Storage and using Ed's Red

[smoked turkey]

I finally got around to making some Ed's Red. While I was at it I also made a small batch of gun lube from the 50/50 mix of Kero and ATF. I have used it to clean and oil several rifles and like others I find it to be pretty good stuff. As the instructions call for I have it stored in a one gallon metal can.
My question concerns how do you dispense it to the cleaning patches and brushes from the one gallon can? I am reluctant to put it in plastic squeeze bottles since the instructions indicate it will eventually cause the PVC to deteriorate leaving a mess. I have thought about the small glass bottles that Hoppes No. 9 used to come in. How do most of you do it as it is very inconvenient to use the one gallon container to dispense the bore cleaner. Thanks in advance.

[Kraschenbirn]

I make Ed's up in 1/2 gallon batches...'bout a year's supply...and store in Mason Jars - the old-fashioned kind with the rubber rings. For bench use, I've got an antique 1/2-pint canning jar - the kind with a gasket-sealed glass lid - once used for jams and jellies.

Bill

[R8ed]

How about an old style metal oil can. I have a trigger type and the old style where the bottom flexes.

[R8ed]

For bench use, I've got an antique 1/2-pint canning jar - the kind with the glass 'stopper' lid - once used for jams and jellies.

Bill

I have one of these also. I use an old SS tea ball to clean small parts in it. The teaball is the type with a small chain.

[725]

I mix it by the gallon and then divide it it up and store it in my old metal powder cans. I spray paint the cans completely so there is no unpainted spots and then re-lable them with "Ed's Red". Metal cans / metal screw on tops - works for me. They are small and easy to use.

[mac60]

I mix it by the gallon and store it in a plastic 1 gal. gas can. I have an empty jar that held Hoppes solvent - I fill it from the gal. can when needed.

[MarkP]

I use old glass jars 4 to 8 oz in size with large openings and dip into the jar to wet patches.

[Wayne Smith]

Mine is in a glass beer bottle. Didja know that a wine cork fits a beer bottle?

[Nueces]

Here's the thing: http://menda.descoindustries.com/MendaCatalog/PumpAndBottle/StainlessSteel/Tin/35335/#.VPIAximr-ao

Amazon has them in plastic bottles, which I use for alcohol and WD-40. This metal one's for Ed's Red, but not available from Amazon. Brownells also has the plastic ones.

Flip up the top lid and press down on the cap to pump a bit of fluid into the basin in the lid. I just put a patch over the basin and pump a couple times to saturate a patch. It's a one hand operation.

Yeah, they seem expensive, but I bet you'll be converted after the first use. Over time, I've accumulated about a dozen of them and am just tickled to have them.

[RobS]

I also mix up and store in a plastic gas can. Then pour into small plastic 3.2 fl. oz 2 stroke engine oil bottles for easy use etc.

[Outpost75]

I also use the Menda dispenser on the bench, and carry a sall supply in a Hoppes botle in the range kit.

[bhn22]

I mix it by the gallon and store it in a plastic 1 gal. gas can. I have an empty jar that held Hoppes solvent - I fill it from the gal. can when needed.

Eerie... this is exactly what I do too. My plastic gas can is several years old and hasn't had an issue yet.

[pworley1]

You can keep the 50/50 in any kind of container. I transfer the 4 part mix from the gallon can to a small glass jar with a metal lid and refill as needed. I have not used anything else in years.

[smoked turkey]

WOW!! Thanks for the responses. So many good ideas. More to come too I hope. I have filled a squeeze bottle (from the dollar store) with the 50/50 for the oil mix. I have an old metal oil can (with the clicker bottom) that I will try for the bore cleaner.

[cuzinbruce]

I just used the metal can that one of the thinners came in. Quart can, Takes 8 oz of each item. If you want a small portion, just use a Hoppe's bottle. No plastic. The acetone would eat most of them and you could have a big mess.

[geargnasher]

I mix it in glass gallon wine bottles with the metal screw-on lid and store it where it never gets above 80F. This preserves the acetone. For dispensing, I save Cholula hot sauce bottles to apply to patches. For soaking parts/revolver cylinders etc, I use a pint Ball mason jar and a basket made from hardware cloth and coathanger wire that lives inside the jar. For the range bag, a Cholula bottle bundled in a rag and taped cushioning against breakage. For ALL, handwritten labels of contents and warnings are applied and sealed with quality clear packaging tape, the range bag bottle has the label "laminated" with tape and overlayed on the outside of the padding. For gun oil, I simply use straight synthetic 5W-30 engine oil and dispense it with those little needle-point plastic squeezy bottles for paint storage available at the hobby/craft store.

