[TowerTalk] WD-40

[WA8JXM]

These concoctions are close to "Ed's Red" one of the better hombrew gun 
cleaners, developed by Ed Harris.  It uses K1 kerosene, Dextron, mineral 
spirits, and acetone in equal proportion IIRC.   Ed describes how he 
developed it looking for a substitute for an old formulation that used 
Sperm Oil, and why the individual compoents. There is plenty of 
information available if you google "Ed's Red".


Ken WA8JXM

On 13/04/2015 22:57, Al Kozakiewicz wrote:
> I was wondering what the "magic ingredient" in ATF was that busted rust.  ATF is mostly oil.  Like all non-synthetic petroleum based oils, it is a collection of distillates that have about the same molecular weight and thus condense on the same tray in the distillation column. Synthetic oils can be derived from petroleum but their main characteristic is identical discrete molecule(s) instead of a collection, making it easier to design to a specification and control the formulation.  They also have some additives.  The few MSDSs I read for ATF list only "petroleum oil" and "proprietary additives".  DEXTRON and MERCRON have been around since the stone age and are produced by zillions of manufacturers, so I don’t know what is so proprietary about them.
>
> Makes me wonder if acetone and just about ANY oil would do the trick.