mixing lubricants

[contender1]

"that's close, and maybe that's your version of Ed's Red...but it's not Ed's Red."

I knew that,, but it was the "simple" version used a lot by many.

[max it]

As a mechanic, mixing Acetone and ATF in a 50/50 mix is a very inexpensive penetrating oil.

For under $20 you should be able to get a quart of each and you would have a half gallon of the penetrating oil mix.

be sure to put it in a metal container, i didnt

[max it]

although made for their products, which are available, this transfers to others using same ingredients.

[waksupi]

I would go with a low viscosity synthetic if I were going to put motor oil in.

I recently came across a partial can of Kroil that had no pressure left in the can. So, I poked a hole in the can, and dumped it into my Ed's Red. Smells like hell now, but still works. I won't do that again.

[max it]

As a mechanic, mixing Acetone and ATF in a 50/50 mix is a very inexpensive penetrating oil.

For under $20 you should be able to get a quart of each and you would have a half gallon of the penetrating oil mix.

my mix melted the container I put it in.

[country gent]

For severely rusted frozen parts 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% white vinegar soak will remove rust and help to free them up, BUT it will etch metals and remove finishes. On the plus side the etching is easy to polish out to a finish to re blue. This mix has no rust preventatives or preservatives in it so parts need to be oiled immediately.

The other trick is to put your parts in a sealed plastic pickle jar with the penetrant and run a couple cycles thru your ultra sonic cleaner filled with plain water. The ultra sonic action will work the penetrants into the seams cracks and crevices loosening them.

[schutzen-jager]

fwiw - placed a rusty knife blade in the vinegar solution, next morning the blade was completely dissolved except for thick part at the hilt -

[AlaskaMike]

my mix melted the container I put it in.

Acetone was an optional ingredient to Ed's Red in order to dissolve plastic residue from shotgun wads. I don't use acetone because I don't do much shotgun shooting at all.

Of course, in addition to shotgun wad plastic, it will also dissolve other plastics, including HDPE plastic containers. Glass, ceramic or metal containers are the only way to go if you need to use acetone. My Ed's Red is the original recipe, minus the acetone. 1 part ATF, 1 part mineral spirits and 1 part kerosene.

The important thing a lot of people forget is that Ed's Red is not a lube. It's a solvent. A good Ed's Red compatible lube is 1 part ATF and 1 part synthetic motor oil.

[schutzen-jager]

also Ed gave a formula that included lanolin to provide lubrication + corrosion resistance to original formula -

[crandall crank]

Another mixture that I use for outdoor and farm equipment is a mixture of 50% mineral spirits and 50% motor oil. The mineral spirits "wicks" into the crevasses and pulls the oil with it. For large projects it's very economical to mix.