the only plastic that I know that's safe with acetone is Polypropylene. It comes in Polypropylene containers when I used to order it for a laboratory I used to work in about 10 years ago. You can get polypropylene containers on Amazon too.
@slabbo323 If you look up the original "Ed's Red" recipe the author discusses potential containers. If they sell acetone is polypropylene containers then they certainly sound like those containers should be suitable for storing the completed mix.
@kumquatsta I'd be careful not to get it on any rubber seals, but as a cleaner it ought to be safe for the barrel provided you don't leave too much of it behind after cleaning.
if you have trouble finding the good clear kerosene, BBQ lighter fluid is the same thing, highly refined kerosene, and you can get it in smaller quantities.
Glass is the next best. Glass can be wrapped in a think layer of cloth, then taped over with something like duct tape to help resist breakage.
Plastic containers, even gasoline cans, are only safe if the acetone is omitted. Over long time periods the acetone will soften any plastic. Don't ask me how I know!
Other than that, Ed's Red is great. It's especially good because you know your oil, will be compatible with your cleaner.
Its the mineral spirits doing that. If you get the wrong type of mineral spirits it wont mix well, ie odorless minral spirits that looks milky white rather than clear when you pour it.
@buddycraigg They would only tell me where to go and do something that's not physically possible. Personally I'd rather tell people that "carbine" is not pronounced as "Car-Bean".
No, wash out the bore with hot water, use a funnel and medical tubing, the tubing will make a good fit, and hot water warms the barrel and most of it evaporates, then use wd 40 or methyl alcohol to mop up any stray water if worried, do this after normal cleaning and before removing copper, or in this DIY case after eds red and before the KCl is a salt and dissolves in water, most cleaners won't do much to remove it besides getting the bulk of it out along with the other gunk,
This also works really good for Penetrating Oil for working on engines, like taking off stuck flywheels. You can make it with just ATF and Acetone if you use it for P-Oil, and this stuff you can see crawling, its mean, way better then WD-40.
@314299 - Most ppl believe WD40 is for lubrication applications, however, it is not. It is Ok for lubricating some small speed applications, but even bike chains are too fast (I use it to lubricate my can opener). WD40 stands for Water Displacement-40th attempt (They developed it on their 40th attempt) but Water Displacement Spray is just another name for penetrating oil, and that's exactly what it was developed for. But ATF and Acetone you can see "Crawling" when you use it, its mean stuff! :)
@doomsd46 Her's some trivia "In 1953, a fledgling company called Rocket Chemical Company and its staff of three set out to create a line of rust-prevention solvents .. for use in the aerospace industry....
It took them 40 attempts to get the water displacing formula worked out. ...WD40®—which stands for Water Displacement perfected on the 40th try—is still in use today. Convair, an aerospace contractor, first used WD-40 to protect the outer skin of the Atlas Missile from rust and corrosion.
@314299 - That may be true, but although it seems far from the normal consumers use, it really isn't. They use it to protect against corrosion on their warheads, but as penetrating oil, its breaking up corrosion and does help prevent corrosion if its left on. Its designed as Water Displacement spray, so protection against and break-up of corrosion. That's interesting though, never heard about the missiles before...
@doomsd46 I took that from the WD40 website. I think the average user uses the stuff as oil and a cleaner. I used it for years to clean guns and wipe the metal down to remove fingerprints, it always worked well for that.
I've used my own variation of Ed's Red for slightly over a year now; I use MEK instead of acetone (lower evaporation rate) along with some other tweaks to the formula. Ed's Red is inexpensive and works very well IMO, and can be modified (within reason) to include whatever solvent(s) you may have on hand. Of course, NEVER even THINK of using gasoline!!!
@314299 I've seen MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) at Home Depot and other hardware stores as well, it is often only found in quarts though. Usually in the paint section with the other solvents.
I wish I could find some nitrobenzene to add to it and make it sort of smell like old Hoppe's No. 9!
