Modified Ed's Red

[Shiloh]

Acetone will, over time, migrate through most plastics that it doesn't attack outright.

If you make the acetone version of ER use metal or glas containers and pay attention to the sealing methods, You can research the suitability of plastics with acetone on the Internet.

dale in Louisiana

I left the lid off my Coleman storage can to bleed off the acetone on my first batch. I don't add it anymore.

Shiloh

[Blanco]

Not an expert opinion here, but I have made up and tried close to 10 gallons of different combinations.
I would skip the kerosene. For all intents kero and Mineral spirits are almost the same.
I have packaged up my formula and given it as a gift. All who use it tell me it is the best cleaner they have ever tried. Almost all come back and ask for more.

I made up a batch and used 16 oz each of ATF, K1 Kero and Oderless Mineral Spirits

The ATF I used was Castrol DEX/MERC and it sure has some stink in it. I added most of an 8oz bottle of Goo Gone and it had little if any positive effect on the smell.

I'm temped to make up another batch using your recommendation of the Valvoline Universal ATF.

[pls1911]

The added lanolin leaves a sweet residual for nominal storage...
I renew it every year.

[edctexas]

I use Coleman Lantern/Stove fuel in place of Kerosine. While it doesn't have the great smell of Hoppes 9, it doesn't smell bad either. It really cleans better than most solvents I have tried. It is good stuff.

Ed C

[DonH]

I had a theory about what part acetone plays in bore cleaner and ran it past Ed Harris on the CBA forum. He confirmed it. Here is my theory:

In production of nitrocellulose propellants, the liquid stage is referred to as lacquer. Traditional lacquer used as a wood finish or sometimes as an auto finish is a nitrocellulose material; nearly or maybe the exactly the same material as the liquid stage of nitrocellulose powder. Burning this propellant leaves behind a residue containing lacquer or something akin to it. This is what the acetone in "Ed's Red" works to reduce.

"Ed's Red" was developed to duplicate as nearly as possible the old red military bore cleaner. I have used the military stuff and it was effective. All my wood stocks have Tru Oil finish on them and I have not had any damage to the finish on them. Nor has Ed's Red" harmed the painted finish on the one fiberglas stock I have. But like someone already said, I just don't leave the cleaner there if it does get on the stock.
Don

[N4AUD]

I just use the ATF and kerosene and it seems to work fine.

[blackthorn]

Quote "I use Coleman Lantern/Stove fuel in place of Kerosine. While it doesn't have the great smell of Hoppes 9, it doesn't smell bad either. It really cleans better than most solvents I have tried. It is good stuff."

Coleman fuel is often referred to as "White gas" or "Naphtha". It evaporates VERY quickly. Just get some on your hand and watch it disappear. Kerosene, often referred to as "Coal oil" does not. I do not know this for a fact, but I suspect that using Coleman fuel will result in that component vaporizing off unless the container is religiously kept tightly closed. Some time ago I mixed a batch of "Ed's Red" (one gallon) including the Acetone component. I packaged it in small glass bottles with what I thought were tight metal lids. Several months later I went to get a fresh bottle and found the liquid level had dropped significantly. I could only surmise that the Acetone content had managed to evaporate and the lids I thought were tight --- were not. Whatever is left works very well so "No harm---No foul"!!!

[Nueces]

Folks report, and my experience agrees, that Ed's Red works well without the acetone. Blackthorn reports that his full bodied ER lost it's acetone component during storage. The acetone could be wanted when cleaning an old nasty milsurp, for example.

Here's my plan: keep mixing ER without the acetone, but keep an OEM pint tin of acetone on the bench to add to my ER on those occasions calling for the full recipe.

[dondiego]

+1 on that !

[Mal Paso]

The number one penetrating "oil", better than Kroil, Liquid-Wrench, Marvel Mystery Oil, etc. Tested by consumer groups, Mechanix Illustrated etc.

1 Part ATF to 1 Part Acetone

I think there's something to the Acetone.

If you want better smelling Edd's, use Marvel Mystery Oil instead of ATF

This is my Rust Buster container. Holds pressure indefinitely. Just shake before using. The Acetone seems to stay mixed better after a few days. $32 Amazon

[MBTcustom]

The number one penetrating "oil", better than Kroil, Liquid-Wrench, Marvel Mystery Oil, etc. Tested by consumer groups, Mechanix Illustrated etc.

