Ed' Red Recipe please

[robroy]

I tried a search in the stickies forum with no joy. I also trieed looking in castpics articles also no luck.

[Mike W1]

Simpler to ask you to Google "Eds Red Bore Cleaner" than to cut and paste mine!

[BoolitBill]

Here you go----------

http://www.handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=9

[bdbullets]

Here are several recipies for gun cleaners amoung other things. Even how to make a foul out system like Outers.
http://www.frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm#Copper

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Use the search function as I just did for you,
here are the results.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/search.php?searchid=3116379

[Cranium]

The recipe I used was:

1 part Automatic Transmission Fluid
1 part Acetone
1 part Mineral Spirits
1 part Kerosene


Surprisingly, Ace Hardware had all of these which was very convenient. I just felt a little odd at the checkout buying these 4 chemicals. ;)

[cbrick]

I'm kinda partial to this link to Ed's Red,

Eds Red.pdf (http://www.lasc.us/Eds%20Red.pdf)

Rick

[oscarflytyer]

The recipe I used was:

1 part Automatic Transmission Fluid
1 part Acetone
1 part Mineral Spirits
1 part Kerosene


Surprisingly, Ace Hardware had all of these which was very convenient. I just felt a little odd at the checkout buying these 4 chemicals. ;)

I added the optional lanolin (4 oz tube) to mine. Think it helps cut the harshness of the chemicals on your hands...

[Cranium]

I wasn't concerned about the softness of my hands. ;)

Plus I'm only cleaning a gun or two at a time and not much really contacts my hands.

[res45]

On the Acetone you can buy 100% Acetone fingernail polish remover at about any store. I gave a $1.50 for a 6 oz. bottle and you can store some of the Ed's Red back in the original bottle.

[rp85]

1/3 kroil, 1/3 x'mission fluid, 1/3 charcoal lighter fluid.

let soak for 30 imn., brush and then dry patch to remove powder resid. will remove powder resid., but not copper or lead from a barrel.

down side of ed's red. you can't get all of it out the barrel. dry patch all you want. will take a one or two shots to get out a barrel. first or second shot will not be on target.

rp

[robroy]

Thanks for the responses. I also found a recipe in Glen Fryxell's on line book: 1 part MEK, 1 part Xylene, and 1 part Mercon III ATF. I wish I could have gotten the Xylene and mek in quarts instead of gallons. Got a funny look at the paint store and asked what I wanted it for. I assured the young man I wasn't cooking up illeagle drugs.

[rollmyown]

I'd like to make some Ed's Red. I like the recipie on Rick's link (Ed Harris's recipie).

What is Aliphatic Mineral Spirit / Varsol? In Australia we have no product labled as such. Also what are these products normaly used for?

Thanks

[Von Gruff]

What is Aliphatic Mineral Spirit / Varsol?

Thanks

I tried to get aliphatic mineral spirits here in NZ and drew a blank. There was an aliphatic varnish of some sort but it was as dear as poison.
I used standard mineral spirits.

Von Gruff.

[geargnasher]

I tried to get aliphatic mineral spirits here in NZ and drew a blank. There was an aliphatic varnish of some sort but it was as dear as poison.
I used standard mineral spirits.

Von Gruff.

Aliphatic mineral spirits, Stoddard solvent, and odorless mineral spirits are all fairly close to ordinary "paint thinner", just plain old mineral spirits sold by the quart or gallon for cleaning and, yes, thinning or cleaning up linseed-oil-based house paint.

Gear

[GabbyM]

I could easily be wrong on this but. I think the thinner is to place the oils in solution.
Plus dissolve whatever in the bore. Which is why there are several options listed for the thinner. You will have variation in smell, evaporation rate and flammability. Not to mention cancer risk. I don’t see any high risk solvents in the eds red formulas. HTC and Toluene would work great right up to the point where you die a slow miserable death. I've attended two of those funerals. Which is just one more reason I like mixing up my own cleaner. Then at lest I know what’s in it.

[Von Gruff]

Aliphatic mineral spirits, Stoddard solvent, and odorless mineral spirits are all fairly close to ordinary "paint thinner", just plain old mineral spirits sold by the quart or gallon for cleaning and, yes, thinning or cleaning up linseed-oil-based house paint.

Gear


I could easily be wrong on this but. I think the thinner is to place the oils in solution.
Plus dissolve whatever in the bore. Which is why there are several options listed for the thinner. You will have variation in smell, evaporation rate and flammability. .

Thanks for the clarification guys. I am sure this will be helpfull information for many especially those in areas with ciffering brand and common names for some products.

Von Gruff.

[rollmyown]

Ditto!

[rollmyown]

Gear, When you said "ordinary paint thinner" do you mean auto paints or house paint(oil based) All of the auto paint thinner I looked at had a large % of Toluene, which according to GabbyM is V bad. If you mean thinner for oil based house paint we know that as Mineral Turpentine.


Thanks

[BobGee]

Late to the party but for Antipodeans, aliphatic mineral spirit is equivalent to our White Spirit which is 100% Naphtha and readily available under the trade name Diggers here in Oz. Shipped as turpentine substitute.

Bob

[Wayne Smith]

Late to the party but for Antipodeans, aliphatic mineral spirit is equivalent to our White Spirit which is 100% Naphtha and readily available under the trade name Diggers here in Oz. Shipped as turpentine substitute.

Bob

Is the above true? Isn't Coleman fuel 100% Naptha?

[whisler]

From Miriam-Webster Dictionary: Definition of naphtha
"1: any of various volatile often flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixtures used chiefly as solvents and diluents."