I was given a quart of No.9 that near as I can tell is something like 35 years old, and there sure is a difference in the old formulation and the current one.
This stuff is cheap and easy to make and works well on cleaning up lead bullet residue along with any kind of powder fouling. I highly recommend making a batch if you own and clean guns. You won't be sorry. BTW: I use a batch with and without acetone. I don't use the lanolin either.
@buttermobile I think it's almost as good without the acetone for most cleaning, but with it it does work better for removing plastic fouling from shotgun bores. Leaving out the acetone does make it considerably less odorous which is nice.
I highly recommend adding Lanolin which will greatly enhance the lubricity and rust prevention qualities. Another side benefit to the Lanolin is that it is an awesome emollient that will counteract the tendency of the acetone to dry out your skin. Pure Lanolin is not easy to find but I substitute Bag Balm which has Lanolin as the major component and can be found at farming supply stores. You will be amazed at how much better it lubes and protects!
@SmokinJoe05 I've never made the version with the Lanolin added but some day I must give it a try. It's good to hear from someone who has given it a try and knows first hand.
@555sss The directions say "Optional up to 1 lb. of Lanolin, Anhydrous, USP per gallon". The batch I made in the video is 16 ounces so that works out to two ounces of lanolin or the balm if that's what you have.
good luck getting Dextron 2 LOL. even dextron 3 is hard to get because GM does not use it anymore. dextron 4 is what GM uses now but I'm shore it will work fine in making this solvent. I'm using Pro-Shot step 1 right now and I'm very happy with it no bad smell and my bore's are very shiny but when I run out of Pro-Shot I think I'll give this a try and maybe I'll save some money cuz I already have all this stuff.
Yep, I believe that anything from Dextron 2 on up would be fine as you say. I'm just quoting the directions but the formula is from about 15-20 years ago, transmission fluid specs have evolved somewhat over that time.
I would hesitate to add any ammonia to this mixture as I have no idea what chemical reactions might take place. Anyway ammonia in and of itself won't remove chlorate primer residue, it's the water in most household ammonia based cleaners (such as Windex) that dissolve the chlorate salts. The ammonia will help break down copper jacket fouling.
With chlorate primers I patch with a Windex saturated patch, dry patch, then clean with Ed's Red.
Actually you could make it smell like #9 if you had access to some Isoamyl acetate (AKA Banana oil), from what I've read it is the stuff added to #9 to give it the smell.
hmmmmm i'll give that a try. I have doubts about Isoamyl Acetate having that same scent because I've made that particular chemical in chemistry class and it smelled different.
You certainly want to keep it off any stock finish like varnish, shellac, or paint.. It will not harm any metal components of firearms or effect bluing, parkerized finishes or anodizing . Keep it away from rubber grips, scope lenses, etc. However these cautions apply to most commercial bore cleaners as well.
I have been using this solvent quite extensively for some years and I love it. With that being said, 1 batch will last about 3-4 years to the average shooter. Well worth the effort and money to make it.
Thanks for making this video....I don't think there is a recipe for making it out on youtube...good work.
Thanks Eric. I only came across one mention of ER on youtube, so I thought I'd do a video since I need to mix up a batch anyway. One of the big advantages to this stuff is that people tend to use more of it than they do if using the bought types, and using more solvent generally gives a better result.
I don't believe that ER will remove all the chlorate salts from firing corrosive ammunition. However some claim that it will. Personally I clean the bore and gas system components with ER, dry them, then clean again with Windex, dry again and once more with ER. Works for me.
I'm assuming one should keep this stuff far away from any polymer parts of a gun?
pylsemaker 3 days ago
@pylsemaker If you omit the acetone it ought to be safe for use on plastics.
