Naphtha, sometimes known as petroleum Naphtha, Shellite or white gas, is made of intermediate hydrocarbons that are typically drawn from the oil refining process. This makes it ideal for thinning oil and grease to remove it from your skate bearings along with dirt and particulates. It is also more volatile than it cousin Mineral Spirits so dries faster.
General comments on Naphtha
The Good
- Compatible with all typical materials used in bearings
- Good at thinning out and breaking down grease and oil
The Bad
- Need to consider many safety measures. you should consult the MSDS for the specific product you choose.
- Not environmentally friendly or easy to dispose of
Safety
You should always consult the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for the specific product before you use it and be familiar with the safety measures stated. General precautions for Naphtha:
- It is flammable. Keep it away from flames, sparks or other ignition sources.
- You don’t want to breath too much in. Work with it outdoors or at least in a well ventilated space.
- Contact with the eyes is bad. Wear eye protection when using it to clean your bearings and be aware of what to do if you do get it in your eyes.
- Ingestion (swallowing it) is not god for you. Consults the MSDS if this accidently happens.
- It can be a skin irritant, especially with prolonged exposure or even limited exposure for some people. It you spill it on clothing it’s best to remove the clothing it was spilled on (on put one something else of course). Nitrile or PVA gloves are sufficient for handling it and limiting skin exposure.
Using Naphtha To Clean Your Skate Bearings
Here are some typical steps for cleaning your bearings using Naphtha:
- Make sure you bearings have at least one open side. Remove a shield if need be. Having both sides open is an option if you have removable shields and are willing to replace one or both.
- Place all your bearing is a container with a screw top lid or cap that is safe for use with Naphtha. I find some fuel-oil/2-stroke mixing bottle to be a good option so long as they have a wide enough opening.
- Add Naphtha to cover your bearings. Don’t over fill, you only need just enough to do the job.
- Screw the cap on the container tightly and swirl or gentle shake the bearings in the container to get Naphtha to flow through the bearings.
- Open cleaning container and pour the Naphtha along with as much of the dirt and contaminants as you can. You should but it into a container that is suitable for holding the product for future safe disposal. Please don’t just dump it into a drain or straight into the environment.
- Optional – repeat steps 3, 4 and 5, especially if your bearings were extremely dirty
- Lay the bearings out on something absorbent such as a shop towel with the open side down.
- Leave the bearing to dry in a reasonably warm place. I like to give them at least 30 minutes of drying time. You should also come back part way though drying, give the bearings a little spin to free up any Naphtha that has not evaporated and place them on fresh absorbent towel with the open side up this time.
- Once you are satisfied they are dry, add your choice of lubricant in an appropriate amount and put back in your wheels (don’t forget your spacers if you have them)
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