Cleaning bulk parts?

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Hey all,Been lurking for quite a while but finally decided it's time to register.  I'm a hobbyist welder/fabricator who was somewhat contracted by my real employer to build a few mobile-like rotating steel structures for an upcoming community event...  In any case, the design is done, and I'm currently in the final phases of chopping all the steel.Problem is, there's tons of it.  72 small 4" sections of 1" round 16ga tube, 36 3" long collars that are to slide and spin around a 2" main tube...  You get the idea.The steel I have is extremely dirty from the standpoint of cutting fluid and protectant (from the steel yard).  Most of the parts (other than the main tubes) could absolutely benefit from painting, as the "limbs" of these structures will be polished copper tubing (I think it'd look kinda cool with a black and raw steel main structure).  I'll be damned if I'm going to scrub nearly 100 small parts by hand.For someone who does not have a garage basin, nor a blast cabinet, what is the quickest and easiest way to clean all these parts?  I was thinking about buying a few gallons of mineral spirits or acetone and just soaking/shaking them around in it within a big plastic bucket (outside, with a fan - definitely aware of fume hazards) but figured I'd check with more seasoned fabricators before doing anything potentially stupid.Thanks in advance!*** Edit:  Verified Home Depot buckets are made of HDPE, which is stable with acetone and mineral spirits (may be common knowledge, but it's news to me).Last edited by Flargen; 09-28-2013 at 09:47 AM.
Reply:A tumbler. I use a hobby kid rock tumbler for nuts and bolts ALL the time! I often thought of building a slightly bigger one just for stuff like you have there now. Throw them all in the tumbler, add a bit of media, some liquid (I use water) and plug it in and walk away and do other jobs. Half hour later (or so depending) everything is nice and clean and ready for welding, paint, cladding, what have you.
Reply:It has been to long so I have lost the pics but here are a couple I found yet. Just a pic of the tumbler I use and the final painted product. These bolts were all rusty and crappy when they went in.
Reply:Thanks for the tip man - unfortunately, that's a little outside the scope of this project...  The steel itself is rust-free, so all I really need is an effective way to clean all the protectant oil and cutting fluid off the steel.  I should've just cleaned the 8' lengths of tube before chopping them apart, but it's too late for that now.
Reply:Automotive cleaner such as Gunk Engine Brite foam spray or another product called Grease Lightning (which can be brushed or pump sprayed on) followed by a pressure washer cleaning and rinse.  Grease Lightning is a product aimed at heavy duty kitchen type cleaning like stove tops and deep fryers etc.  It can usually be found in the cleaning products section of grocer or department stores.Arrange the pieces on a concrete surface (or a scrap of plywood) for the pressure washer phase.Air dry in the sun or place in front of a fan indoors, compressed air to blow out any cracks/crevices.
Reply:Yep, clean the steel first. Lesson learned.Now, moving on, mix up some powdered Tide, and soak them in a buck, rolling the bucket will help. A cement mixer with the soap and water would likely do a good job.
Reply:Ah just mill oil cleaning. Put gas in bucket, put parts in bucket, shake.Pull parts out and dry them off and paint with oil based enamel and all is good again.Thats what I do. Did a bunch of parts this way yesterday in fact.
Reply:At this point, I'd take them to a machine shop, and ask them what they'd want to run the batch through their parts washer.  Any time I build an engine, I take all of the hardware from that engine, and get it cleaned this way.  Not gonna do that in my solvent tank!-AaronJet 17.5" Drill Press1942 South Bend 16x84 Lathe1980s Miller 320A / BP --- 2013 Power Mig 2562012 Jet 7x12 Horizontal BandsawVictor O/A Setup
Reply:I find that all the crud and even light rust associated with the CRS from the yard comes off very easily with a brillo sos pad. I cut the pieces "dirty" and once small size, washing by hand is not a real problem, although in your case with so many "parts", it could be a bit laborious, but you did say you were a "hobbiest". I think the coolant from the saws is water soluble so you might just be able to power wash it off. Purple Power might help but I've not yet tried it.XMT304 (school)SP125+ (home)HF 4x6 BandsawGood judgement comes from experience and much of that comes from bad judgement.
Reply:Until I learned that steel yards carry primered square tubing, I would clean the raw material with gasoline.This was also when gasoline was $1.35/gallon.  I haven't wiped steel down in years. I know it's no help to you with the precut round tube (you can't buy round primered)But I think your going to just have to wright it off as a lesson learned and clean each part by hand...