314299 3 days ago
the only plastic that I know that's safe with acetone is Polypropylene. It comes in Polypropylene containers when I used to order it for a laboratory I used to work in about 10 years ago. You can get polypropylene containers on Amazon too.
slabbo323 1 month ago
@slabbo323 If you look up the original "Ed's Red" recipe the author discusses potential containers. If they sell acetone is polypropylene containers then they certainly sound like those containers should be suitable for storing the completed mix.
314299 1 month ago
safe for an airgun barrel (spring airgun)?
kumquatsta 4 months ago
@kumquatsta I'd be careful not to get it on any rubber seals, but as a cleaner it ought to be safe for the barrel provided you don't leave too much of it behind after cleaning.
314299 4 months ago
if you have trouble finding the good clear kerosene, BBQ lighter fluid is the same thing, highly refined kerosene, and you can get it in smaller quantities.
silentseawolf 4 months ago
I highly recommend metal containers for Ed's Red.
Glass is the next best. Glass can be wrapped in a think layer of cloth, then taped over with something like duct tape to help resist breakage.
Plastic containers, even gasoline cans, are only safe if the acetone is omitted. Over long time periods the acetone will soften any plastic. Don't ask me how I know!
Other than that, Ed's Red is great. It's especially good because you know your oil, will be compatible with your cleaner.
240FP 5 months ago
for the English / (anywhere else that doesnt use these brand names)
Varsol / mineral spirits = white spirits
Kerosene = Paraffin
both can be got from any b&q type place or any small hardware shops
acetone i got from boots, just grab a bottle of a cheapy nail polish remover (check its an acetone one though)
& if you need to be told where to buy automatic transmition fluid then you don't have the intelligence to be a gun owner.
kopitepaul 7 months ago 4
Will this stuff (concerned about the acetone) eat away a hoppes 9 bottle, wanted to find out before I put it in an old bottle.
bugnetkeepsbugsout 8 months ago
@bugnetkeepsbugsout I would not chance storing the stuff in a plastic bottle, better to stick with a metal or glass one.
314299 8 months ago
do you find that your mix of Eds Red separates after sitting for a while? I have noticed a clear layer at the bottom..thanks for the video
excxflyr 8 months ago
@excxflyr I've never noticed any separation with the Ed's Red that I've mixed up.
314299 8 months ago
@excxflyr
Its the mineral spirits doing that. If you get the wrong type of mineral spirits it wont mix well, ie odorless minral spirits that looks milky white rather than clear when you pour it.
StuartBoyer 1 month ago
@StuartBoyer Good tip, thanks.
314299 1 month ago
I give you a thumbs up, but there is no T in the word dexron.
buddycraigg 11 months ago
@buddycraigg Well that's the way I've heard it pronounced around here since as long as I can remember....
314299 11 months ago
@314299 now you can spend the rest of your life correcting people whenever you hear them say it that way.
buddycraigg 11 months ago
@buddycraigg They would only tell me where to go and do something that's not physically possible. Personally I'd rather tell people that "carbine" is not pronounced as "Car-Bean".
314299 11 months ago
@314299 Wait... It's not?
buddycraigg 11 months ago
Great video, thanks.
Does anybody know how well this works with corrosive mil surplus ammo?
RA59 11 months ago
@RA59
No, wash out the bore with hot water, use a funnel and medical tubing, the tubing will make a good fit, and hot water warms the barrel and most of it evaporates, then use wd 40 or methyl alcohol to mop up any stray water if worried, do this after normal cleaning and before removing copper, or in this DIY case after eds red and before the KCl is a salt and dissolves in water, most cleaners won't do much to remove it besides getting the bulk of it out along with the other gunk,
bugnetkeepsbugsout 8 months ago
This also works really good for Penetrating Oil for working on engines, like taking off stuck flywheels. You can make it with just ATF and Acetone if you use it for P-Oil, and this stuff you can see crawling, its mean, way better then WD-40.
doomsd46 11 months ago
@doomsd46 I imagine it would work well for that purpose. WD40 was never meant to be a penetrating oil, as far as I know.
