How To Clean Flat Black

[mccaer01]

Have a KRL722 in flat black and red trim. Wondering if anyone had any thoughts on the best way to clean it. S/O guy says has only sold 2 others in flat black and doesnt know how they clean them. I have tried a soft towel with hot water and it works somewhat but not great. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[GarageWrench]

Have you tried an auto spray detailer, like Meguiars Final Inspection?

 

[GarageWrench]

Also I would only use quality micro fiber cloths on it.

 

[MrMark]

I would try WD40 in a small area and see how it does. I bet it would do well on this. It works great on the crinkle finish like Kennedy tool boxes, and is actually recommended by Kennedy as I recall. Flat black has a roughness to it like the krinkle paint and might work well.

 

[Outlawmws]

I would try WD40 in a small area and see how it does. I bet it would do well on this. It works great on the crinkle finish like Kennedy tool boxes, and is actually recommended by Kennedy as I recall. Flat black has a roughness to it like the krinkle paint and might work well.

I don't recommend this as WD-40 does have kero/oil in it and will likely stain the flat surface.

My initial reaction to the thread title, was "More flat black" but in this case...


90% or better isoprop alcohol?

 

[MrMark]

I don't think anyone outside of the company really knows what is in WD40, but I've never seen it hurt anything. It is the safest cleaner I have ever used and the solvent I would always start with when trying things. It works beautifully on flat black plastic notebook computer cases, I can assure you of that.

 

[Outlawmws]

I don't think anyone outside of the company really knows what is in WD40, but I've never seen it hurt anything. It is the safest cleaner I have ever used and the solvent I would always start with when trying things. It works beautifully on flat black plastic notebook computer cases, I can assure you of that.

http://www.wd40company.com/files/pdf/msds-wd482671453.pdf

 

[mixxmstrmike]

I would suggest cutting Woolite with water (1:10) and using a microfiber towel. The Woolite should give you a bit more cleaning power than just plain water.

-Mike

 

[Outlawmws]

Have you contacted Snap-On directly? Surely they have cleaning instructions?

What do the street racers use on the flat black cars that were so popular a few years back?

 

[jjjrmx5]

What do the street racers use on the flat black cars that were so popular a few years back?

Depends on the finish.

Years ago we have a local guy that repainted his car in a very nice and expensive DuPont 2 part matte black finish with no clear needed.

We attempted to wax it for him one evening under the cover of darkness months after the paint job for a weekend car show only to find out the next morning it looked like sh^% and was totally hazed over even when waxed and wiped as usual.

Come to find the finish was not set up for any type of protectant coat.

Had 5 guys take buckets of hot water and Dawn dish detergent to it with sponges and once washed and rinsed, it looked like new as it should have been.

Lesson learned: know what finish you have or are using.

I's say for the box wipe with 3M adhesive remover or isoprop. alchohol if gunky . Then try , as mentioned above, a detailing spray. I like to use Griots Garage detailing spray as i know that it does not remove any wax protectant.

I'm sure windex or any type of plain or foamy glass cleaner will be fine as well.

 

[jjkrjh]

We have always used glass cleaner with a lint free rag. Been doing it since the late 60's with the Dodges with the flat black hood centers with no problems.

 

[darkk]

I know Harley Davidson makes a special cleaner for their flat black...

 

[MrMark]

http://www.wd40company.com/files/pdf/msds-wd482671453.pdf

Where is the kerosene?

 

[Outlawmws]

Slept through basic chemistry Mark? You do know what a hydrocarbon is? How about petrolatum based oil?

My point was that WD-40 has oils in it, and you don't want to go spraying oils on a flat painted surface. (do what you want with your stuff however...)

 

[data88]

i have a flat black snap on box as well except its a classic 78....i use watered down simple green and a microfiber and the box looks brand new ....no shine whatsoever

do you have the armor edge top on yours? i have it on mine and it goes so well with the flat black

 

[MrMark]

Slept through basic chemistry Mark? You do know what a hydrocarbon is? How about petrolatum based oil?

My point was that WD-40 has oils in it, and you don't want to go spraying oils on a flat painted surface. (do what you want with your stuff however...)

