White Spirit

[wfahey]

I am going to clean all 4 winches this week and was reading the Lewmar manual and it says to clean the parts with "white spirit" before putting a thin film of grease on them. White Spirit is a new term for me. Is that Kerosene?

Thanks in advance
Bill

[sailingdog]

You can use Kerosene, Gasoline, or Varsol...

[billyruffn]

You could also try vodka...it's a white spirit, and easier on the skin than gasoline.

But seriously, I normally use gasoline, but good chem resistant gloves are essential. I've found disposal of the residue is also an issue.

[wfahey]

Interesting. How do you think the Admiral will respond to me wanting to use her Vodka to clean the winches? Not well would be my guess.

There is an oil barrel where we can dump our oil after doing a change, wonder if I can put the residue in there? Then again, if I use vodka I can make bloody mary's with the residue and hand them out to all the people that love to hang around and watch. Mmmmmm......decisions.

[sailingdog]

Use NITRILE Gloves, since the latex ones melt in gasoline. Most gas stations and auto repair shops will take small amounts of waste gasoline.

[buckeyesailor]

waste gasoline is also good for killing weeds in the sidewalk........

think recycle......

[Valiente]

It makes for interesting bonfires, I tell ya whut.

[sailaway21]

White spirits or white gas is campstove fuel. Coleman sells it in gallon cans at your local hardware or camping store.

Gas leaves a residue on parts cleaned. I'd just wander down to my local automechanic's shop and borrow his parts washer. It's got a nice brush and uses a safe solvent, and any mess is left in the sink and recycled by design.

Spray brake cleaner will do a nicejob with no residue and it evaporates so there's no clean-up.

[hellosailor]

White spirit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

They say it is Stoddard solvent (which is sold under that name in the US).

"White spirit is used as an extraction solvent, as a cleaning solvent, as a degreasing solvent and as a solvent in aerosols, paints, wood preservatives, lacquers, varnishes, and asphalt products....widely used solvent in the paint industry....
Three different types and three different grades of white spirit exist. "

Sounds like any kind of generic "paint thinner" or "mineral spirits" would work, as long as it can be used as a degreaser.

Gasoline of any kind tends to be more flammable, or explosive, than conventional thinners.

[TThomsen]

Whenever maintenance (aircraft) cleans parts they use varsol. Varsol is also known as Mineral Spirit or White Spirit

Here is a website

Overview

Thomas