314299 11 months ago
@314299 - Most ppl believe WD40 is for lubrication applications, however, it is not. It is Ok for lubricating some small speed applications, but even bike chains are too fast (I use it to lubricate my can opener). WD40 stands for Water Displacement-40th attempt (They developed it on their 40th attempt) but Water Displacement Spray is just another name for penetrating oil, and that's exactly what it was developed for. But ATF and Acetone you can see "Crawling" when you use it, its mean stuff! :)
doomsd46 11 months ago
@doomsd46 Her's some trivia "In 1953, a fledgling company called Rocket Chemical Company and its staff of three set out to create a line of rust-prevention solvents .. for use in the aerospace industry....
It took them 40 attempts to get the water displacing formula worked out. ...WD40®—which stands for Water Displacement perfected on the 40th try—is still in use today. Convair, an aerospace contractor, first used WD-40 to protect the outer skin of the Atlas Missile from rust and corrosion.
314299 11 months ago
@314299 - That may be true, but although it seems far from the normal consumers use, it really isn't. They use it to protect against corrosion on their warheads, but as penetrating oil, its breaking up corrosion and does help prevent corrosion if its left on. Its designed as Water Displacement spray, so protection against and break-up of corrosion. That's interesting though, never heard about the missiles before...
doomsd46 11 months ago
@doomsd46 I took that from the WD40 website. I think the average user uses the stuff as oil and a cleaner. I used it for years to clean guns and wipe the metal down to remove fingerprints, it always worked well for that.
314299 11 months ago
Excellent video, thanks for posting it.
I've used my own variation of Ed's Red for slightly over a year now; I use MEK instead of acetone (lower evaporation rate) along with some other tweaks to the formula. Ed's Red is inexpensive and works very well IMO, and can be modified (within reason) to include whatever solvent(s) you may have on hand. Of course, NEVER even THINK of using gasoline!!!
NipkowDisk 1 year ago
@NipkowDisk Interesting, I've never seen methyl ethyl ketone for sale. Where can it be purchased?
314299 1 year ago
@314299 I've seen MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) at Home Depot and other hardware stores as well, it is often only found in quarts though. Usually in the paint section with the other solvents.
I wish I could find some nitrobenzene to add to it and make it sort of smell like old Hoppe's No. 9!
NipkowDisk 1 year ago
@NipkowDisk I do like the smell of Hoppe's No. 9!
I was given a quart of No.9 that near as I can tell is something like 35 years old, and there sure is a difference in the old formulation and the current one.
314299 1 year ago
Where can you find Varsol?
blutcherama 1 year ago
@blutcherama Any hardware store or paint store should carry Varsol (mineral spirits)
314299 1 year ago
Couldn't find it at lowes either. Is it just mineral spirits?
blutcherama 1 year ago
@blutcherama It's also called "orderless mineral spirits".
314299 1 year ago
This stuff is cheap and easy to make and works well on cleaning up lead bullet residue along with any kind of powder fouling. I highly recommend making a batch if you own and clean guns. You won't be sorry. BTW: I use a batch with and without acetone. I don't use the lanolin either.
buttermobile 1 year ago
@buttermobile I think it's almost as good without the acetone for most cleaning, but with it it does work better for removing plastic fouling from shotgun bores. Leaving out the acetone does make it considerably less odorous which is nice.
314299 1 year ago
@theArmedJanitor I really don't know, but I'm not sure that anything water based would even mix into this stuff.
314299 1 year ago
I highly recommend adding Lanolin which will greatly enhance the lubricity and rust prevention qualities. Another side benefit to the Lanolin is that it is an awesome emollient that will counteract the tendency of the acetone to dry out your skin. Pure Lanolin is not easy to find but I substitute Bag Balm which has Lanolin as the major component and can be found at farming supply stores. You will be amazed at how much better it lubes and protects!
