DIY Parts solvent washer

[MarineScott]

Has anyone fabricated a parts washer using an old propane tank? I have a 40 lb cap. ( about 9.5 gal. ) tank I want to use, and yes I know how to prepare them and cut them open.

 

[gearhead1]

Nope. I did make one out of a 55 gallon steel drum, by cutting in half lengthwise, made a flat lid for the top and attached with hinges. It sat on a 2x4 frame and had a 20 gallon barrel below it.

I welded a bung in the middle bottom, and threaded a piece of pipe that emptied into a strainer below that sat in the gallon barrel. That way the solids are mostly collected.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I got this unit at a secondhand store. I paid $40 There is an ABS open top tank inside and a single kitchen sink on the top. The lid is spring loaded to close when a fusible link melts. There is a submersible pump in the tank,
I use a petroleum product called VARSOL, here.
I have had it for 30+ years. I was made in Canada in the 1950s.

 

[jimkinney]

I built one years ago using a utility sink similar to the one above. Drained it into a 5 gal metal bucket with a solvent pump that I bought from Grainger. I also used non-flammable cleaning solution from Grainger.
It got left behind in a move, wish I still had it somedays.

I don't know what size propane tank you have, but if you cut it in half the long way, it would hold larger parts.

 

[metalmagpie]

Archived from John Stevenson:

We're talking plain paraffin (kerosene to you Yanks) here so don't start whining
about fire/ozone friendly/or growing **** use what you have to as long as it's
not water soluble.

Standard model:-

Get a 25 gallon open top container and solder a drain bung HALFWAY up the side.
Fit a grill plate on legs in it so that its about 8" from the top. Make this
easy to remove. Fill with water to about 1" below the side drain bung then fill
with paraffin (Kerosene) until just above the top of the grill tray.

Method of use:- Just put your parts in and brush clean. All the ****, rust and
debris will sink to the bottom into the water leaving the kerosene clean. Every
so often drain the kerosene out using the drain bung and save for reuse. Then
tip the water / **** away. If yours neighbour's dog craps on your lawn then
drain the water onto his one night - fair swap.

Deluxe Model:- As above but stand a tray or old sink unit top on the top of the
drum and drop a pond pump onto the grill drain back into drum.

These are so simple but work. I have never seen a commercial unit like this
don't know why. I just gave my last one away the other week. Big plastic Lin Bin
for a tray old kitchen bin for the drum and an old pond pump that kept getting
blocked by algae. Had this 3 years and only cleaned it once.

 

[lilredex]

I have reverted to the simplist wash tank. Had the one in the second picture,but never used it (sold it)

 

[Fixr]

Archived from John Stevenson:

We're talking plain paraffin (kerosene to you Yanks) here so don't start whining
about fire/ozone friendly/or growing **** use what you have to as long as it's
not water soluble.

Standard model:-

Get a 25 gallon open top container and solder a drain bung HALFWAY up the side.
Fit a grill plate on legs in it so that its about 8" from the top. Make this
easy to remove. Fill with water to about 1" below the side drain bung then fill
with paraffin (Kerosene) until just above the top of the grill tray.

Method of use:- Just put your parts in and brush clean. All the ****, rust and
debris will sink to the bottom into the water leaving the kerosene clean. Every
so often drain the kerosene out using the drain bung and save for reuse. Then
tip the water / **** away. If yours neighbour's dog craps on your lawn then
drain the water onto his one night - fair swap.

Deluxe Model:- As above but stand a tray or old sink unit top on the top of the
drum and drop a pond pump onto the grill drain back into drum.

These are so simple but work. I have never seen a commercial unit like this
don't know why. I just gave my last one away the other week. Big plastic Lin Bin
for a tray old kitchen bin for the drum and an old pond pump that kept getting
blocked by algae. Had this 3 years and only cleaned it once.

A small problem I see with Sir John's design is that when it comes time to dispose of the water, that water is contaminated with petroleum, which can make it a little hard to dispose of appropriately. Maybe mix it with used antifreeze and drop it off at AutoZone or some such.

Edit, alternatively, some locations are OK with putting it down the sewer system as long as it doesn't have a layer of liquid petroleum product floating on top.