Degreasing

I want to clean some SS parts that I engraved. Does anyone have a easy degreasing method instead of using expensive degreasers from Brownells? I want to have no residue left. Thanks for any help.....JohnR

When I need something really clean I use a product called Mean Green---kinda like Simple Green but doesn't have scent. I have cleaned gun parts that were clean enough to start rusting in less than a day when left on the bench. Carburator cleaner and such products seem to leave a residue that interferes with blueing chemicals. Mike

Just how greasy are you talking????
Since it is stainless steel why not just use hot soapy water?
Automotive brake cleaner, acetone works and Windex or soap and water to finish unless these are going to be used in surgery or something.

No surgery! While engraving I use black shoe polish and somtimes a black bluing pencile and also silicone oil on the gun parts. I was told that these can sometimes be very hard to clean off for the bluing process. I just want to make sure its clean. I tried hot water but the engravings still have black in them. I am hopping to find a cheaper way to clean them. Brownells sells all kinds of cleaners but are very expensive plus shipping..... Thanks

Hi,

For powder coating when they need a clean metal to coat they use Mineral Spirits or denatured alcohol then heated to about 300.

Maybe this will work better???

After machining in flood coolent the green soap in a ultrsonic works great...

I guess it depends on how clean you need it.

To take off black pencil, magic marker and grease pencil I use WD40, then clean it.( needs a little elbow grease but works well)

AirAmp

I hate to answer your question with questions but either you are making too much out of this or are going to experience some issues.
Are you bluing these yourself? Most gun blue people have a hot caustic cleaner that will degrease anything. Most guns have a ton of grease and gunk in them that has to boiled out. I wouldn't be too concerned if that is the case.
The next question is the person doing the bluing know they are stainless? There aren't many people that blue stainless. It can be done but most don't.

I know you wanna keep costs down but I'll add another suggestion to an already long (but good) list.

Harbor Freight sells an inexpensive ultrasonic cleaner ($69 bucks) which is large enough to hold any handgun part (including 8" barrels) and most rifle parts.

I gotta say the thing rocks. I use hot water & ultrasonic rouge remover from Contenti.com because it is non-acidic. No matter how clean you think you've got it by hand, tons of crap still lifts out of the engraving. Like polishing rouge, black marking pencil and shoe polish contain wax.

Clean it the best you can by hand then set it in the cleaner and forget it. Hit it with compressed air to dry it off. Saves a ton of time in the long run.

I just completed a high polish finish on a barrel and cylinder. They were covered in crud from oil stoning gold and hand polishing. After ultrasonic cleaning, I was able to see any sanding marks where I might have started and stopped much better. All the oil & oil stone crud in the tight spots gone and any small chips of steel caught in the matted background of the engraving gone in 2 minutes flat.

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Rex, to blacken stainless .... the finish MUST be a satin finish as in finely bead blasted.


Chris

Yes I'm thinking of trying my hand at rust bluing on a steel 1911 that I am finishing up. They say the metal has to be absolutly clean. I also have a SS 1911 (not to be blued) that is almost completed and I wanted to know the best way to clean these without buying very expensive chemicals. I have a shotgun being blued by Glenrock Bluing in WY. and its a big hassel here in Calif. to ship firearms. I am told that handguns have to be shipped from an FFL dealer to another FFL dealer. Another expense I don't know if you have to go thru the 10 day waiting period. Crap!! I'll just try to blu my own guns as I do this as a hobby. Thanks for all your input and I really like the ultrasonic cleaning method......JohnR

John
Almost all bluing opperations i.e. gunsmiths boil the parts in a cleaning solution check brownells for the right chemicals