There is always a battle between how you should be cleaning your guns. Should you use solvent or shouldn't you....
I will give you the facts on both sides of the battle. I will start with the using solvent first. In the end it's your choice on how to clean everything.
Solvent Pros
If you select the right type of solvent (there are only a few out there that work good) you can disassemble your guns and just let them soak (for days) in the solvent. This will break down any reacted foam, make hardened ISO turn gummy, as well as swell up any non solvent friendly orings making them easy to remove.
If used quick enough they can slowdown chemical reactions adding helping for a quicker cleaning process.
Solvent Cons
It will take days for the solvent to break down the materials, tying up valuable parts for some period of time. Most people think the solvents works instantly to soften up and breakdown the material. This isn't the case. It often leads to just wasting solvent.
The fumes from the solvent will turn anything not solvent resistant soft and can damage it. Not to mention that they are very unpleasant to smell while working with them. A mask should be worn.
You shouldn't keep solvents in the back of a truck. They should only be used at a shop. As mentioned about the fumes will eat away at anything not solvent resistant.
The solvent does not clean the parts for you. It just soften the material on them. It is up to you to still dig at the material to remove it from the parts. This can lead to scratching of important surfaces costing a lot of money in the end.
Solvent is expensive. Usually $400-500 for 5 gallons.
No Solvent Cleaning
So now you have a question. How to you get the foam off without using solvents? Would I not still be digging at it potentially damaging it? Yes and no...
As some of you may have experienced an easy process you can do to clean a gun spotless all without having to do a lot of work.
Boiling it in concentrated prestone antifreeze. I will be using this method for the pros and negatives of the no solvent argument.
Boiling Pros
It takes at most maybe 20 mins of actual work to turn a crossed over gun into something that is spotless.
You never have to use tools which can scratch up you parts to clean them.
You will clean out all the little pathways in the gun with out leaving any hardened residue on the walls.
Cheap to do. All you need is an electric deep fryer, and maybe 2 containers of prestone. This will cost around $120 and you will get probably 10-15 boils out of the prestone before it needs to be replaced. At that time it's just $15ish for another jug of prestone.
Boiling Cons
Must be done in a well ventilated area. The fumes are very bad for you. Do not breath them.
Depending on how dirty your guns are when you put them in to boil. You will have to change the prestone (you can usually get 15 boils or so out of it, if you do a quick clean of the gun prior to it the antifreeze will last longer)
It is flammable. If it catches fire it doesn't do anything for you except let off bad fumes.
If you use this method only use an electric deep fryer.
My Personal Preference?
Use as little solvent as possible... If any. If you really want to use it, only use it to soak parts back at your shop. This will loosen the foam so when you boil the parts it will not take as long.
Also only boil parts using an electric deep fryer, as well as doing it in an area which is properly ventilated.
After the parts are cleaned, pull them out and cool them off. After they are cooled off wipe them of to remove any residue, while inspecting each part for damages.
If done right, you will be amazed at how quick, easy and clean the parts come out!
I will give you the facts on both sides of the battle. I will start with the using solvent first. In the end it's your choice on how to clean everything.
Solvent Pros
If you select the right type of solvent (there are only a few out there that work good) you can disassemble your guns and just let them soak (for days) in the solvent. This will break down any reacted foam, make hardened ISO turn gummy, as well as swell up any non solvent friendly orings making them easy to remove.
If used quick enough they can slowdown chemical reactions adding helping for a quicker cleaning process.
Solvent Cons
It will take days for the solvent to break down the materials, tying up valuable parts for some period of time. Most people think the solvents works instantly to soften up and breakdown the material. This isn't the case. It often leads to just wasting solvent.
The fumes from the solvent will turn anything not solvent resistant soft and can damage it. Not to mention that they are very unpleasant to smell while working with them. A mask should be worn.
You shouldn't keep solvents in the back of a truck. They should only be used at a shop. As mentioned about the fumes will eat away at anything not solvent resistant.
The solvent does not clean the parts for you. It just soften the material on them. It is up to you to still dig at the material to remove it from the parts. This can lead to scratching of important surfaces costing a lot of money in the end.
Solvent is expensive. Usually $400-500 for 5 gallons.
No Solvent Cleaning
So now you have a question. How to you get the foam off without using solvents? Would I not still be digging at it potentially damaging it? Yes and no...
As some of you may have experienced an easy process you can do to clean a gun spotless all without having to do a lot of work.
Boiling it in concentrated prestone antifreeze. I will be using this method for the pros and negatives of the no solvent argument.
Boiling Pros
It takes at most maybe 20 mins of actual work to turn a crossed over gun into something that is spotless.
You never have to use tools which can scratch up you parts to clean them.
You will clean out all the little pathways in the gun with out leaving any hardened residue on the walls.
Cheap to do. All you need is an electric deep fryer, and maybe 2 containers of prestone. This will cost around $120 and you will get probably 10-15 boils out of the prestone before it needs to be replaced. At that time it's just $15ish for another jug of prestone.
Boiling Cons
Must be done in a well ventilated area. The fumes are very bad for you. Do not breath them.
Depending on how dirty your guns are when you put them in to boil. You will have to change the prestone (you can usually get 15 boils or so out of it, if you do a quick clean of the gun prior to it the antifreeze will last longer)
It is flammable. If it catches fire it doesn't do anything for you except let off bad fumes.
If you use this method only use an electric deep fryer.
My Personal Preference?
Use as little solvent as possible... If any. If you really want to use it, only use it to soak parts back at your shop. This will loosen the foam so when you boil the parts it will not take as long.
Also only boil parts using an electric deep fryer, as well as doing it in an area which is properly ventilated.
After the parts are cleaned, pull them out and cool them off. After they are cooled off wipe them of to remove any residue, while inspecting each part for damages.
If done right, you will be amazed at how quick, easy and clean the parts come out!
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