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  Feb. 14, 2010 12:29 p.m. KaptKaos Reader

  My wife is angry with me. It’s not for the usual stuff. It’s because I ask her to save me glass jars, coffee cans and other containers for my restoration projects. She’s also mad because I keep taking the ziplock baggies. Those are supposed to be for the kids’ lunches at school. It got me thinking about the other kitchen related things that I have used in the process of restoring cars.
  

  The obvious ones are the jars. I use the old pickle jars for holding all kinds of little bits and pieces. Jars are particularly good for dousing stuck nuts and bolts. A simple solution of ATF and acetone makes a great penetrant. Dumping a bunch of pieces into the pickle jar and letting them sit for a few days works wonders.
  

  My ’65 Volvo 122 Wagon has tons of aluminum trim. It’s not as bright and shiny as it used to be. So I used some oven cleaner on it to get the oxidation off. This gave me a good starting point to polish the trim pieces. The entry sills came out looking awesome. Other I’ve known have used oven cleaner to remove anodized finishes from alloy wheels so that they could be painted. The stuff works wonders. It’s not very good for you, so protect yourself.
  

  Many friends have put heads and other parts into the dish washer. I can’t recommend this, as I haven’t tried it. I value my life a little too much to risk that wrath. The results are pretty good all things considered.
  

  I have another friend that has found an old electric oven. He built a simple stand for it and wired it up in his garage. He uses it for powder coating parts. He found this oven after a slight altercation and restraining order kept him from entering his kitchen with any car parts.
  

  Zip lock baggies are indispensible for keeping bits and pieces organized. I am taking the heads off of my 914 type 4 motor, and keeping the rockers, pushrods, pushrod tubes and associated bits grouped together by cylinder. This way, when I put it all back, I know I have the same pieces in the same places.
  

  I am not sure if you guys use other kitchen appliances or raid the kitchen for other cleaners. Post what’s worked for you.

  Thanks for humoring me and my stylings.

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  Feb. 14, 2010 1:33 p.m. Rhodyspit75 None

  I baked the high temp paint on my headers in our oven while my wife was at work. Also take all the toothbrushes the dentist gives us after a cleaning.

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  Feb. 14, 2010 1:47 p.m. Andy Reid Auction Editor

  My wife doesn't even look in the kitchen for her kitchen torch anymore as I always have it in the garage to heat stubborn fasteners. It works like a charm.

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  Feb. 15, 2010 11:14 a.m. Ian_F New Reader

  Re: Zip-Lock bags - Buy your own at Sam's [warehouse buying] Club. Comes in 4-packs... 4 boxes, that is...

  Check CL for old, used dishwashers and electric ovens. A concern about washing something in a dishwasher (where it dumps into a city sewage system) is the idea of sending a fair amount of oily waste down the sewer - which is rather illegal and could net you a hefty find if they get irked and trace it back to you (and they can if they want to).

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  Feb. 15, 2010 2:04 p.m. KaptKaos Reader

  Andy Reid wrote: My wife doesn't even look in the kitchen for her kitchen torch anymore as I always have it in the garage to heat stubborn fasteners. It works like a charm.

  How often does she make Creme Brulee anyways?!? LOL Nice addition.

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  Feb. 15, 2010 3:04 p.m. Leo Basile Reader

  One of the best kitchen gadgets is the "Food Saver". It vacum seals anything. I use it mostly for old parts that are still good. Apply a light coat of oil, write down what it is and a part number, toss it in the pouch, then seal away.
  

  I also use it for guns and pipe tobacco.

  Leo

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  Feb. 15, 2010 5:04 p.m. Series6 New Reader

  You mean I wasn't supposed to use the Gladware to drain oil so I could see if there was coolant in the bottom of oil pan?

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  Feb. 21, 2010 11:07 a.m. Tim Suddard Publisher

  I strain sand blast sand with kitchen strainers and bake crinkle paint in the oven!

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  Feb. 22, 2010 6:13 a.m. ddavidv UltraDork

  Friend of mine used the kitchen blender to mix paint for his truck.

  He bought his wife a new blender. He was a little surprised, since he figured why not use it, SHE never does? Apparently that argument didn't fly.

