100% acetone for knife cleaning.

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Lord Bear

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Dec 28, 2009
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I've used acetone to get gummy/tape type residue off my blades for years.
This post is because I've noticed it dries off really fast. Could this fast drying actually help in preventing rust?
 
Actually I would think the acetone may be removing any residual oil that is on the blade, leaving it bare and exposed to the elements. Just my opinion, but I would think using acetone would make it more prone to rust.
 
Doesn't Isopropyl alcohol do the same? I would think it would be fine so long as you oiled it afterwards.
 
I use the acetone on folders (not fixed blades) that I use every day at work. I have to clean up the caked gunk almost every other day. There IS no oil on my EDC folders. When I switch to a different knife for EDC, I do use Sentry Solutions Tuf-Glide on pivot and blade before I put the user away. Wipedown with old and laundered Tuf-Cloth's. Canned air blast before and after cleaning and protecting before storage.
 
Acetone is a very strong VOC. It does evaporate quickly, but any non-polar solvent will help remove sticky, gummy, residue, i.e. tape gunk.

I would use a cheaper less volatile solvent such as rubbing alcohol because there is less risk. Using acetone, you have to make sure you don't get it on any plastic part of the knife or in any rubber bushing or gaskets of the knife b/c it will eat it up.

Use rubbing alcohol and re-oil the blade to keep it protected from rust.
 
Just saw other posts. Reason I originally used acetone was that I recalled it being used as an ingredient for gun cleaning where there is much more "gunk" to deal with.
 
bishopqueen, I don't believe my EDC's (mainly Benchmade Axis or various Spyderco's) contain rubbery gaskets or bushings for this to be a concern. Compared to alcohol, acetone wipes down gunk much easier. (If I'm totally wrong about the bushing/gasket thing please correct me.)
 
Like many chemicals, I would be careful where you allow it to go. Some handle materials could potentially be damaged by acetone.

I would not expect acetone to prevent or inhibit rust.

Generally, I like to use the least aggressive chemical that will get the job done.
 
One thing that noone has mentioned:

Acetone in it's straight form is not something that you want to be absorbing into your skin or breathing on a regular basis.
It can be nasty stuff.
 
I prefer Windex or soap and water to get rid of tape gunk. I also find it helps to keep a knife dedicated to cutting tape for that purpose, but that's just me:D.
 
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As mentioned, try WD-40 as it does a surprisingly good job with tape residue. That or Goo gone which can be picked up at many dollar stores for a buck. I don't mind acetone except the gallon tin and sealing cap is more cumbersome than a quick shot of WD-40.
 
Lord Bear said:
bishopqueen, I don't believe my EDC's (mainly Benchmade Axis or various Spyderco's) contain rubbery gaskets or bushings for this to be a concern. Compared to alcohol, acetone wipes down gunk much easier. (If I'm totally wrong about the bushing/gasket thing please correct me.)
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Yeah, acetone is very powerful stuff. In fact, I'm sure that if you just poured yourself a little cap full and some Q-Tips, you could rub down most of the gunk with a few drops of acetone, and then wipe the rest away with cloth or alcohol. Just keep the handle of the knife elevated so the acetone doesn't drip down the blade face into the insides.

I don't remember specifically what types of plastics acetone doesn't play well with, but on a lot of them if you even get it on there for a couple of seconds the plastic can melt and all sorts of nasty stuff, so if you really need acetone you should be careful it doesn't touch any non-metal part.

Honestly though, what alcohol alone can't get, alcohol and hot water is usually enough for. I think acetone might just be a little overkill--usually the only time I've ever used it was to clean paint and blue'ing off of machine parts. If you do want to use it still, I would at least dilute it. Another poster here mentioned the hazardous effects and he shouldn't be taken lightly.
 
Lord Bear said:
I've used acetone to get gummy/tape type residue off my blades for years.
This post is because I've noticed it dries off really fast. Could this fast drying actually help in preventing rust?
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Nope.
Acetone is so polar that it is hydrophillic. It "likes" water and can absorb water from the atmosphere. I doubt it causes rust problems, but it certainly doesn't prevent any. For the most part, the knife materials I've seen are immune to attack by acetone, so I really don't think you are harming your knives, you just aren't preventing rust by using acetone.

You'd be doing better by using a non-polar (hydrophobic) solvent. Then it doesn't matter how long it takes to dry because it will repel moisture.. Hydrophobic solvents include MIBK, Naphtha (mineral spirits, regular paint thinner), kerosene, lacquer thinner. WD-40 works well, also as it is oil and additives dissolved in essentially kerosene.

Also, most pressure sensitive adhesives are more easily dissolved by a non-polar solvent than a polar solvent. Mineral spirits is what I use. WD-40 is also good for this.

So, you aren't helping your knife by using acetone, but probably not hurting it, either.
 
knarfeng said:
Nope.
Acetone is so polar that it is hydrophillic. It "likes" water and can absorb water from the atmosphere. I doubt it causes rust problems, but it certainly doesn't prevent any. For the most part, the knife materials I've seen are immune to attack by acetone, so I really don't think you are harming your knives, you just aren't preventing rust by using acetone.

You'd be doing better by using a non-polar (hydrophobic) solvent. Then it doesn't matter how long it takes to dry because it will repel moisture.. Hydrophobic solvents include MIBK, Naphtha (mineral spirits, regular paint thinner), kerosene, lacquer thinner. WD-40 works well, also as it is oil and additives dissolved in essentially kerosene.

Also, most pressure sensitive adhesives are more easily dissolved by a non-polar solvent than a polar solvent. Mineral spirits is what I use. WD-40 is also good for this.

So, you aren't helping your knife by using acetone, but probably not hurting it, either.
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Plus 1 to the above. One thing acetone can help with is to remove water, because it is so hydrophilic. However, so is alcohol, and at a lower cost and lower risk to plastic and rubber parts. Acetone tends to strip paints, too. If you work with acetone it is best to wear latex gloves. Use nitrile gloves when working with naphtha/paint thinner. All of these solvents can absorb through the skin and are not healthy.
 
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Nothing cuts through tape guck like acetone.:thumbup:
It works better than WD-40, 99% isopropyl, hexane or dichloromethane.
I don't care what other solvent is supposed to work better; I go by what has consistently worked for me in real life.
Give me the acetone baby!
But it won't do anything for rust, one way or the other.
 
Acetone may make rust more likely because it is (1) so effective at cutting substances that might prevent rust and (2) water-absorbent. If you use it to degrease metal, you need to protect the metal afterwards. In a former life we used diesel as an all-purpose, one-tank clean/light lube. Kero would work about the same (but neither is a real lube).
 
Thanks for the responses.
ATS-34 Gerber EZ Out (lo these many years ago) was the first knife I used acetone on. Before using acetone as gunk cleaner it had developed a patina with slight pitting. After using acetone the patina went away. Pitting remained of course but immediately stopped progressing. What an unexpected bonus I thought. Anecdotal at best but the memory prompted my original question about acetone and rust prevention.
 
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