welding & cutting fluid

[meadow street]

what's a good way of removing cutting fluid from steel I have just drilled, before grinding and welding?

don't want to add one contaminant in order to remove another, if you know what I mean?

thinking petrol, degreaseer, acetone, detergent, thinners......

what at do you use?

meadow

[Karl Robbers]

It depends what type of cutting fluid you have used. Soluble oil will be cleared away well enough with water for all but the most critical of applications. Beware of using paint thinners - it sends you senile apparently and I don't need anymore assistance in that area
To be honest, unless you have really lathered on the cutting lube, a wipe with a rag is good enough for most general fabrication.
If you do use a solvent, then bear in mind that solvents and welding are like cats and dogs - best not kept in the same area.
Metho will remove a lot of contaminants and is more innocuous than petrol, thinners and acetone if you really need something stronger than water.

[KBs PensNmore]

It depends what type of cutting fluid you have used. Soluble oil will be cleared away well enough with water for all but the most critical of applications. Beware of using paint thinners - it sends you senile apparently and I don't need anymore assistance in that area
To be honest, unless you have really lathered on the cutting lube, a wipe with a rag is good enough for most general fabrication.
If you do use a solvent, then bear in mind that solvents and welding are like cats and dogs - best not kept in the same area.
Metho will remove a lot of contaminants and is more innocuous than petrol, thinners and acetone if you really need something stronger than water.

A residue of cutting fluid will help reduce the amount of welding spatter that sticks to the job, so don't clean it to hard. There is usually enough welding heat to get rid of most impurities, it's only when doing pressure vessel work that it needs to be really clean.
Kryn