brake cleaner? Beware!

Info, pictures, advice...
Post Reply
oakchas
Junior member
Posts: 29
Joined: June 22nd, 2009, 11:17 am

brake cleaner? Beware!

Post by oakchas »

A lot of us have used brake cleaner to clean up the cosmoline from our newly acquired p 64s.... If you are using it and then heat the gun... say to blue it with something like Blue Wonder... Beware!

This is related to welding... but where there's heat and brake cleaner.. there could be a cloud of mist or vapor...

http://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm

Maybe we should all go back to mineral spirits....
doyle
Member
Member
Posts: 116
Joined: February 5th, 2007, 9:33 pm
Location: SW Florida

brake cleaner? Beware!

Post by doyle »

Only an idiot would use something as volitile as brake/carb cleaner and then immediately apply a heat source without letting the cleaner fully evaporate.
oakchas
Junior member
Posts: 29
Joined: June 22nd, 2009, 11:17 am

brake cleaner? Beware!

Post by oakchas »

agreed, but sometimes we all get in a bit of a hurry.... and everything's got warning labels on it... but we don't ALWAYS read them....
nitrousnoel
Junior member
Posts: 32
Joined: May 30th, 2009, 12:06 am

brake cleaner? Beware!

Post by nitrousnoel »

Yeah they would be an idiot, but you'll be surprised of what people will do when not well informed.
stillkruzn
Junior member
Posts: 19
Joined: May 1st, 2009, 9:20 pm
Location: Conway, AR

brake cleaner? Beware!

Post by stillkruzn »

That is the reason they put those warnings on products.... because someone has done it... the best one I have seen is on the tube of Preperation H... Not for Oral Use... think about it...
blinddog
Veteran member
Veteran member
Posts: 739
Joined: April 17th, 2007, 1:22 pm
Location: Roseburg, Or.

brake cleaner? Beware!

Post by blinddog »

HOLD ON THERE! First don't call me a idiot. Brake cleaner is one of the safest cleaners that I know of. For one thing, it evaporates at a very quick rate. It doesn't hang around and wait for a bang to go off so it can explode. IT IS GONE! It does not leave a residue. That is one reasion we use it for a cleaner. If we had a count of hands I promise you there would be over half of the members use brake cleaner. If you guys have a question please present it in a civil way.

blinddog
User avatar
dfunk
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 1877
Joined: November 6th, 2005, 11:16 am
Location: Earth
Contact:

brake cleaner? Beware!

Post by dfunk »

I'll raise my hand - I have a can in the shop specifically for cleaning the cosmo off mil surp guns. Never had any problems.

If you look at that image in the link posted by the OP, it specifically states not to use it near an open flame or welding operation. Just like the manual says not to point your gun at anything you don't intend to shoot. Used correctly, these things are safe.

Like blinddog said, it evaporates very quickly and leaves no residue. You'd have to spray it down with cleaner and then put heat to it immediately to have some type of issue.
rottenrick
Senior member
Senior member
Posts: 401
Joined: March 17th, 2009, 8:16 pm

brake cleaner? Beware!

Post by rottenrick »

I've used it too. As long as there is no open flames you're ok'. There is one solvent you do have too watch for is alcohol. Iso is excellent for cleaning, leaves no residue, but use the 73, not the 93%. I witnessed an avionics tech cleaning with 93% and a soft cotton rag. Some of you might have already guessed STATIC ELECT. set it off. He was cleaning solder flux off a power supply card. It burned so clear, the guy started yelling he was burning. We couldn't see it. Did a number on his hands, just lucky the stuff evaporates so fast(it burn't off very quickly). Iso is not good for some plastics either, softens them.
Last edited by rottenrick on August 27th, 2009, 9:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
protector
Senior member
Senior member
Posts: 200
Joined: July 25th, 2007, 6:21 pm
Location: Pa.

brake cleaner? Beware!

Post by protector »

If common sense and responsibility are utilized there wont be any problem,been using it for 30 years...
Last edited by protector on August 27th, 2009, 4:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Aim small,hit small...
hairypolack
Member
Member
Posts: 167
Joined: November 11th, 2008, 1:11 pm
Location: Idaho

brake cleaner? Beware!

Post by hairypolack »

im pretty sure hoppe's could be flammable if applied to a flame.
Post Reply