91 replies to this topic

[Mark Wampler]

We decided to attack the track last night and discovered that there is no longer any solvent based chemical remover. Until now we've used the basic silicone and wax remover, BUT now there is no such availability. Only water based! Might as well break the 409 out

Anyone else in California dealing with the issue? Anyone have some intel on EPA/air quality control regs?

[John Slover]

I would think warm Simple Green would work great. It's the best degreaser I never used.

[Victor Poulin]

Mark,
Can you still get Naptha ? Up here we can buy it at Lowes or Home Depot.
You can also use Colemen fuel, but it does leave a bit of film if you don't go behind yourself with a clean rag.

Vic

[TSR]

You can also use Mineral Spirits as it will not harm the paint.

[Mark Wampler]

Mark,
Can you still get Naptha ? Up here we can buy it at Lowes or Home Depot.
You can also use Colemen fuel, but it does leave a bit of film if you don't go behind yourself with a clean rag.

Vic

We used standard mineral spirits before(paint thinner), but it ended up softening glue holding the braid, so we had to quit using it. This silicone and wax remover was perf, but evidently it has been outlawed in Santa Barbara county.

[MSwiss]

About 95% of the track owners clean their track with VM&P naphtha.

If you don't drench the track, it won't harm the braid because it evaporates quickly.

[Mark Wampler]

IDK, I'm more troubled by the slow disappearance of standard chemicals by the powers that be. Naphtha works good, but the remover we were using dried fast and didn't irritate the eyes and breathing.

Water-based cleaners aren't going to get it.

[MSwiss]

PS-Micro fiber towels you get at Sam's or Cost-co
for about $12 or $13 for 25 work great.
I use one or 2 tops for cleaning the King.
My flat track always only needs one.

[MSwiss]

Naphtha works good, but the remover we were using dried fast and didn't irritate the eyes and breathing.

Some people are more bothered by naptha than others.

Just the same, since you need to use it anyway to spray glue the track
after it's clean, it seems like it wouldn't be an issue.

[HarV Wallbanger III]

Have any of you California guys that live in hard water areas seen the difference in how your dish washer works? Annette and I replaced our 20 yr. old dishwasher with a more green one and bought new soap for it.... well it does not clean as well AND etches the glass and plastic ware and leaves soap on everything!

The reason....... California took out the phosphates out of our soap last year! So now if you see this going on use 1/2-3/4 cup vinegar so it will stop leaving the soap on and the etching.

SCAQMD (South Coast Air Quality Management District) took lacquer paints from us years ago as well. You can buy in small 1 and 2 oz. stuff but forget about pints and quarts.

[Phil Hackett]

Have any of you California guys that live in hard water areas seen the difference in how your dish washer works? Annette and I replaced our 20 yr. old dishwasher with a more green one and bought new soap for it.... well it does not clean as well AND etches the glass and plastic ware and leaves soap on everything!

The reason....... California took out the phosphates out of our soap last year! So now if you see this going on use 1/2-3/4 cup vinegar so it will stop leaving the soap on and the etching.

SCAQMD (South Coast Air Quality Management District) took lacquer paints form us years ago as well. You can buy in small 1 and 2 oz. stuff but forget about pints and quarts.

Barney.... you should see what the SCAQMD has been doing in outlawing all sorts of chemicals around here. Not long ago they were trying to outlaw cutting oils... Aqueous solvents can work but sometimes they're worse for human health than the oil based solvents and I have yet to find an aqueous solvent that works as well as any oil based solvent for my business, so I'm using this Mickey Mouse $50/gallon stuff that *disintegrates* in air. I just spend over $1000 to refill the cleaning machine not long ago...
Lacquer thinner is still available in 5 gallon cans.... if you know where to look .

[Arne Saknussem]

Simple Green, a rag on the end of a mop, and a little muscle will clean the track just fine... assuming you aren't gluing the P out of it.

[Guy Spaulding]

Coleman Fuel remains an available, viable option

[Rick]

Well, they haven't outlawed gasoline yet in Cali, have they? Very aromatic but works good. Mineral spirits are way too oily for a track cleaner unless you follow that up with laquer thinner wipe down. Naptha still the best, probably. Sounds like you have been using Prepsol, wasn't that expensive?

I tried that water based stuff they were pushing a few years ago, I did not like it at all.

[Phil Hackett]

We decided to attack the track last night and discovered that there is no longer any solvent based chemical remover. Until now we've used the basic silicone and wax remover, BUT now there is no such availability. Only water based! Might as well break the 409 out

Anyone else in California dealing with the issue? Anyone have some intel on EPA/air quality control regs?

I remember some tracks using Coleman fuel. Won't that work?

[Mark Wampler]

The reason....... California took out the phosphates out of our soap last year! So now if you see this going on use 1/2-3/4 cup vinegar so it will stop leaving the soap on and the etching.

Barn,
I'd keep that secret under your hat or vinegar may be outlawed next

Maybe have to give up the glue addiction and go back to silicone tires. Dust free is all you need. Wing racing would be complicated tho.

[TSR]

Mineral spirits are way too oily for a track cleaner unless you follow that up with laquer thinner wipe down.

No oils in the stuff sold in California.

[Mark Wampler]

White gas / Coleman fuel fumes would knock me out. Way too flammable. Wrong product for wrong purpose.

[darrell]

Brake cleaner?

[Mark Wampler]

Humm. let's see. If we gather ALL the cans of PURE, maybe we can do it!

Oh, maybe carburetor clearner?

No offense Darrell, we're pulling ideas out of the air now.

[MSwiss]

Some people are more bothered by naptha than others.

Just the same, since you need to use it anyway to spray glue the track
after it's clean, it seems like it wouldn't be an issue.

I didn't realize track cleaning could turn into something complicated
like splitting an atom.
As mentioned above if you have to deal with Naptha fumes with
spray gluing the track it seems like dealing with them a little longer
and using Naptha to also clean the track wouldn't be the end of the world.
(That's assuming you're spray gluing your track like 99% of the other raceways do it)

[PCH Parts Express]

Mark,
Can you still get Naptha ? Up here we can buy it at Lowes or Home Depot.
You can also use Colemen fuel, but it does leave a bit of film if you don't go behind yourself with a clean rag.

Vic

Over in these parts you normally need to go to a paint store for naptha. Let me know if you want us to pick up a (gallon) can or two for you.

[boxerdog]

For now at least, we can still get naptha and coleman fuel, both work just fine if you air out the building a little. I am sure Super Clean or some such product would work, but I haven't tried it.

[Mark Wampler]

I didn't realize track cleaning could turn into something complicated
like splitting an atom.
As mentioned above if you have to deal with Naptha fumes with
spray gluing the track it seems like dealing with them a little longer
and using Naptha to also clean the track wouldn't be the end of the world.
(That's assuming you're spray gluing your track like 99% of the other raceways do it)

As also before mentioned Mike, there was some issue with the braid lifting when we used it. There are some unknowns as to why we don't use it. I posted this thread in hopes for alternatives to Naptha/ mineral spirits. A light spray glue is applied. I'm not around when that happens the following day after cleaning. Our thinners on the west coast are not oily and that's not an issue.

[tonyp]

Nice state you guys live in... Good old Prop 65...