Reply:+ ONE on the vibratory cleaner/tumbler for the small stuff.As far as the OP's parts situation?I scrounged and old dishwasher from a remodel a few years ago.  Take a 5 gallon bucket and plumb the water inlet line to the bottom and route the outlet line to the top and hang it above the level of the dishwasher.  The washer has a heater element in it so no hot water is needed and the supply recycles.  Add dish washing detergent which is a mild caustic and hit the wash button.  Rinse the parts with a garden hose and let dry, followed by oil based enamel primer or paint of your choice.  A weed blower speeds the drying process considerably and helps to prevent rust bloom.A "Poor man's" hot water parts washer for sure, but it works well and even does a decent job on small engine parts.  The guy that gave me the idea is an avid moto-x rider and builds a lot of bike engines.  It is all he uses for cases and cylinders.RogerOld, Tired, and GRUMPYSalesman will call, Batteries not included, Assembly is required, and FREE ADVICE IS WORTH EXACTLY WHAT YOU PAY FOR IT!Dial Arc 250HFThunderbolt 225 AC/DCAssorted A/O torches
Reply:I use non-chlorinated brake cleaner to clean parts I'm gonna weld. Easy, fast and dries quick. Just make sure you use non-chlorinated.
Reply:Try boiling water with some heavy-duty dishwasher detergent.  Add some TSP for even more kick.  (Lye works but is nasty to handle)."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:Originally Posted by Rog02+ ONE on the vibratory cleaner/tumbler for the small stuff.As far as the OP's parts situation?I scrounged and old dishwasher from a remodel a few years ago.  Take a 5 gallon bucket and plumb the water inlet line to the bottom and route the outlet line to the top and hang it above the level of the dishwasher.  The washer has a heater element in it so no hot water is needed and the supply recycles.  Add dish washing detergent which is a mild caustic and hit the wash button.  Rinse the parts with a garden hose and let dry, followed by oil based enamel primer or paint of your choice.  A weed blower speeds the drying process considerably and helps to prevent rust bloom.A "Poor man's" hot water parts washer for sure, but it works well and even does a decent job on small engine parts.  The guy that gave me the idea is an avid moto-x rider and builds a lot of bike engines.  It is all he uses for cases and cylinders.
Reply:Yep,  Kind of like that.But you had go and get all upity and do a nice installation.RogerOld, Tired, and GRUMPYSalesman will call, Batteries not included, Assembly is required, and FREE ADVICE IS WORTH EXACTLY WHAT YOU PAY FOR IT!Dial Arc 250HFThunderbolt 225 AC/DCAssorted A/O torches
Reply:You could also take it to a metal plater company and pay them to clean it.  We get bulk parts daily by the ton where people merely want the oils cleaned off without electroplating.  Plating companies have huge vats used to strip and clean surface metals for this very purpose.  Google metal finishing or electroplating for one close to you.  Call and get a quote.Lincoln Power Mig 216Lincoln AC/DC-225/125Miller  625 X-Treme PlasmaMiller 211 Forney 95FI-A 301HF 91110Victor Journeyman O/PMilwaukee DaytonMakita  Baileigh NRA Life Member
Reply:I know a guy who has a cheap electric concrete mixer that he will run with solvent to clean parts. Or he will run with sand an walnut in to clean parts. He swears by his trusty concrete mixer. There pretty cheap if you pick one up on craigslist at the rite time.PROUD   AMERICAN
Reply:Good tips, thanks guys!  I really didn't think water-based cleaning solutions would be ideal (water + mild steel = rust, in my mind).  I'll give that a shot.I've called a couple machine shops and those that can do it are too slammed with other orders to interrupt their current production cycles for cleaning.  All the metal finishing shops are too far away to be worth it in this case (need it done by tonight).Oh well.  This is definitely a lesson learned.What I did end up doing was putting all of the 1" round tube pieces into a bucket and drowning them in acetone (covered to avoid fumes, and to reduce evaporation).  As I built each piece, I pulled the small tubes out of the bucket and gave them a quick wipe with a paper towel, which instantly removed all of the grime and crap (way easier than I thought).  I'll probably go the soap and water route for the pre-paint wash.Thanks again!