AR Sponsor
Posted: 1/5/2008 7:58:39 PM EDT
|
I am going to try the brake cleaner bit. You guys always specify non-chlorine brake cleaner. My question is how do you determine this? Does the can say non-chlorinated, or do you check the list of ingredients? Also, I think the main ingredient is acetone which is a great cleaner by itself. So is it just the convenience of acetone is a spray can, or more to it? Is there a reccomended brand? |
| Bought some today at AutoZone. Big "non chlorinated" lettering on the front of the green can. The apparently chlorinated stuff was in another color can. The brand is CRC Brakeclean. Don't know if all suppliers package similarly, but would guess that they do. Good stuff, but be sure and relube thorougly after using as it takes everything off. There's some nasty ingreadients--toluene, acetone, heptane, etc. |
I tend to stay away from any of the brake cleaners with acetone (harder on plastics and burns nearly as well as gaoline) plus anthing with Meth Chloried or MEK. I like the AutoZone cleaner a little better. Good Luck. |
|
I used Brake Cleaner one time. That was the last time. It works great for taking all the oils and stuff off of the gun. Most of the time, all that really needs to be done is saturate the carboned areas with CLP and then wipe off. Use an old bore brush if you have stuck carbon. I like a good coat of CLP on everything though and the brake cleaner just made things take longer for me anyway. |
You've obviously never burned acetone. It makes gasoline look like kerosene or something equally reluctant to ignite. Gasoline is labeled as 'Flammable;' Acetone is labeled as 'Extremely Flammable!' BE CAREFUL with this stuff! |
Never tried any on wood but it's good for removing the old finish on used mags. right down to the anodizing. 
|
|
When in Basic at Fort Knox, the brake cleaner was the recommended cleaner for the gas system and that was it. The chlorides are harmful on all manner of items and strangely more harmful on stainless steel than regular steel. I now use brake cleaner only on my gas tube and key only so as to leave that residue free cleaning as was recommended to me in basic over 20 years ago. For everything else it is just to harsh and to dangerous to use as if you bring it in the house to watch a war movie, or the military channel, or the outdoor channel Wed night at the guns palace shows while you clean up from the weekends shooting you will no doubt drip it on something and ruin its finish. Definitely not worth it. Keep it in the garage and use it very sparingly like I do for a yearly or seminannual cleaning of the gas system or on the car like it is suppose to be. I have also heard it is good for cleaning strip downs when refinishing so I always use a dab when doing a touch up but never used it for a full refinishing since I am not set up for that. |
Acetone has a flash point of -18C and gasoline has a flash point of -65C ... both are not really safe to use in any real volume inside (i.e. the fraction of an ounce in nail polish might be an exception). Typically acetone is not the major component in brake cleaners, however, unless one is using it outside away from flames (or in a proper chemical hood as at work) my recommendation was and still is to stay away from using acetone. In any case, we are both warning about the same danger .... For general solvent based cleaning, I have been using a high vapor pressure (flash point over 140F) solvent that is more or less a highly refined version of mineral spirits. An during the winter when the shop is sealed better, tend to use MPRO7. However, a can of brake cleaner tends to be useful in the field when one of the guys has not cleaned their subgun for a year ;-). |
|
NON CHLOR BRAKE CLEANER WILL NOT HURT ANY PLASTIC ON A M4 I use it on my LMT Defender 2000 M4 with ZERO PROBLEMS and great results FOR YEARS NOW Non Chlor Brake cleaner Prestone is my FAVORITE Break Free CLP is all I use, some times I use Elephant sperm on New AR`s |
| I've never used brake cleaner on my guns, but I do use Break Free's Powder Blast (LINK)which does the same thing without any fear of damage to my guns. Although not as cheap as your typical $1 a can brake cleaner. |
Pick your poison...MSDS. It's easier to search by product name rather than Mfg. Cheers! |
TRUE it does the same Thats why I buy Prestone Brake Cleaner Non Chlor |
AR Sponsor