Homemade Parts Washer
So after looking at parts washers in the stores and online I decided that I could build one with better features for the same price as the cheap ones. Most cheap ones are good only for water based (aqueous) solvents, and my design is no different since it uses a water pump for it’s design, though you could upgrade it. The pump used is a water fountain pump submerged in an old bucket from pool chemicals. There is a secondary bucket suspended beneath the tub drain and main bucket lid, that has shop rags in the bottom, with the bottom turned into swiss cheese. This provides basic filtering to prolong pump life.
Pump and filter assembly
The red in water above is from the red shop rags used for filters. Inside the smaller bucket is a down pipe of the tub drain. The smaller bucket is just suspended with some electrical wire via holes drilled in the appropriate places.
The tub itself is a feed trough from a farm supply store that is held off the bucket with four toilet tank bolt assemblies (they come with rubber washers) and a bar sink drain assembly that has a large hole strainer/stopper built in. The bottom of the drain assembly has the downpipe that goes through the main bucket lid and into the filter bucket. On top of the rubber washers that all the pieces came with, I also gave all the holes and seals a healthy dose of automotive grade RTV silicone.
Visible Drain and Bolt Assemblies
The feed tube from the pump comes up to pipe fittings that split in two different routes. The purpose of this is to create a sort of parts “dishwasher”. One of the pipes off the tee is to go to a flow through brush that will be built later (next article), but for now it is just an open tube. The other path taken by the fluid goes to a tube ring suspended at the top of the tub. This ring has nozzles provided by tube couplers that came from an assortment pack of vacuum tube fittings. These fittings are pushed into the side of the tube at desired intervals. Pilot holes help this process. When your done, mix in whatever you want for an aqueous de-greaser or parts solvent. Take a look at the final pictures and tell me what you think.
Finished tub view with fittings
Another tub view
Graymills M5005-141 Parts Washer Cleaning Solvent
Little Giant 1-YS 1/150 HP, 205 GPH @ 1′ Parts Washer Pump - 6′ Cord no plug (501020)
