are

http://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk/c-854-solvents-additives.aspx

and

http://www.lasaero.com/site/products/article?id=M043GWPXN

Trevor
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