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Wanting to make a parts washer

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Vividlyvintage

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Dec 25, 2011
Messages
128
I want to make my own parts washer. I am not exactly sure what to use for the sink area of it, but I know I will be using a metal drum for the tank, and a 12v fuel pump for the pump, and I have one of thos air nossel hook up part washer wand things I may be able to use. Or maybe just use a air tool cuppler male fitting onto a threaded fitting with a flexible hose? Any suggestions? Anyone make one?


Here is the engine washer wand thing I have.
 

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martinm13

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I work at a bike shop and in our parts washer we have a brush with synthetic bristles so they don't break down with solvent. The handle has a fitting and the cleaner is just pumped out the end through the brush. It is by far the most useful cleaning tool for small parts. I'm not sure where you would buy something like it but it would not be hard to make.
 
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Vividlyvintage

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Messages
128
martinm13 said:
I work at a bike shop and in our parts washer we have a brush with synthetic bristles so they don't break down with solvent. The handle has a fitting and the cleaner is just pumped out the end through the brush. It is by far the most useful cleaning tool for small parts. I'm not sure where you would buy something like it but it would not be hard to make.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I am sure I can either find a brush for it or just have a hose with circulating solvent, and just use a wire brush or two. But I am sure I can find a replacement brush for an actual parts washer

Thanks,
"Skrach"
My Vintage Blog:
www.VividlyVintage.com
My 55 Chrysler Worklog:
www.Pop's55.com
 
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240sxguy

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Madison, wi
With how dirt cheap I see parts washers on Craigslist I am not sure it would be worth it to build one.
 
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Vividlyvintage

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Dec 25, 2011
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128
Well, when buying 99c tv dinners feels the same as buying high ticket items, because I am unable to find work my fiance is my bread winner and we have alot of bills from our mortgage, her car note, her student loan, the utilities bills, my old medical bills, and phone bills, it is almost hard to eat. Luckily we only have a dog to feed and not a child. I have skipped meals, had crackers and water for dinner just to be sure my fiance eats and my dog has food in their stomachs. So when I can save even a few cents I am going to do it.

Thanks,
"Skrach"
My Vintage Blog:
www.VividlyVintage.com
My 55 Chrysler Worklog:
www.Pop's55.com
 
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PCO6

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Newmarket, Ontario
I made my own back in the 70's and I'm still using it. After using a few others I decided that I wanted the "floor" of the basin to be at the same level as my bench. Too many parts washer had (still do?) a basin bottom that was too low. I'm not tall and I was in better shape then but I found I would get a sore back if I spent any length of time washing parts.

I had a metal shop cut the sides and bottom out of 1/8" steel and I welded it together. I made an angle iron stand for it and the tank is simply a 5 gal. plastic pail with a lid and a submersible pump. The plumbing and drain were pretty straight forward to make. I use varsol as the cleaning agent and put about 3" of water in the tank which acts as a filter. It's been going strong for over 35 years and I've only replaced the pump once.

PartsWasher1.jpg


PartsWasher2.jpg
 
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Jagmandave

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Overland Park, Ks.
PartsWasher2.jpg


PC06 I see a lot of good ideas in your setup, and I agree about the height thing, it really saves your back when it's the right height.....

I like the cutdown in the front as long as it's still tall enough to keep the splashing from going all over you.

I like the backsplash, although the lid on mine acts as backsplash.......I like the tray and the magnet holder - those are all great ideas!

Where do you buy Varsol, and how expensive is it? How often do you have to change it?

I bought a 30 gal drum of safety solvent from my Safety Kleen dealer, but it was really spendy! $165 IIRC.....

I built mine from a $100 HF unit, I didn't like their design, which recirculated fluid from the tub, so I set mine on top of the drum, and hung the pump down in the solvent off of a bracket I made. The solvent just runs back inot the drum from the drain plug hole that was in it originally. It works a treat tho it's not much to look at.....

The lid on the HF unit is spring loaded, and has a combustible fuse that drops the lid if it senses fire, yours has no such safety feature, but having all the solvent down below and covered with water probably gives a pretty good safety margin.
 
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AMCguy

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Dec 23, 2009
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Location
Sunshine Coast, BC Canada
Vividlyvintage said:
Wwll so far, I have a fuel pump, 15 gallon drum, the engine washer gun, and I havent spent a dime yet.

