gun oil/lube formula (LIM)

[RicinYakima]

Ed's Red Bore Cleaner by C.E. Harris. How to feature article - Home mix that really works.

From the pages of The IHMSA News, Shooting sports, hand gun, ammo, cartridges, xp 100, reloading, firearm, cast bullet, bullet casting and more information articles

www.lasc.us

All you ever wanted to know, with the chemistry explained for the layman.

 

[fiver]

Jon i think your fine.
i wipe atf or 3 in 1 oil on stuff when i remember, heck there's a can of 1990's WD-44? 43 whatever,, in my range bag.
it fits so it stays, and IMO it's pretty much only useful as a fire starter, but it's got a few guns up and going rather than simply going home.

anyway lanolin works real good in squeezy places, and castor oil is great for cutting lanolin, and makes 10 cent jackets come back out of 1200$ dollar dies just fine, it ain't gonna hurt nuthin in a gun.
maybe they'll stuck some fine dust to the lube, but what oil or grease don't ?

 

[JonB]

Thanks for all the comments.
It helps me in the long run, when I get one of these thoughts about doing things like this...maybe next time I don't waste my time.
.
I never realized there was much of a difference in the ATF types.
for this batch, I used a couple partial Qt bottles Mopar brand ATF, bottles looked 25 yrs old. I wanted to use 64 oz for the batch, so I topped off the measuring cup with about 15 oz of Prestone brand ATF type F which touted a stop leak additive...that also looked 25 yrs old.

 

[Rick]

Ed's Red Bore Cleaner by C.E. Harris. How to feature article - Home mix that really works.

From the pages of The IHMSA News, Shooting sports, hand gun, ammo, cartridges, xp 100, reloading, firearm, cast bullet, bullet casting and more information articles

www.lasc.us

All you ever wanted to know, with the chemistry explained for the layman.

Best to use this forum for links to the articles. lasc.us will probably go away soon. The hosting site just hit me with more than a 100% increase in fees, most of the articles are here in pdf.

Articles from the pages of lasc.us

Additional Authors and Articles From the article index at lasc.us Dual PID Temperature Controller By: Keith G. Benedict Cartridge Case Annealing With the BC-1000 Annealer - When, why, how and if to anneal: By Ken Light Blending Cast Bullet Antimony Alloys, Alloying with Roto Metals Super Hard...

www.artfulbullet.com

 

[Petrol & Powder]

What is the benefit of having both kerosene and aliphatic mineral spirits in Ed's Red?

I've always wondered about that myself.

You take ATF, basically a light oil, add kerosene to it, maybe thin the ATF a little?

Then add Acetone, cutting the ATF even more and likely removing most of the lubricating properties. Toss in some Mineral spirits for some unknown reason.

Maybe add some Lanolin to thicken it back again?

The whole concoction seems pointless to me. One step forward and two steps back.

I would buy the argument if we were ADDING chemicals that gave us more features, such as cleaning and lubricating. But when you start mixing acetone with ATF, I think you are just reducing the benefits of the oil with a solvent and contaminating the solvent with the oil. Maybe my knowledge of chemistry is weak, but it seems more like a witches’ brew than a wonder cleaner/lubricant.

 

[fiver]

the acetone cuts the atf.
but it being thinned out allows the mixture to flow into tiny gaps etc.
after it gets in there the acetone just evaporates and leaves the atf behind.
it's one of the very best penetrating oils out there.

 

[RicinYakima]

Maybe my knowledge of chemistry is weak, but it seems more like a witches’ brew than a wonder cleaner/lubricant.

Your assumption is correct. Just because you mix them together does not change their abilities as individual actors in the composition.

 

[imashooter2]

I’ve picked up an awful lot of used gun cleaning kits over the years. Every one came with a virtually unused bottle of gun oil.

 

[Rick H]

...and I thought the acetone was to cut the plastic shotgun wad fouling in shotguns? I seem to recall reading that one should leave it out of the mix if not using it for shotguns.

