[1982911SCTarga]

Nice score, Tim!

During my summers between college years as a millwright at South Bend Lathe, my collegiate colleagues and I were often dispatched to do the initial cleanup of machine tools prior to their repainting, refurbishing and reinstatement for parts production on the various lathe lines. This was -- surprise -- dirty, nasty work (as in "this job is perfect for the know-it-all college pukes to do"). As a cleaner/degreaser we used a trisodium phosphate-type product that was mixed with hot water. This worked well, but it would still take two of us several days to completely clean a large machine like a grinder or similar using various brushes, rags, sponges, etc. We were supposed to wear gloves, but in a matter of an hour or so, the gloves would be worthless.

After we were done, the machines were inserted in the assembly line queue for the paint shop. Those guys worked wonders. When all was said and done -- reassembly, reinstallation and recalibration, these refurbed machines were probably better than new. There were two Blanchard grinders in particular that I got to know way too well.

Brian