Enough with the smart ***, I have a feeling I had a bit more chemistry than you. I still don't see any kerosene. It seems there may be quite a few petroleum based oils that are not kerosene. In fact, I'll wager that there are millions - maybe an infinite potential number, really - of hydrocarbon molecules both real and theoretical, and you think that this one is kerosene because it is a hydrocarbon. OK, you've got me there. I bow to your superior knowledge of chemistry, otherwise known as speaking out your (*^(*.

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

car wash soap and hot water.

 

[Sh1thead]

Dawn and some warm water

 

[Crow Horse]

Kero or not, I don't think WD40 would be a good idea. My experience has been that once the carrier evaporates, the remaining tends to attract and hold dirt.......

 

[NUTTSGT]

car wash soap and hot water.

Dawn and some warm water

I'd think these are two good suggestions to start with. I'd go with the Dawn first as it will cut the grime from the greasy hands.

 

[MrMark]

haha

What does WD-40 contain?
While the ingredients in WD-40 are secret, we can tell you what WD-40 does NOT contain. WD-40 does not contain silicone, kerosene, water, wax, graphite, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), or any known cancer-causing agents.

http://www.wd40.com/faqs/


How does Crow taste? I hear it is not bad if cooked at 400 for 4 hours, basted with alpiatic hydrocarbons and doused in Frank's hot sauce. Eat up Mr Badlands.

 

[Outlawmws]

Enough with the smart ***, I have a feeling I had a bit more chemistry than you. I still don't see any kerosene. It seems there may be quite a few petroleum based oils that are not kerosene. In fact, I'll wager that there are millions - maybe an infinite potential number, really - of hydrocarbon molecules both real and theoretical, and you think that this one is kerosene because it is a hydrocarbon. OK, you've got me there. I bow to your superior knowledge of chemistry, otherwise known as speaking out your (*^(*.

You are the one that misquoted me, I said kero/oil. I put it that way as there have been several claims over the years that WD-40 has been analyzed and its at least partly Kerosene. I tend to believe it, but have no direct proof. What I do know is that the MSDS clearly states that a significant portion is oil.

Kero or not, I don't think WD40 would be a good idea. My experience has been that once the carrier evaporates, the remaining tends to attract and hold dirt.......

And this A sure sign of an oily residue...

 

[Outlawmws]

haha

What does WD-40 contain?
While the ingredients in WD-40 are secret, we can tell you what WD-40 does NOT contain. WD-40 does not contain silicone, kerosene, water, wax, graphite, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), or any known cancer-causing agents.

http://www.wd40.com/faqs/


How does Crow taste? I hear it is not bad if cooked at 400 for 4 hours, basted with alpiatic hydrocarbons and doused in Frank's hot sauce. Eat up Mr Badlands.

Eat what up? WD-40 Corp propaganda? Ever heard of deliberate misinformation? Got an independent source that is free of ulterior motives?

 

[Outlawmws]

Here you go mark, we are even; my useless internet reference cancels out your useless internet reference.

>As I don't recall seeing a decent answer yet in this thread, I shot
>some WD-40 into a vial of ether and then shot the sample into my GC-MS.
> This minimal analysis will have missed any nonvolatile species
>(inorganics, polymers) as well as any components (propellants etc.)
>with approximately the same volatility of ether (the detector is shut
>off during passage of the solvent front). I then matched some of the
>major peaks against our computer's 138,000 compound database.
>
>The GC-MS shows about 45 different components in the C9-C11 range.
>Decane and undecane are the two largest peaks in the spectrum. Most of
>the C9-C11 appear to be straight or minimally branched hydrocarbons,
>although one peak had a pretty good match for decahydronaphthalene.
>C9-C11 make up approximately 99% of the detected signal, but I also
>picked up a small amount of higher alkanes such as hexdecane and
>eicosane (C16-C20 range). Overall, it doesn't quite match Merck's
>desription of kerosene, but the idea is more or less the same.

The kerosene reference was in response to another reader's suggestion.
Bruce Hamilton also pointed out that if there were any non-volatiles
you could easily test for it by evaporating the solvent.

Enjoy.

Rob

http://yarchive.net/chem/wd40.html

Now can we stop derailing the thread on this useless argument and let the OP have his thread back?

