Degrease screws

[Allan]

Hi,what do you use to degrease screw and bolts ?

Thanks Allan

[barryorbik]

Hi, I normally pinch some of my wifes nail varnish remover, seems to work very well and its free!!

Barry

[Jamin_00]

Hi, I normally pinch some of my wifes nail varnish remover, seems to work very well and its free!!

Barry

Snap

[jamiem]

Methylated spirits works a treat. Halfords sell it in 500ml bottles for a couple of quid.

[EtheAv8r]

I use Acetone - but it does evaporate quickly if you leave the container open.

[Allan]

Thanks for the info I've have some Methylated spirits
or I could go to the nail bar in town and ask for nail varnish remover
that would get the staff thinking lol

[GravityKills]

I never degrease screws. Usually the problem isn't that they come loose on their own, but that you can't break them free after a crash.

But here's a hint when you build a new heli:
As long as the threads are clean - new parts - threadlock doesn't work that well. Once the screw has been removed a couple of times and threadlocked, the threadlock keeps holding it even after a quarter turn.
When assembling feathering shaft or tail blade holder screws, you can loctite the screw into the shaft - don't bother with the grips yet. Take it out after 10 minutes, then use a small amount of loctite and assemble as usual.
This allows to use a rather small amount of threadlock, and it won't form a drop that then leaks into the thrust bearings.

[debrooker]

+1 for acetone (nail polish remover)

[millerman]

i would have thought brake cleaner or suchlike be best ,
acetone rots most materials (try it on your canopy and see how long that lasts) nail varnish remover has oils and softners in to help not dry and rot finger nails
i used to use acetone to restore paint brushes that have gone rock hard
you should see how quick it desolves paint !!!

[alex]

Yep- acetone form the local chemist.

[brin]

I use 3m surface cleaner as Methylated spirits can leave a residue .

[Milamber]

I use Surgical Spirit, available from the chemist.

M.

[barryorbik]

Surgical spirit is good but it really stinks. The cheap nail varnish remover from ASDA (in a nice pink bottle) is acetone based and according the label on the bottle my wife is slowly 'loosing' it costs 89p. Got to be worth it at that price but do be very careful near any plastic bits and it dissolves super glue and fibreglass, if ever you have the need too.

Barry

[EtheAv8r]

i would have thought brake cleaner or suchlike be best ,
acetone rots most materials (try it on your canopy and see how long that lasts) nail varnish remover has oils and softners in to help not dry and rot finger nails
i used to use acetone to restore paint brushes that have gone rock hard
you should see how quick it desolves paint !!!

There is brake cleaner and brake cleaner... different brand are different formula and quality. Some leave a residue.... test for yourself by cleaning a piece of glass and checking for smeer free clarity... not all are.

Rot! Acetone does not rot most materials! Canopes are made of some form of plastic and yes acetone eats a lot of plastics, screws are made of metal (except those made of cheeze) and acetone is one of, if not the best product to clean and degrease metal (and a lot of other things - like glass fiber; it cleans and 'melts away' away pre-cured resin, and cleans down fully cured resin without harming the cured GRP - I used two gallons of it when I built my epoxy glass Jabiru). After doing a layup, popping the brushes into a jar of it would make them usable for the next session , but wiping down cured GRP is not harmed as it evaporates quickly. Acetone is often used by quality welders to clean and degrease.

I buy acetone by the gallon from a local glass fiber company.

[KnifeEdge]

Brake cleaner