1 Part ATF to 1 Part Acetone

I think there's something to the Acetone.

If you want better smelling Edd's, use Marvel Mystery Oil instead of ATF

This is my Rust Buster container. Holds pressure indefinitely. Just shake before using. The Acetone seems to stay mixed better after a few days. $32 Amazon

Now that right there is pretty neat looking.

[barrabruce]

I leave out the acetone mainly because I clean my guns in the garage and have oily rags about as well.
In a confined space it'll take the wind out of you and can cause lung damage.
I find it stinks but I can't stand any paint fumes either.
If I really need the acetone in it I mix a little in with my 1-1-1 brew in a small old gun oil squeeze bottle and use it outside in the back yard.
my 2 bobs worth
found eds red to be better than wd40 for most things and cheaper.
I use the old atf plastic bottles it comes in to keep my reds red and no complaints yet.

[Yodogsandman]

Where are you guys getting deodorized kerosene? I have some Walmart lamp oil, is it the same?

[DeadWoodDan]

I got mine from ACE hardware. not sure about lamp oil.....

[Blanco]

If i'm not mistaken the LPS orange oil in the spray can has some Naptha in it?
So if you add the orange oil you get the bonus of a touch of extra cleaners. I think the Goo Gone is probably mostly Naptha which is I think the same as lighter fluid. We used to keep a can of lighter fluid around just for removing chewing gum, stickers ETC.

I made up a batch and used 16 oz each of ATF, K1 Kero and Oderless Mineral Spirits

The ATF I used was Castrol DEX/MERC and it sure has some stink in it. I added most of an 8oz bottle of Goo Gone and it had little if any positive effect on the smell.

I'm temped to make up another batch using your recommendation of the Valvoline Universal ATF.

[Jniedbalski]

Naphtha is lighter fluid. In the body shop we used naphtha to clean and de wax and clean off cars before painting. There was a summer blend and a winter blend. The summer blend was more like kerosene or mineral spirts it didint evaporate as quick. The winter blend evaporated quicker. If you took winter or low temp and used it in the summer you could watch it evaporate right in front of you. It only stayed wet on the car 5 or ten seconds. Colmen fuel is white gas. Regular low octane gas that dosent have any additives in it. Colman fuel is around 40 to 50 octane. One ingredient to rase octane is toluene but is expensive. I do believe toluene is made out of coal oil. Germany in ww2 was having a hard time getting oil to make gas. They used coal oil refined to toluene. It makes a great high octane gas around 115 120 octane but hard to light in the winter like alcohol. The old formula one cars used toluene years ago then every body went green and they started using alcohol for racing. I just mixed up my first batch of Ed’s red. The first batch I used acetone. The second batch I didint. The one with the acetone seems to clean quicker on hard fouling faster than without. My S&w model 65 stainless the face of the cylinder always had the black on it that would not come off without using a brass brush and scrubbing and scrubbing. I let it soak with Ed’s red with acetone and most came off without scrubbing. The Ed’s red I used first without acetone didn't do as well. But I might not let it sit long enuf don’t know. I like it very good at cleaning powder fouling and I also added the 4 oz of alox for rust protection.

[Jniedbalski]

Don’t know about lamp oil. I know it’s close to mineral spirts or kerosene. The first batch of Ed’s red I wanted to make I needed kerosene. Local store quit carrying it. So untill I could get some I mixed up a very small bottle of atf and lamp oil. It worked great for gun oil .i have heard lamp oil is a more refined kerosene but don’t know but it’s close

[quasi]

I use equal parts of synthetic ATF, Mineral spirits, and WD-40. It works great for me.

[odfairfaxsub]

I could be wrong but I doubt it.....I always yank carbon out so well w this. The other day I pulled a gun that was clean from the cab and ran a patch of Ed red and bam!!!! Came out black streaked. Yanks it right out of the edges and crevasse for a fraction of the price others cost.

I wipe the guns off w it, I patch the bores, I use it as a cleaning solvent, lube the press sometimes w it.

[charlie b]

I use the acetone version and leave out the mineral spirits. The acetone easily cleans out any residue from powder coated bullets.

I have a protective shield I put over the stocks of my rifles when cleaning, along with a bore guide.