 

[Crow Horse]

haha
How does Crow taste? I hear it is not bad if cooked at 400 for 4 hours, basted with alpiatic hydrocarbons and doused in Frank's hot sauce. Eat up Mr Badlands.

Pardon me?.......

 

[JMcFly]

I'd use a quick detailed by meguires or back to black.

 

[Greatbear]

My takeaway from this thread is WD-40 is good for keeping crows clean, once cleaned they should be kept in a flat black tool box.

 

[Outlawmws]

Pardon me?.......

My takeaway from this thread is WD-40 is good for keeping crows clean, once cleaned they should be kept in a flat black tool box.

 

[mtkst19]

What do the street racers use on the flat black cars that were so popular a few years back?

oil. i have a car matte black that i painted w/ ppg dp 90 back before it was the cool thing to do. the ppg dp 90 is a sealer, so wont rust like primer. if i ever want to paint the car it is a matter of scuffing and spraying the new paint on.

when i clean it, it gets washed, dried, then i spray a rag w/ wd40 or some other lube and go over it to give it it's sheen. if i dont, it just has a dry look.

 

[Outlawmws]

oil. i have a car matte black that i painted w/ ppg dp 90 back before it was the cool thing to do. the ppg dp 90 is a sealer, so wont rust like primer. if i ever want to paint the car it is a matter of scuffing and spraying the new paint on.

when i clean it, it gets washed, dried, then i spray a rag w/ wd40 or some other lube and go over it to give it it's sheen. if i dont, it just has a dry look.

Sort of defeats the purpose of painting it flat black..

 

[RLRRLRLL]

I know Harley Davidson makes a special cleaner for their flat black...

Yea, its called Denim Paint cleaner, or something like that. Any harley dealer will have it on hand to sell. you can order it to im sure. Works great on the flat paint. I work in the service department at a harley dealer, so we use it quite a bit.

 

[mtkst19]

Sort of defeats the purpose of painting it flat black..

not really. little bit of oil gives it a darker flat black color. there is still no shine to it. id have to take pictures to show what i mean. w. nothing on the paint, it is just a lighter color flat black. kinda like comparing the flat black found on old domestics hoods like mopars and the flat black in the engine bays/trunks. the hoods had a darker color to it, whereas the underhood/trunk flat black was more like chalk board black.

 

[mccaer01]

I think I will call s/o customer service and see what they say but I'm going to try some of the other suggestions on an extra writing tray I have for the box. I think I now know all I need to know about wd40 hah

i have a flat black snap on box as well except its a classic 78....i use watered down simple green and a microfiber and the box looks brand new ....no shine whatsoever

do you have the armor edge top on yours? i have it on mine and it goes so well with the flat black

I do have that top and I think it looks great and is so durable I put transmissions on it all the time.

 

[vintagefan]

I can field this one. I have a similar flat black cabinet.

The BEST thing I've found is this:



They sell it at Costco, but I'm sure you can get it other places. It foams up when you spray it on, and wipes away streak (and grease) free. Even better, it's very gentle so it doesn't damage finishes. I use it for cleaning chrome too.

Actually, come to think of it, I use it for cleaning just about everything besides windows.

(it's a superb glass cleaner as well)

 

[justin85]

Simple Green. Love that stuff. Just use a light mix with warm water, and it will look just like new.

 

[vintagefan]

Simple Green. Love that stuff. Just use a light mix with warm water, and it will look just like new.

I like simple green too, but I've had trouble with streaking, same with 409.

Generally what I do is get the bulk of the gunk off with SG or 409, and then finish with Sprayway.

 

[FlatBlackBlaze]

window cleaner..

 

[TDWendt]

ACWhat about the detailing spray for black cars? Just got my flat black krsc46 and was wondering the same thing.

 

[Mister Laugh]

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...roup_ID=741111&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

Snap on makes this specifically for the flat boxes, seems to work well a guy in my shop has one, and uses it.

 

[Steinmetz]

Where is the kerosene?

Kerosene includes saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons. An MSDS is not a list of ingredients. It is a statement configured to permit proper handling, use and disposal of the material.