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  Feb. 22, 2010 12:01 p.m. rconlon Reader

  All bow to the ever-useful turkey baster.

  Cheers Ron

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  Feb. 23, 2010 8:11 a.m. mattmacklind PowerDork

  I use Easy Off on engine blocks and for general under the hood cleaning, and brillo and SOS pads for certain detail work. I'm a bachelor, though, so thats why I bought the stuff anyway.

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  Feb. 23, 2010 8:49 a.m. Andy Reid Auction Editor

  My wife will no longer buy Turkey basters for the reason that they end up in the garage.

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  Feb. 25, 2010 10:28 a.m. 914Driver UltraDork

  My wife bought a stainless turkey baster thinking I would never steal something that nice.

  She doesn't know how easy it is to clean stainless, especially in a dishwasher.... Though her gravy does have something different about it.

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  Feb. 25, 2010 4:33 p.m. digdug18 Reader

  I have retired the old 1970's stove to the garage for just the purpose that is described above, baking paints. As well as for melting the seal around headlights, so I can paint the inside's black and reseal them.

  Andrew

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  Feb. 25, 2010 8:08 p.m. shadetree30 New Reader

  ddavidv wrote: Friend of mine used the kitchen blender to mix paint for his truck. He bought his wife a new blender. He was a little surprised, since he figured why not use it, SHE never does?

  And then the fight started?

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  Feb. 25, 2010 8:13 p.m. shadetree30 New Reader

  Since we are a multiple cat house we buy kitty litter in bulk. I use the bigass plastic buckets for disassembly/storage/cleaning. I have four dedicated for suspension/brakes and they are marked LF, LR, etc. so you always know what goes on what corner of the car...

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  Feb. 26, 2010 11:23 a.m. VClassics Reader

  I use those kitty litter buckets to store used oil or coolant for recycling. I use an old roasting pan to clean parts in (WD40 is a terrible lubricant but a terrific degreaser), and old kitchen knives make good gasket scrapers. Disposable plastic picnic knives are perfect for mixing and applying JB Weld.

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  Feb. 28, 2010 7:12 p.m. slantvaliant HalfDork

  I'm leery of baking chemicals in the same oven I use for food.

  I use balled-up aluminum foil to check hood clearance.

  But then, my cold-air intake uses spaghetti sauce cans.

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  March 2, 2010 12:04 p.m. rconlon Reader

  I use the kitty litter.

  Cheers Ron

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  March 8, 2010 7:32 a.m. minimac Dork

  The neighborhood $1 store is your friend. I buy the imitation tupperware like storage thingies in various sizes. Great for storing stuff and / or washing small parts. They even have tops, to make stacking easy. The turkey baster works great for master/slave cylinders. Of course they have cheap-o baggies, in various sizes. Stop in and use your imagination. Buy your own stuff and leave hers alone. I bet you can't get out of the store for less than $20!

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  March 12, 2010 2:26 p.m. Jerry From LA HalfDork

  Removing a couple of tines on an old cheap stamped steel fork and bending the remaining ones makes a very good removal tool for those stubborn spark plug boots.

  As far as the dishwasher goes, one should always get the heavy deposits off first. I've gotten good results withe using the superheated water to finish clean aluminum parts especially. It's the same process used by your local machine shop except on a smaller scale.

  Tim, now I know how Tommy's air cleaner turned out so nice.

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  March 16, 2010 10:26 a.m. Muck None

  Guilty.... Dishwasher, turkey baster, coffee filters, zip locs, tupperware, "her" scrub brush, spatula, etc

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  April 2, 2010 4:47 p.m. Jack SuperDork

  I cured the paint on my Norton Motorcycle jugs in the oven, after "prepping" them in the dishwasher. I believe that was the last time I used the oven or the dishwasher for vehicle parts. Oh, I sold the Norton over 10 years ago.

  I do get to use the toaster oven for RAdio Controlled airplane engine heating, when I need to change out crank bearings, but the engine has to be degreased first. SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed) will come around and sniff for the smell of hot oil while I'm heating it up, so I try to do this when she's not around, as it's tough to get all the caster oil out of the crankcase. Hey, you can drink caster oil. It's safe in the oven.

  Hey, I do most of the cooking anyway, so really, it's MY kitchen!

  Jack

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