I use CitriStrip if I want to strip things in place. So small parts get this, and big stuff gets the oil based treatment. It is definitely not the product to use if you will be trying to paint over filler and previous "good" layers.I wouldn't trust it to not slowly eat away at the substrate even if you wipe it away. This was using the product straight from the bottle, no dilution. No joke, as I poured the Zep IP on, it IMMEDIATELY peeled the paint right off and I could see the brown greasy gears wash away to clean steel. I just completely immersed them.the apron is about the size of a shoebox so I figured I'd just dip it.
I probably could have included it into the test as well, but I already used the whole gallon on the small parts. Ironically, I used the Zep Industrial Purple yesterday too. So, YMMV, but this is what I have found out through this little "experiment". However, the acetone is a little more pungent and most definitely hazardous. But, on surfaces like ways that may have paint splotches on them, Ed's Red seems to dissolve the spots and varnish pretty well. With a wire brush, I can tell you that the Thermite cleans very well and does not take off paint. And, they are less likely to take off paint if you are trying to preserve it. They will be less likely to promote rust and corrosion if they get into crevices. The last 2 cleaners, the Thermite and Ed's Red, are actually oil based. But it's expensive, probably twice as much as Super Clean or Purple Power. Of course, if you want to take paint off, it'll do that too. If you are cleaning unpainted surfaces and don't mind a water based cleaner, the citrus is probably best. The first three cleaners were pretty good at taking everything off. As advertisedĮd's Red, similar to the THERMITE, but took a little bit of paint off: Hard to tell, but lots of grease and paint, probably less than the previous two: The Krud Kutter, most of the grease, some paint down to bare metal:
All grease, lots of paint removed, but not all: The Zep Heavy Duty Citrus.worked like a nuke bomb. In clockwise order starting with the citrus degreaser, these are closeups of each area that was cleaned: I took each clean paper towel and wiped firmly 3 times from right to left. I sprayed each cleaner in its respective area of the taper attachment plate.Ĥ. I set aside a clean paper towel for each cleaner.Ģ. Ed's Red is pretty clear throughout.but the acetone scent is definitely noticeable:ġ. Here's a pic of "THERMITE", you can see that the water based Purple Power separates out a bit, so ya gotta shake it frequently. "ED's RED" (1 part kerosene, 1 part ATF, 1 part acetone, 1 part mineral spirits) I had to substitute kerosene for diesel.Į. "THERMITE" (4 parts Kerosene, 1 part Marvel Mystery Oil, 1 part Purple Power) NOTE: See Van norman 12 restoration for the original recipe. Super Clean (very similar to Royal Purple and Purple Power)ĭ. The part in question is the flat slide from my taper attachment, and as you can see I gave each cleaner a section to work on:Ĭ. In my garage, I chose a flat piece of iron that had been untouched by any cleaners.
In fact, one concoction was mentioned to me by our very own "Thermite", so i thought I would give it a try.ġ. So, as I was disassembling my Sheldon 10" lathe today, I decided to do an unofficial experiment comparing 5 different cleaning/degreasing agents.