Bought myself a parts washer a few months ago from machine mart and forgot to order solvent with it... Rather than ordering solvent and paying the same again for post and package I am trying to get some locally (aberdeen). Question is what type of solvent should be used in it?

I'm not sure how many different kinds there are, but I'd make sure that whatever you get is non-flamable. That probably goes without saying, but it's not a bad idea to check before buying!

If in doubt use jizer or gunk

That's what the one where I used to work had in it. Lather it on and leave it 1/2 an hour, then go back with the brush. Job done.

Cheapist thing you can get is parrafin or kerasen as described in rons book..
BUT YOUR HOUSE INSURANCE WONT LIKE IT..........................

I found a local back street firm who did me 50l of proper engine de-greaser for £20 no receipt no vat Its the same sort of thing you pick up at any auto-factors for about £14 for 5l...

This is still flamible (I tried and could not get it to burn even with a blow lamp) as it is a petrol based...It does the job spot on.

Dont waste your money with any thing that says it can be watered down...Its crap!

Jizer is good and doesnt smell as much as gunk. We use that at work. tis excellent stuff.

I used the gunk aerosols and it all i could smell for hours..

Aberdeen!!

Aviation fuel

Tad imflammable though.

Mick

sounds good to me ..got any spare

Most parts washers have a lid that is held up with a "strut " that has a part that melts if you have a fire , this drops the lid and smothers the flames { hopefully} so having flamable solvent isn't quite as serious as if it was in an open container. Obviously care must be taken , no naked flames etc. Try your local motor factors for degreaser most sell it. Also worth getting a rubber apron if you can as already mentioned some degreasers smell pretty badly

When i got mine, I was told pretty much anything can go in.

Petrol, Diesel, Degreaser, combination of whatever you can find

Go round a local small garage and ask if they have any contaminated diesel / petrol mix.
My local garage gives me 5 gallons at a time. They use it in their parts washer or their multi fuel burner to heat the garage.
they get 3-4 cars a month where they have filled up with the wrong fuel and broken down as a result.
only stipulation for me is I take the can back

Buy a DECENT Industrial size Fire Extinguisher... you should have one in your workshop anyway.

I wear double gloves, latex underneath, and nitrile over the top as the petrol will disolve the latex gloves. Get a long handled brush, and keep your hands and skin out of the mix as much as possible.
ie take good precautions. Eye shields as well, ventilation, wash overalls etc etc.

Simple answers!

1) paraffin!! Dirt cheap, available at any oil merchants and Jizer is nearly 100% paraffin anyway, with just a bit of detergent added to it is water miscible to wash it off if necessary.

2) the diesel/petrol mix mentioned above, which will be all but the same as paraffin anyway!

To clean engine parts properly I do one of two things.

1) for engine blocks/heads, take them to the engine machine shop that will do the machining anyway, and get them to hot chemical wash them, as it is false economy not to!

2) for everything else that needs to be absolutely clean and is just iron/steel/ally, wash in the parts washer in paraffin, then blast, on a knackered old table outside the workshop, using a mixture of cheap thinners and cheap panel wipe in a paraffin blow-gun at 90psi. This takes pretty much anything off.