 

[Jeff H]

...and I thought the acetone was to cut the plastic shotgun wad fouling in shotguns? I seem to recall reading that one should leave it out of the mix if not using it for shotguns.

Put it in the wrong kind of plastic bottle and it'll cut THAT too!

Bummed an empty MMO bottle from someone once, because I liked the size/shape. Filled it with Ed's Red and set it on the garage floor. Fifteen or so minutes later, the neck of the bottle was limp and leaning over. Picked up the bottle and it was like a water balloon. Had a time of it twisting off the cap to empty it, because the neck just twisted with the cap.

This episode would be found in the "dumb things I've done" chapter if I were ever to write a memoir.

...actually, that would likely be the only interesting chapter of my memoir.

 

[richhodg66]

Amazing! I think Kroil stinks so bad I wont have it in the gun cleaning room.

But then when I was a cigar smoker, I used the dried butts to flux my lead pot. To each his own I guess.

I don't smoke, but reading that made me smile. Waste not, want not.

I like Ed's Red and need to make up another batch of it. I bought a big bottle of Hoppe's at a garage sale a year or two back and have been using that since I got it so cheap, but I like the Ed's Red better.

 

[Jeff H]

...and I thought the acetone was to cut the plastic shotgun wad fouling in shotguns? I seem to recall reading that one should leave it out of the mix if not using it for shotguns.

From the original article:

"Acetone is included in "ER" to provide an aggressive, fast-acting solvent for caked powder residues. Because acetone is an aromatic, organic solvent, it is recommended that users leave it out if the cleaner will be used in enclosed spaces lacking forced air ventilation. The acetone in ER will evaporate, liberating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere unless containers are kept tightly closed when not in use. The cleaner is still effective without the acetone, but it is not as "fast-acting."

It had been a while since I read it, but it's worth reading again.

 

[JWinAZ]

While acetone does have a noticeable smell, it is not an aromatic compound in the strict sense of the word. Aromaticity implies a carbon ring structure. Benzene is the usual example, and it is a carcinogen.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

JWinAz is correct.

While Acetone is not an aromatic compound (for exactly the reasons JWinAz states), acetone will readily evaporate. It is also a wide ranging, and rather powerful solvent. Without getting too deep in the weeds of organic chemistry, acetone is useful when you want to remove something that is otherwise impervious to other common solvents. Of course, it will also destroy some materials that you may not want destroyed. I keep some around for tasks such as degreasing small areas and dissolving glue/gummy/tar like messes. But it must be used with care because it will attack some materials.

 

[JWinAZ]

Organic chemistry is a fascinating subject. An early idea was that organic compounds were those strictly made by living organisms. This was disproven by Friedrich Wohler in the early 19th century. When he discovered that an organic compound could be synthesized from inorganic chemicals he exclaimed Urea! Worse than a dad joke, a chemistry joke.

 

[bruce381]

I just use an industrial rust inhibitor I make at work. kero and rust inhib additive but then again any oily lube is better than dry. If stubborn build up use elbow grease

 

[Ian]

I just use an industrial rust inhibitor I make at work. kero and rust inhib additive but then again any oily lube is better than dry. If stubborn build up use elbow grease

Haha! I figured you'd weigh in and tell us you keep your race guns lubed with whatever was closest to the end of the counter on your way out of the lab.

 

[fiver]

chuckle... yep, i was waiting for 'i just spit on it' from someone.
other than me.

 

[bruce381]

Yeah thats true other than race guns I,m not that cool LOL, the 30 somethings I shoot with all have them they are like $4-5K they tell me. All good guys and I can and have shot some of them but all the heads up red dot sight things are lost on me.

 

[Edward R Southgate]

Yes , in my opinion you did. I use the Lucas that has the needle applicator in red and blue and I have been using the same bottles since they hit the market . That's inside , on the outside I use Rem oil and have spent very little over the years keeping the outside oiled between uses. I like making things myself but this is one place that I don't think I can beat or even equal what I can buy .