Ok to use white spirit instead of paraffin?

[Refueler]

Paraffin .. Kerosin ... Esso Blue .... all same ... if you find a shop that sells the Parafin for your old heater / tilly lamp ... that's all same.

Like Biggles Wader ... I oil mine and not grease .....

 

[thinwater]

Why on earth would anyone be concerned about a (very) thin petroleum film? A few moments later you slather on grease or add machine oil. In fact, I can think of a number of reasons, including flash corrosion, why removing that film is bad. I wouldn't use anything that removed it.

 

[colind3782]

White spirit is fine. In the past I've used Avgas as a degreaser.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I think that Lewmar recommend their own grease for bearings - light oil might not last very long but would be ok if you reduce the service interval.

 

[Old Harry]

I think that Lewmar recommend their own grease for bearings - light oil might not last very long but would be ok if you reduce the service interval.

Do Lewmar make grease, or rebadge

 

[ghostlymoron]

Probably rebadge. I use Morris's water resistant

 

[RichardS]

Probably rebadge. I use Morris's water resistant

I also use a dab of waterproof grease rather than oil. If the springs in the pawls are so weak that they can't overcome a film of grease, you've got bigger issues to deal with than oil or grease.

Richard

 

[Old Bumbulum]

White spirit is fine. In the past I've used Avgas as a degreaser.

An excellent way to end up in a burns unit for months, if I may say so.
Gasoline is a very hazardous way to degrease and no better than kerosene, though why you'd use hideously expensive avgas instead of pump petrol I can't imagine, unless you have scrap fuel on hand.

 

[colind3782]

An excellent way to end up in a burns unit for months, if I may say so.
Gasoline is a very hazardous way to degrease and no better than kerosene, though why you'd use hideously expensive avgas instead of pump petrol I can't imagine, unless you have scrap fuel on hand.

I was working as a "wrench" on a DC3 when I lived in the States and it was easy to just take some from the wing tank drain taps when needed. Surprisingly, I never actually managed to set myself alight!

That was nearly forty years ago so I imagine that it's much more dangerous now!

 

[Old Bumbulum]

I was working as a "wrench" on a DC3 when I lived in the States and it was easy to just take some from the wing tank drain taps when needed. Surprisingly, I never actually managed to set myself alight!

That was nearly forty years ago so I imagine that it's much more dangerous now!

Not quite so bad outside I guess, but imagine H & S seeing that going on today?

My first job on a C47 was to help wash the damn thing, with string mops and buckets of mixed hydraulic oil and jet fuel. Corosion inhibitor apparently, and certainly made the old thing shine but hideously slippery to work on. Quite the opposite of degreasing!

 

[colind3782]

My first job on a C47 was to help wash the damn thing, with string mops and buckets

Me too! In an idle moment I calculated that it takes 20 man hours to wash a "3"

 

[CliveF]

paraffin from shops is more expensive than gold ( well almost )
Know any one with oil central heating? get a liter from them it is kerosene i.e paraffin and about 48p a liter.

It cleans great and is a direct swap into a tilley lamp if you need it.

Regards Clive

 

[differentroads]

+1 for using diesel to clean winches. Keep some back when you clean or replace your filters. Remember to wear your marigolds though and moisterise your hands before. It strips oils off your hands too and the results can be no fun.