Has anybody ever made their own parts washer? Just curious. I could use one but don't need one. Just looking for a cheap parts washer I could build. I would even be open to a small one to save space. I searched "parts washer" but a ton of results came up. So if anyone has any good ideas, please share!! Thanks!!
Making a Parts Washer?
- Thread starter JoeyMitch
- Start date
PCO6
Well-known member
I made my parts washer back in the 80's and it's still going strong. The basin is made of 1/8" steel plate that I had sheared and I then welded together.
The working parts of the washer are a 5 gal. plastic pail with a lid. A pump is suspended from the lid and sits below the fluid level. The fluid simply circulates from the pail to the basin and back again through standard plumbing fixtures that are avialable at Home Depot and similar stores.
Before I made this one I had the above system flowing through an old stainless steel kitchen sink on a simple angle iron stand that I made.
A big thing for me and one of the main reasons that I made my current washer was to have the floor of the basin at the same level as my bench (36" above the floor). I had used other parts with lower basins and found them to be a bit hard on my back after a while.
The working parts of the washer are a 5 gal. plastic pail with a lid. A pump is suspended from the lid and sits below the fluid level. The fluid simply circulates from the pail to the basin and back again through standard plumbing fixtures that are avialable at Home Depot and similar stores.
Before I made this one I had the above system flowing through an old stainless steel kitchen sink on a simple angle iron stand that I made.
A big thing for me and one of the main reasons that I made my current washer was to have the floor of the basin at the same level as my bench (36" above the floor). I had used other parts with lower basins and found them to be a bit hard on my back after a while.
Last edited:
Outlawmws
Well-known member
No pics handy, but my home brew parts cleaner, is a 20 gallon barrel sitting in an angle iron frame. I trimmed the lip[ off after I discovered the (Metal, remember those?) oil drain pan woul not seat but with the lip cut off id did.
I cut a small hole in the middle and installed a bathroom sink drain and tail piece, with a screen, (didn't want to be fishing for small fasteners in the glop on the bottom).
A recirculating pump, an old TP oil filter with the restrictosr drilled out, and some soft copper and I thought I was set, except the damn thing splattered solvent everywhere.
Solution: I added a fitting to adapt a std. bath faucet diffuser, onto the outlet, added a T near the bottom of the copper upright and a valve to create back pressure and ran the excess pressure to a "swirl tube" that helps keep the debris in the drain pan/basin clear.
Been using it well over 25 years..
I did later add a curved "back splash" just to help contain the splatter from the stream hitting parts and it helps a lot.
I've since added an old Matag Jet clean dishwasher as an automated parts cleaner. works great the few time I have used it.
I cut a small hole in the middle and installed a bathroom sink drain and tail piece, with a screen, (didn't want to be fishing for small fasteners in the glop on the bottom).
A recirculating pump, an old TP oil filter with the restrictosr drilled out, and some soft copper and I thought I was set, except the damn thing splattered solvent everywhere.
Solution: I added a fitting to adapt a std. bath faucet diffuser, onto the outlet, added a T near the bottom of the copper upright and a valve to create back pressure and ran the excess pressure to a "swirl tube" that helps keep the debris in the drain pan/basin clear.
Been using it well over 25 years..
I did later add a curved "back splash" just to help contain the splatter from the stream hitting parts and it helps a lot.
I've since added an old Matag Jet clean dishwasher as an automated parts cleaner. works great the few time I have used it.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Very nice job on yours PC06!
racingtadpole
Well-known member
I made one about 15 years ago from a stainless steel laundry sink that sat in a really agricultural steel frame that was made from whatever I had laying around at the time. The drain from the sink dropped into a 25l plastic homebrew beer drum which was connected to a decent size pond pump and an engine oil filter. Worked OK until I fractured the plastic on the end of the pump changing the filter one day. Gave it to a mate who helped me move house about 10years ago.
PCO6
Well-known member
Thanks.
It ain't pretty but it works great!I like the fact that cnc-me included a proper lid on his. I am pretty careful with welding and grinding and have never had a problem BUT a lid is a good idea. What is not shown in the picture is a roll up window blind that basically covers the basin portion of the washer. It's mounted to the under side of a shelf that is above the washer. When I weld or grind close to the washer (not often) I just pull the blind down to below the top of the washer. The blind is in the up position most of the time and is pretty much out of sight.
2mJps
Well-known member
I built one years ago because i wanted to clean inline 6 cyl oil pans and couldnt find one that long. I just welded 1/8 inch steel together and drilled some small holes inthe bottom so it drained into a 5gal bucket were the pump was. It worked good but took up alot of room.
PCO6
Well-known member
2mJps - A friend of mine who rebuilt Trimuph TR6 engines used an oil tank like the one below. He made a stand to elevate it and cut about 2' out of the centre horizantally. He then reattached the top with hinges. He was able to use a pressure washer for general cleaning and it also worked as a parts washer.
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kenfain
Well-known member
Check out the bench top pro, parts washer. I saw it on two guys garage the other day, looked good. If it ain't too much money. It's very compact.
Provincial
Well-known member
Thanks.
I like the fact that cnc-me included a proper lid on his. I am pretty careful with welding and grinding and have never had a problem BUT a lid is a good idea. What is not shown in the picture is a roll up window blind that basically covers the basin portion of the washer. It's mounted to the under side of a shelf that is above the washer. When I weld or grind close to the washer (not often) I just pull the blind down to below the top of the washer. The blind is in the up position most of the time and is pretty much out of sight.
One important function of the lid is to control evaporation of the fluid. If you keep the lid closed when not in active use, your solvent level won't go down nearly a fast. If you use a water-based solvent, you can just add more water, but a petroleum-based solvent will be expensive to replenish.
Safety is the most important reason for the lid.
Lookin4'67Galaxieconv
Well-known member
Scour Craigslist
Outlawmws
Well-known member
The one I made (See above) could be a bench top unit just by cutting the barrel down lower. You will be limited as to how much solvent you can load up, and it will have to be replaced more often, but the net net of that is zero extra cost on the long run.
Mine does not have a cover, but I did take a 4" disk of steel and glued rubber onto one side and used that over the drain hole when not in use. Same effect.
PCO6
Well-known member
I use varsol and it's contained in a 5 gal. plastic pail with a lid on it.
It's a little hard to explain but drainage is via a trough that runs along the back of the basin and is angled down to one corner. I covered the actual drain pipe with a perforated steel plate. A solid steel plate sits about 1.5" over the drain on top of the trough. Drainage is fast and the drain itself is covered. Varsol like other fluids does evapourate but I think I've slowed it down as best I can.
Varsol is petroleum based but I do use water in my washer for filtering purposes. The bottom 3" or 4" of my pail has water in it. Water is heavier than varsol so it sits on the bottom. The grit that is washed off of the parts being cleaned is heavier than both the varsol and the water so it drops to the bottom of the pail.
sberry
Banned
If it was about cheap and cost I would look to buy one. No cheaper way to do it.
sberry
Banned
A bud has one in his shop as well as a full size unit. He keeps real clean solvent in it but that would be on my short list. Small, I used one a couple times to clean up a few engine parts. It worked and is so cute I am tempted to buy one.
sberry
Banned
I have a bigger one, one size larger than many of the box store jobs, you can set a full size ****** in it. Its ideal for me, I got to have one but use it limited. Changing fluid is a commitment but it lasts a long time as I have hot pressure washer and do almost all the grime removal before it hits the tank.
I moved the shelf up an inch so the floor jack fits under, I could add a shelf.
I moved the shelf up an inch so the floor jack fits under, I could add a shelf.