Gear

[SSGOldfart]

How about an old style metal oil can. I have a trigger type and the old style where the bottom flexes.
You can find these on flea bay,you're trigger type should work fine,I finally got a old push the bottom type they last about 40 years if you can keep the kids away from it

[borg]

It's too bad it doesn't remove copper,, great at carbon

[popper]

Just use coke bottles.

[ddcrawford]

I use Berryman B-12 Chemtool in my gas tank as a fuel injector cleaner about every other month. I buy it in the 15 oz. cans (non-aerosol) and I always have a few empty cans on hand because they are useful for storing other liquids in (I make sure to clearly relabel of course!). The cans have a small opening at the top about the size of a plastic soda bottle. Here is what they look like:

132355

[kfarm]

1 gallon oil jugs work as well.

[Shiloh]

I put it in an empty SeaFoam can for immediate transfer to plastic bottles.
The bulk of it is stored in an empty Coleman Fuel can. From the Coleman can, to the sea foam can, to plastic dispenser bottles.
I have never seen the plastic bottles deteriorate.

Shiloh

[mhp]

I use empty metal lighter fluid can. The platic top pops off with a screwdriver and goes back on with a little pressure.

[lightman]

Sinclair sells a small plastic bottle for use with solvents and oils. Its in the cleaning section with their brushes and cleaning rods.

[Uncle Grinch]

I gave mine in a small (half gallon?) glass wine bottle, the kind with a ring on the neck. I used to keep it in a one gallon plastic gas can.

[zuke]

Empty plastic pop bottle

[leeggen]

The 1 qt. Lucas gas treatment bottle works great. I just mix for 1 qt at a time.
CD

[wistlepig1]

I use the plastic bottles that the liquid lanolin oil comes in. They have a flip up top on them and are marked "pete" that stand for words I sure can not spell. The 2 that are on my bench have been there for 2 years and no mess yet and they are free if you use lanolin.

[knifemaker]

Go to the local hardware store and buy the hand spray type plastic bottles that are made for solvent use. Ed's Red will not damage them. I have been using that type of spray bottle with Ed's red for over two years and still using the same spray bottle that I leave filled with Ed's Red. I like to spray my handguns, after removing grips, brush them and swab out the cylinder holes and barrel and use my air compressor to blow the excess off & wipe down. I can clean a revolver in 5 minutes or less doing that.
I forgot to mention that I do not use the acetone in the mix, I have found that without the acetone it still does a great job of cleaning carbon deposits without acetone in the mix. Acetone may be the chemical that eats up certain types of plastic containers. I mix a gallon at a time and store the main mixture in a old yellow plastic anti-freeze gallon container and pour from that into the smaller spray bottle.

[geargnasher]

The polarity of acetone helps make the mix penetrate and also aids in dissolving plastic wad fouling. Not necessary, and can be harmful to some finishes, but I tend to stick with the original recipe and so have to find suitable containers that don't let the acetone evaporate.

Gear

[pls1911]

New steel gallon paint cans and lids from Lowes or Home Depot.
Big enough to dip or soak parts or assemblies...

[Dale in Louisiana]

There are several companies that sell glass bottles and stoppers (among other neat things) in case and carton lots. I bought a dozen bottles from one of them for my next batch of ER.

You can re-use any type of glass bottle. Be careful with plastics. Even if they don't dissolve or deteriorate, many will allow the acetone to migrate out. I had a batch do that. After year, the acetone was mostly gone, leaving me with the oily factions.

Also, pay attention to the caps. Many caps suffer from the same problems of incompatibility. Save your old wine corks. For that matter, the bottle and cork will serve well together.

dale in Louisiana

[fastdadio]

All good suggestions here. I especially like the lighter fluid bottle trick. Currently, I have a 12 oz glass Starbucks bottle of solvent on the bench. While the containers seem to rotate over the years, one thing has stayed and that is the pippette medicine dropper. Excellent for getting the right amount of solvent to the right place. Cheap and disposable. Linky;
http://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Transfer-Pipettes-Gradulated-Pack/dp/B005IQTSE0/ref=sr_1_7/179-8577077-7228261?ie=UTF8&qid=1426018362&sr=8-7&keywords=medicine+dropper

[Moonie]

I use mason jars. Made up a batch this weekend (small batch)

[762 shooter]

+1 on the empty hot sauce bottle for dispensing on bench. Crystal hot sauce for me.

762

[GhostHawk]

Jam and Jelly jars work fine for me, or Speghetti sauce jars (think ragu) for larger amounts.