There are aliphatic naphthas and aromatic naphthas. They are classified by boiling range. To make a 100% aliphatic naphtha (no aromatics) requires specialized processing and is seldom done except to make reagent grade chemicals, which are expensive.

[Outpost75]

What is sold in the US as aliphatic mineral spirits or Stoddard Solvent is a nonflammable "safety solvent" used for dry cleaning, which does not contain volatile organics and such does not ignite when tested under the NFPA test standard, such that it will extinguish a lighted match inserted into it.

[gwpercle]

For best results , download and print the 4 page instructions from the Los Angeles Silhouette Club Link
www.lasc.us/eds%20Red.pdf and follow the ingredient list and instructions exactly.

The last gallon I made for $20.00 , all 4 basic ingredients were purchased at Wally Mart , transmission fluid in the auto section , acetone and mineral spirits in paint dept , K-1 kerosene was in dept. that sells hurricane (kerosene) lamps ... it is hurricane season and they had plenty .
Buy what is listed in the ingredient list ...it works best that way . I don't bother with Lanolin .

Don't try to substitute the "Lamp Oil " Wally Mart sells for outdoor Tiki Torches...for kerosene , it's not the same as K-1 Kerosene .
Gary

[Nueces]

I'm still on my first 3 quarts, not having ever added the acetone. I used about 4 ounces of lanolin instead of the 12 which would have been as specified for 3/4 gallon. I find that amount of lanolin to be enough to make a fine gun wipe of the Ed's Red.

The first home made gun wipe I made was as recommended by Brownell's in about 1970: they suggested a one to one mixture of their sperm oil and liquid silicone oil which I got from Herter's. That stuff had a good homey smell and absolutely guarded polished steel from corrosive sweaty finger prints. I still have some (even have a few pints of Brownell's sperm oil), but my informal testing has shown that the Ed's Red with lanolin is as good.

[Scrounge]

Is the above true? Isn't Coleman fuel 100% Naptha?

So is Lighter Fluid for those of you who know where to get fuel for your Zippo.

[Burnt Fingers]

For best results , download and print the 4 page instructions from the Los Angeles Silhouette Club Link
www.lasc.us/eds%20Red.pdf and follow the ingredient list and instructions exactly.

The last gallon I made for $20.00 , all 4 basic ingredients were purchased at Wally Mart , transmission fluid in the auto section , acetone and mineral spirits in paint dept , K-1 kerosene was in dept. that sells hurricane (kerosene) lamps ... it is hurricane season and they had plenty .
Buy what is listed in the ingredient list ...it works best that way . I don't bother with Lanolin .

Don't try to substitute the "Lamp Oil " Wally Mart sells for outdoor Tiki Torches...for kerosene , it's not the same as K-1 Kerosene .
Gary

The "mineral spirits" that Walmart sells is a replacement for the real stuff. Make sure you get actual mineral spirits.

[mehavey]

This caught my eye in Ed Harris' primary-source article:
>
> For longer term storage I recommend use of
> Lee Liquid Alox as a Cosmolene substitute.
>


But as nostalgic as this makes me feel, I can't surpass KG-1 as the most effective bore cleaner in the last 15-20 years
(and my wife quit yelling when I cleaned things in the kitchen)

[Mal Paso]

ATF has got a hypoid smell now so I swapped it for Marvel Mystery Oil.

I also use it 50/50 with acetone as penetrating oil.

[higgins]

Other than the urge to be inventive, I don't understand wanting to substitute something else in Ed's Red since none of the components are difficult to find. The only thing you can't find in any big box (or mom and pop) building supply is ATF, and every store in town that carries auto supplies carries ATF. I realize things can be different outside the USA. When I made my first batch years ago I already had all the components in my garage. It's possible that some substitutions could make it less effective, and I like it well enough that it's all I use except when I need to remove jacket fouling.

[Mal Paso]

My previous batch of Ed's Stunk. It never had before but the latest ATF has Extreme Pressure additives that make it smell like Hypoid Oil. Won't have it in my shop. The EP component wasn't in the original Ed's and isn't needed.

Marvel is basically ATF with penetrating additives and was originally sold as a top end cylinder treatment. It will free up varnish trapped piston rings and it Smells Good. Like Hoppes #9 only different.

The single best penetrating oil is ATF and Acetone. Marvel works just as well in that application too.

[waksupi]

ATF has got a hypoid smell now so I swapped it for Marvel Mystery Oil.

I also use it 50/50 with acetone as penetrating oil.

Is that synthetic ATF?

[gwpercle]

Is the above true? Isn't Coleman fuel 100% Naptha?

Coleman Fuel is a mixture of cyclohexane, nonane , octane , heptane , and pentane .
Historically called white gas it is a liquid petroleum fuel , 100% light hydrotreated distillate .
Although it has a octane rating of 50 - 55 and a flammability similar to gasoline, it has none of the additives found in modern gasoline .
Most Coleman lamps, stoves and heaters will burn modern unleaded gasoline however .

Is Coleman Fuel naphtha ... Yes and No , It's mostly naphtha with a couple extra ingredients ...one being a rust inhibitor to promote clean burning and help keep the burners clean .
Gary

[Mal Paso]

Is that synthetic ATF?

No, this was regular ATF. I bought a small case (Mobile?/Costco) to share with the old 97 Subaru whatever ATF type that was. This was 6 years ago at least. I have no idea which types of ATF have those EP additives. I wonder what reaction I'd get from the local auto supply if I asked to sniff test all the types and brands.

I'm sure it was one of those "We Know Better and Fixed It For You" things