[shadow500]

I recently put a large workshop behind my house and now have a parts washer(shown below).

I was wondering if I could use it to clean my guns? Anyone here do that?

I use Crown PSC-1000 parts washer solvent from Tractor supply, which cleans car parts pretty darn good.
The solvent is 95-100% MEDIUM ALIPHATIC SOLVENT NAPHTHA (*64742-47-8).

My Springfield 1911 has Amory Kote, and the rest of my guns are blued. Some have plastic grips, which I could remove.

Thanks,

Chris

BTW, Here is my new shop when the concrete was being poured.

 

[tglynn]

I like to use the parts bath to get into places picks and brushes can't reach. After using it, I just wipe off the excess, blow off with compressed air and apply some lube.

 

[Dave.1]

Not familiar with Crown PSC but that and the naptha might be something you want to check on a small plastic part where it doesn't show. I use M-Pro7 with great results.

Beautiful shop!

Dave

 

[oldsoldier]

I used equal parts of Dextron ATF, low odor mineral spirits, and K1 kerosene in a parts washer to clean guns for years. I still use it in a large ammo can. I use the ammo can now because I can seal it when I'm done and the mineral spirits won't evaporate. I don't know if the stuff you have will harm your guns or not. You can use straight mineral spirits in your washer and it should't hurt anything.

 

[PEC-Memphis]

Man - that is one sweet workshop. :hearts:

Mind me asking how many SF and approximate cost?

 

[shadow500]

Man - that is one sweet workshop. :hearts:

Mind me asking how many SF and approximate cost?

Ill probably stick to traditional methods to clean my guns.

It is around 1600SF with a 16 ft ceiling, and a 14' by 14' door.

Building - $45K

Concrete including driveway and walk that isn't done yet - $15K

Having the garage Iv'e waited for all these years - Priceless!

More pics below, I probably should take more before I crap it al up.

I moved in last spring and am still setting things up.

Chris

 

[Jim S.]

First I would have to wonder why any of your guns would be so "dirty" that you would need to put them in a parts washer.
Save the parts washer for automotive parts cleaning.
Besides unless the solvent is perfectly clean why would you want your guns to soak in it?
If you even half way take care of your guns then normal methods of cleaning should be the way to go. Besides, you are not only cleaning the parts of your gun but inspecting them for wear or breakage.
Seems kind of on the lazy side to throw a gun in a parts washer.

 

[m24swsbar]

First I would have to wonder why any of your guns would be so "dirty" that you would need to put them in a parts washer.
Save the parts washer for automotive parts cleaning.
Besides unless the solvent is perfectly clean why would you want your guns to soak in it?
If you even half way take care of your guns then normal methods of cleaning should be the way to go. Besides, you are not only cleaning the parts of your gun but inspecting them for wear or breakage.
Seems kind of on the lazy side to throw a gun in a parts washer.

I remember in Army basic training we would clean our rifles after everytime we went to shoot, which was a whole lot. The rifles would also always get inspected to make sure they were perfect. At the end of the cycle we still put all of them through a solvent bath. What I thought was already clean became even cleaner

 

[1glockfan23]

When I was in the Army, we had a parts washer for cleaning our machine-guns. It worked great, wish I had room to install one.

 

[yesitsloaded]

I used equal parts of Dextron ATF, low odor mineral spirits, and K1 kerosene in a parts washer to clean guns for years. I still use it in a large ammo can. I use the ammo can now because I can seal it when I'm done and the mineral spirits won't evaporate. I don't know if the stuff you have will harm your guns or not. You can use straight mineral spirits in your washer and it should't hurt anything.

"Ed's Red"! Famous stuff. I used it for years in a parts washer when i shot many different weapons each week - nothing cleaned and lubed better/more quickly. Someone told me to watch the level of Acetone/Mineral Spirits I used b/c it could damage plastic/composite material. I don't shoot that much anymore and now I just use a brush and commercial cleaner/lube on my SD weapons - probably all that is needed for my Glocks anyway.

 

[NonPCnraRN]

I am now suffering from shop envy. I was thinking one of those shed type buildings you get at OSH was a workshop. Very nice. Good thing you are not married to my wife. She'd have it crammed from floor to ceiling with her crap er priceless treasures. She never throws anything away. We have enough wrapping paper, ribbons and bows to open a Hallmark strore.

 

[Glockrunner]

There are several componets that could possibility get lost in that depending on how you wash them.

Too remember there is a plastic sleeve in the firing pin chamber that isn't normally removed for cleaning, and don't know how the detergent you use will affect it or other plastic parts.

Glock sez, "If it is made for cleaning (solvents, cleaning agents) guns, it won't hurt ours."

I don't think an agitated wash is necessary for cleaning Glocks, myself if the owners manual is followed.

 

[sonicslam]

What you have will work for anything but the plastic/rubber stuff. I have toothbrushed with a rubber molded section and the solvent gets after that rubber.

Most exellent shop.

One final thought...when I take ANYTHING out of the parts washer, i wash it off with water. The warmer the better but out of the tap works too. The water and oil (solvent) seperate from each other. So when you blow them dry they don't have an oily film on them. Just my .02:wavey:

 

[oldsoldier]

"Ed's Red"! Famous stuff. I used it for years in a parts washer when i shot many different weapons each week - nothing cleaned and lubed better/more quickly. Someone told me to watch the level of Acetone/Mineral Spirits I used b/c it could damage plastic/composite material. I don't shoot that much anymore and now I just use a brush and commercial cleaner/lube on my SD weapons - probably all that is needed for my Glocks anyway.

I never mixed the acetone or lanolin into the Ed's Red. I would pull 3 oz of the mineral spirits, kerosene, and ATF mix and then add 1 oz of acetone. Worked terrific on plastic wad fowling of shotgun barrels. I never needed the acetone for general purpose cleaning of the guns.