Thread: Cleaning parts after polishing.

Have a bunch of Aluminum parts that get some polishing with Scotch Brite after machining and need to clean off the residue before packaging.

I've tried several spray cleaners but not really getting all the residue off, what do you guys use?

Heated SF-1 ultrasonic cleaning bath, concentrated extra rich (double what the packaging says). Quick dip in tap water to rinse. Shop air hose dries the parts off. I wear disposable Costco nitrile gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints.

garage shop viewpoint here. hot soak in simple green mixed per bottle instructions. soon as it cools to handlable temp wipe them. wipe is important, hot soak wont get it all. spray rinse in hot water. air dry while still hot special attn to blind holes. gloves like Joe said if you touch anything else in between.

An ultrasonic will make life so nice, especially if you do this alot.

'global aluminum cleaner' from MSC

use it for cleaning tumbled aluminum parts

Hoped there was some something in a spray bottle that would work for now. Global comes in 5 gallon pails so a little pricey to test to see results.

An ultrasonic will make life so nice

Don't have room for a large unit so what is your opinion on this unit?


380 Watt 1.59 Gallon HEATED ULTRASONIC CLEANER Dental sd6 HB36 | eBay

Anytime I'm using scotchbrite pads on aluminum, I use some warm water and dishwashing liquid (the hand washing type, not the stuff for dishwashers) to do the actual work rather than doing it dry. The finish comes out better and the pad cuts faster and more uniformly because the soap and water solution keeps it from loading up the surface of the pad. Kinda like wet sanding the paint on a car. When finished, rinsing with cold water leaves them clean as can be since the detergent keeps everything in solution and there's no gummy stuff to remove.

This method also gets rid of any need to wash coolant off the parts prior to using the scotchbrite since you're essentially washing the part clean in the soap/water as you texture the surface.

I also make some aluminum parts that get fully polished on a buffing wheel using compounds. I've found on those the soap/water and a soft cloth is the best way to clean off the buffing residue without affecting the finish. Any sort of spray and wipe method on those parts will invariably scratch the finish as the residue is dragged across the surface.

Aluminum cleaners should be approached with caution since a lot of them are chemical brighteners with ingredients that attack the surface in a way you might not expect, or want.

Parts too big for sink or no sink around,put the gloves on and wipe down with clean terry cloth and lacquer
thinner.

We run almost everything through the tumblers with light detergent and recirculating water. Aluminum parts come out with a very nice even satin finish and only take a quick rinse and wipe down with a micro fiber cloth before they are ready for packaging. We have some parts that are not dimensionally critical that we have cut machining time in half on (cutting out some finishing passes, chamfering, and deburring in the machine operations) and replaced it with a little tumbler time.

Tumbling with walnut shells is good for removing most types of residue.

I use Isopropyl alcohol out of a squirt bottle and a rag...

Dawn dish soap. Shhh it's my secret weapon........

Originally Posted by proturn

Dawn dish soap. Shhh it's my secret weapon........

I find Dawn cleans well but is harder to remove from the parts, I like Palmolive better...

Charles

I find Dawn cleans well but is harder to remove from the parts, I like Palmolive better...

Makes my hands silky smooth...Now that's what I'm talking about

Both of you just lost your man cards.....Hand them over

Simple Green is bad juju for aluminum.
We use mild soap and hot water.

Originally Posted by Jean Solderov

Simple Green is bad juju for aluminum.
We use mild soap and hot water.

please explain. hundreds and hundreds of 6061 parts washed here with it as i described above. no evidence of juju at all. jmho, ymmv.

Simple Green can leave a residue that can leave a splotchy finish on the anodize finish. A heavy acid etch can take it off but it also jacks with fine threads, and I hate to pay for thread plugs. When we switched to tumbling soap from C&M Topline (used to use Simple Green) the finishes came out more even. My annodizer asked if we had switched to a DI water system for washing our parts, but we just do a quick rinse in the break room sink and then dry/blow off the parts.

Originally Posted by metlcutr55

please explain. hundreds and hundreds of 6061 parts washed here with it as i described above. no evidence of juju at all. jmho, ymmv.

Prohibited from use on U.S. Military aircraft, as it causes corrosion and undermines the structural integrity of aluminum. There is an alternative SimpleGreen product made specifically for aluminum.

Originally Posted by Jean Solderov

Prohibited from use on U.S. Military aircraft, as it causes corrosion and undermines the structural integrity of aluminum. There is an alternative SimpleGreen product made specifically for aluminum.

We are a supplier to both military and aerospace customers and 95% of our parts are aluminum.

We have used simple green as a cleaner in our tumblers for years and years, and have never had any issue with any plating, anodizing or chem. film applications, nor have we ever received any documentation forbiding the use of that product from our customers despite shipping thousands of parts over the last 12 years.

We have so many spec.'s and regualtions to follow regarding the production of those parts, but the use of Simple Green is not one of them and I am curious to know where you got your info from.

Care to back up that statement with any written proof?

Later,
Russ