Make your own Poor Man's cleaner/solvent/lube - Ed's Red

[handyrandyrc]

Make your own batch of this stuff. I keep a 1 gallon red gasoline container of it all the time -- marked with a big glack permanent marker -- ED'S RED. Best gun cleaner/solvent I've used, too! Lots of uses for this stuff.

"Ed's Red"

1 part Dexron ATF
1 part Kerosene
1 part Mineral Spirits
1 part Acetone

I can get all four of these in quart containers. I pour them all into a 1 gallon GASOLINE container, shake and USE! It'll eat HDPE plastic containers. Got to be approved PVC or PET containers.

*This stuff will eat Nitrile gloves!*

Link to Ed's Red information

 

[handyrandyrc]

Also can mix just some of the the ATF and Kerosene together for a nice oil for lubricating things.

 

[howellhandmade]

I think there was a Practical Machinist article a while ago comparing the un-freezing abilities of different stuff for rusted/stuck threads: Kroil, WD-40, homebrew mix of 50/50 ATF and acetone. It's been a long time, but I think the homebrew was right there with Kroil for a fraction of the price. Careful, though, acetone and brain cells do not play well together.

Jack

 

[lloyyd]

I found a pic of Ed mixing up a big batch the other day.

 

[willsaw4beer]

Not much a fan of mineral spirits and especially not acetone. I guess you've gotta die from something but why from that?

 

[Streblerm]

Not much a fan of mineral spirits and especially not acetone. I guess you've gotta die from something but why from that?

mineral spirits and acetone are two of the most benign solvents I can think of. Sure, it is a good idea to use them in a well ventilated area and use PPE, but these solvents are nothing to be afraid of if used properly.

I wouldn't drink it or bathe in it, but casual, proper use isn't going to kill you any faster than anything else.

 

[Butch(OH)]

I think there was a Practical Machinist article a while ago comparing the un-freezing abilities of different stuff for rusted/stuck threads: Kroil, WD-40, homebrew mix of 50/50 ATF and acetone. It's been a long time, but I think the homebrew was right there with Kroil for a fraction of the price. Careful, though, acetone and brain cells do not play well together.

Jack

Good grief I hope the antique tractor nuts dont find your post or they just might search you out in the night and do bad things to your body, LOL. They believe that Kroil solves more of life's problems than a 361 Stihl can solve. They place full bottles of it on alters and worship them before use and have services before they give burial to the emptys.

Seriously for many years my penetrating oil has been saved dirty solvent from the parts washer tank, oil plus solvents equals penetrating oil. The only purchased stuff was for the handiness of an aerosol can, not for the fluid inside if them. I tell the magic fluid guys to buy what smells the best because that's all they are getting for their money, shop perfume.

 

[Henry G.]

I have heard too that 50/50 mix acetone and ATF is awesome for getting rusted parts loose.....that 4 part combo sounds pretty good but I find Gumout carb cleaner, compressed air and elbow grease is a pretty cheap and efficient acombination...add a wire brush, SOS pads, scotchbrite pads and there aint anything that my method doesnt get clean. If rinsing with water a follow up with WD-40 and blow dry with compressed air is compulsory to get rid of moisture. I also like Simple green and s-100 for cleaning plastic parts, and Novus plastic cleaner makes saw plastics look new

 

[Article10]

Oil of winter green is often over looked. Referenced in P&W and GE maintenance manuels to loosen hardware on hot sections of turbine engines, it is also the "active" ingredient in Marvel Mystery oil.

 

[jrjuday]

Butch; get back over to the Allis site before Fred notices you're AWOL!