Lathe cleaning

[Ed Jarvis]

I used Dawn powerwash spray to clean my oneway, sprayed it on from the bottle let sit for a brief time and it cleans well.

 

[Richard Coers]

Be careful, there is alcohol in that stuff. Success may not be universal.

 

[Steve Tiedman]

Be careful, there is alcohol in that stuff. Success may not be universal.

Richard, can you expand upon that warning? Thanks.

 

[Earl McLain]

Richard may have been thinking that a cleaning method that works well on stainless steel ways (i.e. Oneway or Robust) may not be advisable for cast iron ways (most of the rest of the manufacturers). Even if that was not his intent--good to differentiate the way material, especially for folks who are newer to turning. I might be willing to try spray on Dawn on my Robust lathe with steel ways, but i'd not get it near the cast iron ways on my little Rikon 70-220.

Good tip though--for steel ways!!

 

[Steve Tiedman]

Thanks, Earl, but again, this needs perspective. What is alcohol, which evaporates very fast, going to do to a cast iron lathe bed?

If a cleaning agent is spray on- wipe off (and that Dawn product, if I'm correct, is a water rinse product, not just wipe off), then there should be little fear of corrosion, any alcohols will be carried away and scant amounts left on the surface should evaporate before causing corrosion. If it's a water rinse cleaner, then follow the [Dawn] cleaning process with a water damp cloth wipedown followed by a dry cloth wipe. Other general household cleaner-degreaser products (409, Simple Green, etc.), which are generally spray on/wipe off, if there is doubt, give a final wipe with a water damp cloth and dry cloth.

Degreasing cleaners (Dawn included) aren't needed at my lathe. If it's finish spatters, tree sap, and other woodworking gunk, I grab the can of mineral spirits and a wad of fine steel wool and gently scrub down the lathe bed, followed by a light application and buff-off of cheap furniture wax (such as Johnson's paste wax). A true goober clump of something dried hard on the bed will get scraped off by a razor blade or bench chisel.

 

[Ed Jarvis]

My experience was on the white lathe tube it came from a school system, I did not use it on the ways of the lathe.

 

[William Rogers]

I have never hear that alcohol will have an effect on cast iron. Not saying it doesn’t, just never heard that. I can see where it might affect the paint. I would also like a more detailed explanation. I have used denatured alcohol around my lathes, both cast iron and stainless ways, but not as a cleaning agent. Never noticed anything.

 

[Richard Coers]

Richard may have been thinking that a cleaning method that works well on stainless steel ways (i.e. Oneway or Robust) may not be advisable for cast iron ways (most of the rest of the manufacturers). Even if that was not his intent--good to differentiate the way material, especially for folks who are newer to turning. I might be willing to try spray on Dawn on my Robust lathe with steel ways, but i'd not get it near the cast iron ways on my little Rikon 70-220.

Good tip though--for steel ways!!

I was thinking about the effect of alcohol on the paint on an import lathe. I'm a rather unusual, complicated person Earl, it's takes a rare kind of person to know what I am thinking. After 52 years, I still baffle my wife.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

My experience was on the white lathe tube it came from a school system, I did not use it on the ways of the lathe.

That's a really important distinction.

 

[JeffSmith]

After years of turning wet wood and dry, the powder-coat finish of my Robust AB was in need of some care. Simple green got most of the gunk, a little Trend blade cleaner got the heavy stuff - it cleaned up nicely and neither seemed to have an effect on the finish.
I'm hoping a good coat of paste wax will help keep it in nice shape for a while - good to have it clean (or at least cleaner). The bed is stainless, so no problems there that a little glide coat can't help.

 

[Bill Boehme]

What is alcohol, which evaporates very fast, going to do to a cast iron lathe bed?

I have never hear that alcohol will have an effect on cast iron. Not saying it doesn’t, just never heard that. I can see where it might affect the paint. I would also like a more detailed explanation. I have used denatured alcohol around my lathes, both cast iron and stainless ways, but not as a cleaning agent. Never noticed anything.

I would be very careful about using any strong cleaner on a painted surface. I found that it didn’t take much effort to damage the paint on my Jet mini lathe.

@William Rogers it’s not exactly that alcohol is the main culprit, but alcohol lowers the surface tension of the water so that it more readily penetrates the porous cast iron.