Thanks,
"Skrach"
My Vintage Blog:
www.VividlyVintage.com
My 55 Chrysler Worklog:
www.Pop's55.com
Click to expand...

It looks like you are well on your way.

You might try using a car gas tank (a metal one, cut open) as a basin. It has a flange all the way around it. You can drop it in a cut out in your workbench or make a stand for it.
 
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metalmagpie

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Nov 1, 2011
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796
Location
Seattle
Standard model:-

Get a 30 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 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.

Archived from an old usenet posting to rec.crafts.metalworking, by John Stevenson.

metalmagpie
 
F

Falcon67

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Jun 11, 2009
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18,371
Location
Merkel, TX
I have the HV unit - works good. I used a hose+brush I found at Northern Tool. I just hose clamped it to the HF pump output. Search northerntool.com for parts you might need.
 
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PCO6

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Newmarket, Ontario
Thanks Jagmandave . Funny thing - back when I built this thing I owned a Jag XK140 FHC.

The cutdown section in the front really does help. It saves a lot of mess and it's good to lean on. Another British connection - the mesh on the bottom of the brush tray is made from expanded metal that I got out of the rear window deck of a Mini. :lol:

I have always bought my "varsol" from Canadian Tire which isn't going to be of any help to you. Varsol is a brand name for mineral spirits and my guess is that you will be able to get it at a hardware or paint store. It costs about $8 for 4 litres (about the same as your gallon).

Water is heavier than water and sits at the bottom of my tank making it an excellent filter. The washed off grit is the heaviest so it accumulates at the very bottom of the tank. When I need a bit of varsol I can get it straight out of the nozzle into a small can or something. If I need to put varsol or water back into the system it's as easy as pouring it into the basin. The drain btw is in the back right corner. I welded the basin floor in at a slight angle so it tilts toward the drain. I clean out the tank every few years and there's usually a few inches of grit in it. I put it in a garbage bag and take it to the hazardous waste depot along with the spent varsol. I tell them what it is and they have always taken it.

I don't have a lid on mine. I have a welding blanket that I throw over it when I weld and grind which isn't usually close by. It works but it's not the best arrangement I have thought of making a lid though. The tank is tucked underneath in the corner on a shelf behind the door. It's also a good place for storing funnels and other similar things.

Over all this was a very wothwhile project.
 
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Jim in Wis

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Mar 3, 2011
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175
Location
Sheboygan Falls, Wis
What is the best fluid to use? Years ago at work I would get mineral spirits and that really cleaned good - left the parts sort of white and no oily feel to them. Not good for the hands at all though. When it became difficult to get rid of the old stuff I had to get SafetyClean come in and take care of it. They said the stuff they used was mineral spirits, but it didn't clean worth a ****. You had to push the dirt and stuff off the parts, the fluid just carried it away (sort of). I never thought of using kerosene (paraffin to bazzateer I think). Doesn't it stink a lot?
 
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J Banning

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Jul 25, 2011
Messages
36
Location
Delaware, USA
PCO6 said:
I made my own back in the 70's and I'm still using it. After using a few others I decided that I wanted the "floor" of the basin to be at the same level as my bench. Too many parts washer had (still do?) a basin bottom that was too low. I'm not tall and I was in better shape then but I found I would get a sore back if I spent any length of time washing parts.

I had a metal shop cut the sides and bottom out 1/8" steel and I welded it together. I made an angle iron stand for it and the tank is simply a 5 gal. pail/lid with a submersible pump. The plumbing and drain were pretty straight forward to make. I use varsol as the cleaning agent and put about 3" of water in the tank which acts as a filter. It's been going strong for over 35 years and I've only replaced the pump once.

PartsWasher1.jpg
Click to expand...

I really like this, thanks for posting. Great idea too about using water in the bottom of your bucket to act as a filter.

Now I know what's next on my "things to build for the garage" list :)

-B
 
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PCO6

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Location
Newmarket, Ontario
J Banning said:
I really like this, thanks for posting. Great idea too about using water in the bottom of your bucket to act as a filter.

Now I know what's next on my "things to build for the garage" list :)

-B
Click to expand...
Thanks. :thumbup: You won't regret making one. I use mine pretty much every time I go in the garage.
 
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