Thread: Grease out of timber

You could try white spirits or solvent degreaser as it is now being marketed - liquid hydrocarbons.

I would certainly experiment on a test piece first.

Yeah, white spirits was my first thought ... no, second actually, after braticide

Richard

Try metho. I had reasonable success using it to get 3 in 1 oil out of some Tas Oak recently, don't know how it will go with grease though.

Otherwise, maybe engine degreaser ? Although the cure might be worse than the illness......

Justin.

Metho won't remove much.
White spirits or turps or petrol will take most of it off the surface.

Then a wash down with sugar soap might get the deeper stuff out though some dishwashing detergent in hot water might shift it too.

Simple first so warm water and dishwashing detergent on the local area using an old towel or lint-free cloth to soak up. Steel wool can sometimes help and is nice and fine on the timber surface.

Hairdryer or heatgun if you need to dry the area quickly, but with caution of course.

Turps might work to get grease out and would be OK if you were finishing with an oil-based varnish, but epoxy finishes do not like it much.

That's me biggest concern, a solvent that doesn't leave a residue or if it does, leaves something the epoxy will stick to. Fortunately, there's no rush so time will have a chance to help as well.

Richard

How about something like drycleaning fluid (Murlex is a brand, I think)?

Incidentally, the lad was fed tonight ... though the Rotty who scored the meal is complaining that it wasn't washed first (to his credit, the lad not the dog, he recognised the problem immediately, took responsibility and is as concerned as I am about finding a solution).

Richard

Try the white spirit, I use it as a base for the moulder bed lubricant at work, it carries the oil, then evaporates leaving zilch, nada, nuffin' behind.

Originally Posted by E. maculata

Try the white spirit, I use it as a base for the moulder bed lubricant at work, it carries the oil, then evaporates leaving zilch, nada, nuffin' behind.

That's what I was thinking but didn't know for sure, and seeing I have plenty of time, I can repeat the treatment until satisfied.

Oh goody, I get to go to Bunnies tomorrow.
Nah, reckon I'll slum it at Mitre10

Richard

Sorry Richard mate... sadly nothin for it your gonna have to start all over again

Richard, I ran out of white spirits and waited and waited for bunnies to restock it to no avail.
I think that it is now called solvent degreaser and has a green tint in it.
I have only used this once on fabric - blue colour so I couldn't tell if it leaves a green residue.
Try Mighty 10 first if your after the clear version or you may be lucky with your bunnies branch.

I'd be careful with solvent degreaser as most manufacturers include surfactants in it to enable you to hose it off with water.

My local Bunnies stocks White Spirit as well as Mineral Turps. They are both liquid hydrocarbons, but White Spirit is much lower in aromatics, therefore doesn't attack the surface of certain plastic (eg polycarbonate), but that is not an issue here.

I see no reason why you can't use either White Spirits or Mineral Turps to get rid of the grease. BTW White Spirits is used extensively in the "dry" cleaning industry.

Another place that stocks White Spirits here in Bendigo is The Warehouse, Go-Lo has it as well, and Mitre10. Any paint store should have it as well.

Have been reliably told the only and by far the best thing to use is Napisan.

Email with all details coming soon in email.

Cheers - Neil