Any Solvent Tank Suggestions?
 

I was wondering what people have come up with for a home mechanic solution for a solvent tank? Especially one that would be suitable for condo style living without the convienence of a garage. Also, what different solvents have people used with satisfaction or dissatisfaction as the case may be? I'm currently using Park Citrus ChainBrite and find it cuts and cleans grease very well and is more environmentally friendly than some other degreasers may be. But your still left with the grease and oil polluted cleaner when your done.

all you need is one of these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91957

INCREDIBLE cleaning and grease removing power, AND,..it uses water and detergent, NO SOLVENT. (would be PERFECT for a small apartment)

once you use one, you'll never solvent dip parts to clean them ever again.

you can strain the leftover liquid through a paper strainer, to remove any solids, and dispose of the solids in the trash, I give the leftover liquid to my recycling company with my used motor oil.

I use a coffee can with mineral spirits. For bigger jobs I use an oil drain pan.

Al

I got one of these for christmas and there is no going back ;)
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w..._419464_419464

There is an odor-free mineral spirits available, but even with low-odor, I don't smell it unless the lid is open.

My low tech solution. I have 2 five-gallon home depot buckets. The buckets nest inside each other. I drilled 1/4 in holes all over the bottom of one of the buckets. That is what my parts go into. I fill the bucket with a couple of glugs of Simple Green concentrate degreaser and the rest of the way with hot water from the shower. Then I take the buckets outside to scrub the parts and agitate the water.

Then I do a few dumps and refills with clean water.

+1 on the ultrasonic cleaner. Smaller units can be had through Harbor Freight for $30 or less. There also are always a bunch of them on ebay. Just need to figure out the biggest part you want to clean, and then get one big enough for that part. If almost all of your parts are smaller, you might just save some dollars and hand clean the biggest stuff.

Old quart containers of yogurt with full-strength Simple Green, old glass (!) tomato sauce jars filled with naphtha, dead toothbrushes...

I guess I'm quite a ways behind the curve!

Awesome idea with the ultrasonic cleaner, though...we used them all the time at the research laboratory where I used to work, though it never occurred to me to get one for cleaning bike parts!

A hint with the sonicator: Fill it half full with water. Put your detergent+water, or biodegradable degreaser, or plain old solvent in a smaller container, and put the dirty parts in there. Then rest the container in the sonicator, and turn on the vibrations. The junk as well as the chemicals stay inside the inner container. This will save you from the painful task of cleaning out the sonicator when you're done.

This apt. dweller uses an empty 2 liter bottle to wash my chain in. I add some Simple Green screw on the cap and give it a vigorous shake. I use a coat hanger (or spoke) to fish it out. I took a gallon milk jug and cut it in half to clean parts in. I use a Finish Line Chain Cleaner for weekly maintenance on the drivetrain. Old toothbrushes as well.

Cheap and effective! I keep a coffee can sealed inside of a 5 gallon bucket. The bucket contains the brushes, slop, drips, rag, and over-spray from scrubbing. Use any good water based cleaner for apartment dwellers to avoid vapors. Those with a garage can use a combination solvent and cleaner mix. Solvents have a tendency to make plastic lids for containers swell and not seal properly.

One word of note, be sure to rinse the simple green off the metal thoroghly to prevent corrosion. The citrus component can corrode aluminum if left on.

EDIT: Wrong thread.