High preassure washing a MFT ?

[jahej]

I'm considering buying an MFT3 from a shop that has used it daily for years.
Price is very good for a hobby crafter like myself but everything is very dirty, sawdust and oil residue in every spot. I like to have everything clean. Is it possible to high-pressure wash the table (without the top of course) or will it rust?

 

[AlexThePalex]

No, don't do that. Aluminium won't rust but there are plenty of steel screws and plates in there that will. 

Take your time, do cleaning by hand.

 

[Peter_C]

Welcome to FOG

I would hit it with my pressure washer and do so to things often. Only way to get things clean quickly and efficiently, especially with lots of nooks and crannies to clean out. Then dry quickly with compressed air, which will also clean further. Having low humidity to finish the drying process is good too, along with warm sunny days. Even if it rusts a tiny bit it will still look better than it did covered in years of grime. *shrugs*

 

[Birdhunter]

Driving water into the scarred up top sounds like trouble. New tops are not all that expensive and you will find a use for the old one.

 

[FestitaMakool]

Once the top is removed, you could just attack the frame with warm soapy water (car shampoo?) with a fairly stiff brush. Remove the rest later with some oil based grease remover. As suggested dry everything thoroughly straight after. An oily rag to clean the finishing layer will leave some of the right moisture afterwards.

I did this to my Kapex MFT, looked horrible, even the top. But after wash and thorough sanding of the top it looked new again. Alu parts and powder coat are quite thankfully to clean. Consider some car polishing too.

 

[leakyroof]

I’m with Alex, get a rag, some gloves, and Naptha/Mineral Spirits, clean it up with that in a well ventilated area.

 

[oldie]

If it is that filthy, I'm with Peter_C on this - with one mega major proviso.

Power washing + compressed air will drive droplets / moisture deep into tiny microscopic spaces  [scared]

Therefore, I would then, after cleaning up: in a nice warm environment - give it, repeatedly, the 'hair-drier' treatment. 

Turn the whole assembly upside down - repeat.  Turn it onto its sides - repeat.
You get the idea.
Next just leave it standing - beyond a certain point, would have to allow evaporation (in the warm environment) to do its job. 
If was completely and hopelessly anal - would repeat the process. 

Everything, even deep down, must be bone dry. 

Any rusty plates etc?  Touch up with that stuff that turns rust into whatever. 

Then... (yawn  [laughing]): sparingly lubricate joints etc with whatever to protect and ensure freely moving blah blah. 

Richard (UK)

 

[TSO_Products]

drying it out? . . .
consider taking it to a smaller powder coating shop that uses batch ovens and pay them to keep it in the oven overnight or weekend- just a thought

Hans

 

[danrush]

My field mft's have gotten wet,  even soaked many times.  I sometimes give them a quick wipe down,  sometimes not.  No noticeable damage except perhaps a bit of surface rust here and there. 

It seems to me that if you pressure wash it,  then wipe it down or hit or with compressed are you'll be fine.  Your only talking about a onetime deal,  not something you'll be doing regularly. 

 

[rst]

Do not use a pressure washer, it will drive what ever you use into spaces that water should nor enter.  Use a citrus based  solvent solvent...I buy gallons of De-Solv-it Pro Contractors Solvent for cleaning for any cleanup.  I buy it in gallons and put into spray bottles, a large one in the shop and one of the original small sprayers in my service van.  I use it with a toothbrush and other stiff brushes as well as conditioning pads to cleanup practically everything requiring cleansing.  Acetone cleans up the rest and when all else fails...lacquer thinner. 

 

[FestitaMakool]

jahej, don’t worry washing it. The MFT’s only nook and crannies is in the legs, and the rubber feet pops off for airing and drying. You can probably just use regular car/paint polish with wax to clean the legs anyhow, without water and they will be better protected than straight from the box.. even look shiny as well if not scarred deep.

The aluminium extrusions and corner brackets are of open construction, so no entrapment there.
But the anodised aluminium can also be polished with very good results, the wax will protect longer term as well. Just don’t use abrasive cleaners or solvents that will flatten the surface.
A plastic scrape to work residue on the surface as well as a cutting paint polish will remove most, if not all. If you can, blow everything with compressed air and spray some WD40 for difficult to reach areas.
The MFT is built to be mobile, dragging it in and out of cars, powder coated legs to withstand small knocks, condensation appears with temperature changes and humidity changes, it has to handle that too. It’s built to concur a lot. Only thing missing is rustproofing cavities (legs) and stainless brackets and screws... Though, I’ve still seen residue of rustproofing in the weld joints on one my table’s legs, So they could very well have this quality standard in the production line.

After reading here, do you guys wash your car with dry shampoo? Really, I’d be more concerned hitting my car with water.

 

[Bertotti]

I would disassemble it rather than washing it as a unit, this way the stuff that doesn't need the pressure washer won't get pressure washed, and it will dry quicker. Well, that and you can be more thorough and get into those harder to reach areas better.