To prepare for the new paint and remove decades of oil soaked grime and metal chips, I used a two step process.  I decided not to strip the old paint, as I could see no real need for a "Factory Fresh" finish.  The first step was to clean everything with Kerosene.  For this I used two five gallon pails with tops, a tooth brush, a couple of bowls, a tray that I later used as part of the Chip Pan, and a box of surgical gloves.  I put 3 gallons of kerosene in one of the buckets and dipped the parts in this while scrubbing with the toothbrush.  Dirty parts started out on the tray and after cleaning they were placed in one of the bowls.  I used the gloves to protect my hands from the solvent.  While cleaning a part or two without the gloves would not have hurt, several hour or so sessions are quite a different matter!  In fact I had to change the gloves frequently as the solvent attacked them, causing them to swell and weaken!  This is definitely also not a closed room activity!!  When the kerosene became to filthy I would pour it into the other bucket and let it settle.  The next day I would pour it back, being careful to let the settled crud in the bottom of the second pail remain.  In between sessions I covered both pails to keep the fumes from filling the garage.
 
  When the bowl was full, I used Zero Residue Electrical Parts cleaner to remove the kerosene film left on the parts.  This comes in a spray can and is both efficient and will not harm the existing paint.  It is, though, somewhat expensive.  It can also be used in enclosed spaces (reasonable amounts at least) and dries in seconds.  For those parts that are not be painted, Zero Residue Automotive Brake Cleaner is a cheaper alternative.  This however MUST be used outdoors, and takes quite a while to dry.  Because I had many parts to do at a sitting, I used paper towels to wipe off parts and thus speed up the processing.  Again the use of gloves helps, as both the spray cleaners also remove the natural oils on your skin (causing cracking with extended use).  Also the release of pressure as the sprays leave the can and the chilling effect of their evaporation can cause painful chilling of your hands with extended cleaning sessions.  The gloves protect from the worst effects of this.  After the part was sprayed clean it was placed in the other (clean) bowl.

    After this cleaning any iron or steel parts must be painted fairly soon.  With all the oil removed any bare areas of metal are no longer protected from oxidation!  I used Rustolium primer and top coat (spray can type) to restore the finish.  This worked fine, but, the dried paint is a little soft for this use.  Several areas have not chipped off, but scratched through to the primer, with little real abuse required.  I had initially intended to only paint some of the worst chipped parts, but the repainted parts looked so much better that I ended up repainting all but the inside of the bed!  This process worked well and I can recommend it.

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