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Where to find foaming surface plate cleaner?

jccaclimber

Stainless
Joined
Nov 22, 2015
Location
San Francisco
There are plenty of references in this forum to foaming surface plate cleaner, but now that I'm trying to buy some I can't seem to locate any.
A few jobs ago we used DoAll gage block cleaner in a spray can with success. The description mentions "Cleaner is specially formulated with lubricity agents" and the MSDS mentions soybean oil. While I've never noticed an issue, that doesn't seem like the right thing to be spraying on a granite plate.
Does anyone else have another spray on foaming cleaner they like?
 
It's not foaming, and not sure why a surface plate cleaner needs to be, but I've used the surface plate cleaner from Starrett for many years without any fails. I don't know what's in it or why it works perfectly, but it does. Afterwards it's like the table is new all over again. Give it a try.

Dave
 
Don over at Suburban tools recommends household ammonia.


Jump to about 3 minutes in to get past the humour.
 
Honestly its granite, anything but strong acids won't bother it, even then some granites are reasonably acid resistant, but spilling a half pint of hydrofluric is a problem.

I have had good luck with the foaming computer based cleaners, they remove coolant residues and oils really well, they do have some amonia and they even work on old dried out cosmaline. The foaming nature realy kinda lifts dirt out of any textured surfaces, thats kinda the idea behind it.

Don't know if you get it over there but Ambersil foaming cleaner works great, can will go a fair old way too.
 
I have a few aerosol cans of DoAll Kleen-Surf cleaner left, and it is of the foam type.
I like it better than the Starret, but for the life of me can't find these anymore in the aerosol format.
They still make it in bottles, but do not know if it is still of the foam type. DoALL Kleen-Surf DoALL Sawing
 
There are commercial spray and liquid solutions that work; I'll bet Starrett outsells all of them. Some use window cleaner.
But I use plain lanolin hand cleaner, and lintless knit cloth. Ammonia maybe twice a year.
 
This thread brings to mind a question I had.

Care and cleaning of a cast iron surface plate. I picked up a nice one a while back.

Cleanings a no brainer, but the cleaner it is, the faster it oxidizes. So I keep it sprayed with a lith film of lithium grease between uses. I'm thinking of maybe making a cover.

I've seen plywood ones, but wood holds moisture.

Any ideas?

Steve.

Sent from my SM-J737P using Tapatalk
 
I bought a cast iron surface plate couple years ago from Switzerland, and it came with a shop made aluminum cover, there was and still is a sheet of thick paper under the cover, sort of like cooking paper, I use it for spotting with dykem hi-spot, clean with mineral spirits, not a spot of rust on it so far
 
Plain old aerosol glass cleaner seems to work well on granite, acetone cleans real well but isn't real friendly odor or health wise. All I'm looking for is a dust and oil free surface so the tools slide on the surface without scratching.
For cast iron; I worked for a government contractor that had several and BonAmi powder cleanser was the cleaner everyone used on those iron plates. Those were used 24/7 years on end and don't remember any particular wear issues caused by it.
Dan
 
It's not foaming, and not sure why a surface plate cleaner needs to be, but I've used the surface plate cleaner from Starrett for many years without any fails. I don't know what's in it or why it works perfectly, but it does. Afterwards it's like the table is new all over again. Give it a try.

Dave
Also I found that it will clean Mics and other instruments without any harm. Mine have a knurled thimble that would fill with dirt and goo. It cleaned them perfectly.
 
Plain old aerosol glass cleaner seems to work well on granite, acetone cleans real well but isn't real friendly odor or health wise. All I'm looking for is a dust and oil free surface so the tools slide on the surface without scratching.
For cast iron; I worked for a government contractor that had several and BonAmi powder cleanser was the cleaner everyone used on those iron plates. Those were used 24/7 years on end and don't remember any particular wear issues caused by it.
Dan
Kind to think of it, the aerosol spray on glass cleaner I buy at NAPA called Sprayway is a foaming cleaner! Judging by the smell, its ammonia based. Never thought to try it on tools before. Thanks!

Steve.

Sent from my SM-J737P using Tapatalk
 
I am certain the surface plate cleaner Rock Of Ages sold was rebranded Dow 409 bathroom cleaner.
 
it's not a foaming cleaner, but we have no complaints so far...

we bought a special bottle of Simple Green surface plate cleaner. After that first bottleran out, we just used regular Simple Green (diluted)....ta da.
 








 
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