Tool Degreasing

[Griffo]

Most of my tool collection comes from the days of playing with cars. Thus they have years of grease & oil etc on them. I'd like to degrease the lot to reduce the likeleyhood of cross contamination during reg work.
Is there any reccomended degreaser that won't promote rusting of the steel tools?

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

It is not the degreasing that causing rust, it is what happens afterwards. Hot water and detergent works reasonably well especially if you have an ultrasonic cleaner. Most of the tools I use in regulator work are high chromium enough not to rust significantly under ordinary conditions. But there are some tools that do rust when rigorously cleaned. To solve that cultivate a relationship (typically a cash and carry relationship) with the supervisor at your local plating shop. You will want to pay by the batch since they hang all the parts in a series of baths to clean and plate. A nickle strike with solve your problem.

 

[Peter_C]

Acetone...

 

[pjhansman]

Wd40....?

 

[DennisS]

Gunk degreaser followed by detergent and water, apply a thing coat of silicon oil

GUNK

 

[lucca brassi]

Google : dry ice blasting

 

[cyoung]

As I understand your question, you want to clean your everyday mechanic tools for use when doing scuba equipment repair.

Rightly so, you would not want to get axle grease onto any of your dive equipment.

There are several options here:

1. Buy additional tools (chrome plated), an adequate tool box, dedicated "only for scuba".

2. Use on hand tools, degrease each time you want to use 'em for scuba equipment. This would be somewhat a PITA process.

Remember that any petroleum based cleaners will leave hydrocarbon residues.
If we are talking O2 cleaning (100% oxygen exposure or at least 50%+), this is totally unacceptable.
Even our bare hands will leave sweat and oil.

So, considering general equipment repair, ect. - non O2 clean type of work.

Cleaning your tools.

If the wife, girlfriend or whomever, will allow.
If these tools are really dirty, go ahead and use a cleaner, i.e. the cheap Wal-Mart carb cleaner. Check them overfor dried or lodged grease, etc.
Now lets get rid of the hydrocarbons, the best we can.
Fill the sink with about a gallon of hot (tap) water, add 1 oz of joy or dawn.
Scrub 'em really "good". It's possible that you may need to do this more than once.
Boil 'em 2 times.
Next, a pot or pan large enough to put the tools in. Put the tools in, fill with water and bring to a rolling boil, back off the temp to a gentle boil for about 5-10 min.
Cold water rinse - 1 time.
Put on a pair of medical rubber gloves, take 'em out of the pan, place them on a paper towel.

Now your tools should be free of contaminates.

I'm sure some would disagree on this, none the less.

Remember the hands, sweat and our own body oils (for this writing "SBO") etc.

To prevent my own SBO from contaminating my (others) 1st & 2nd stages, I use the medical grade gloves.

Don't know if this is of help to you, hope so.

carl

 

[captain]

Don't forget to put them in an autoclave to sterilize them too, don't want to be breathing germs.

 

[Thalassamania]

Don't forget to put them in an autoclave to sterilize them too, don't want to be breathing germs.

Cap, you're not that far off. We used to keep an oxygen clean set of tools to take inside the chamber. We bought tools, soaked them in simple green, scrubbed them with a toothbrush, and ran them through a plain old dishwaser with plenty of dish detergent and they dry cycle on.