SmokinJoe05 1 year ago
@SmokinJoe05 I've never made the version with the Lanolin added but some day I must give it a try. It's good to hear from someone who has given it a try and knows first hand.
314299 1 year ago
@SmokinJoe05
How much 'Bag Balm' do you use? Say for the above amount. Thxs
555sss 1 year ago
@555sss The directions say "Optional up to 1 lb. of Lanolin, Anhydrous, USP per gallon". The batch I made in the video is 16 ounces so that works out to two ounces of lanolin or the balm if that's what you have.
314299 1 year ago
@314299
Thanks much...one always wants to be 'accurate'.
555sss 1 year ago
good luck getting Dextron 2 LOL. even dextron 3 is hard to get because GM does not use it anymore. dextron 4 is what GM uses now but I'm shore it will work fine in making this solvent. I'm using Pro-Shot step 1 right now and I'm very happy with it no bad smell and my bore's are very shiny but when I run out of Pro-Shot I think I'll give this a try and maybe I'll save some money cuz I already have all this stuff.
workensmart 1 year ago
Yep, I believe that anything from Dextron 2 on up would be fine as you say. I'm just quoting the directions but the formula is from about 15-20 years ago, transmission fluid specs have evolved somewhat over that time.
314299 1 year ago
really helpful vid...thanks so much...
mach1mustang1971 1 year ago
You are welcome! Glad to hear it was helpful.
314299 1 year ago
After shooting corrosive munitions, you need ammonia to neutralize the salts in the primers. Would adding ammonia to this recipe harm anything?
Jrhoney 2 years ago
I would hesitate to add any ammonia to this mixture as I have no idea what chemical reactions might take place. Anyway ammonia in and of itself won't remove chlorate primer residue, it's the water in most household ammonia based cleaners (such as Windex) that dissolve the chlorate salts. The ammonia will help break down copper jacket fouling.
With chlorate primers I patch with a Windex saturated patch, dry patch, then clean with Ed's Red.
314299 2 years ago
Thanks for this video. Bore solvent was starting to eat up my ammo budget. I'm going to use this stuff later today!
If only I could get it to smell like Hoppe's 9 :P
Jrhoney 2 years ago
Actually you could make it smell like #9 if you had access to some Isoamyl acetate (AKA Banana oil), from what I've read it is the stuff added to #9 to give it the smell.
314299 2 years ago
hmmmmm i'll give that a try. I have doubts about Isoamyl Acetate having that same scent because I've made that particular chemical in chemistry class and it smelled different.
Jrhoney 2 years ago
I imagine it smells a bit different after being mixed with the other solvents in #9. If you give it a go let us know how it works out.
314299 2 years ago
Sure thing, I'll have to wait until tomorrow to pick up some kerosene and varsol.
Jrhoney 2 years ago
Thanks for the video
wawawewaryan 2 years ago
I hope it inspires some folks to give Ed's Red a try.
314299 2 years ago
My brother mixed up a batch of this stuff. Works good, and the chemicals are readily available...
UCSPanther20 2 years ago
And most guys will already have some of them on hand already
314299 2 years ago
excellent vid...your knowledge is truly a wealth to us all!!!!!!!!!!!
twogun1969 2 years ago
Thanks. Video's don't get much simpler than this one!
314299 2 years ago
definately cheaper than buying a small bottle at a time in the store, thanks man, you know Ed's Red sounds like a new flavor beer from Samuel Adams
TMoorej 2 years ago
I' don't think I would drink a beer that smelled like this stuff!
314299 2 years ago
probably wouldn't want to spill it on yourself either
TMoorej 2 years ago
I doubt that it is any worse than the commercial stuff, except that this does not have any ammonia in it.
314299 2 years ago
wouldn't this ruin some gun components? seems pretty harsh.
ajgsxr 2 years ago
You certainly want to keep it off any stock finish like varnish, shellac, or paint.. It will not harm any metal components of firearms or effect bluing, parkerized finishes or anodizing . Keep it away from rubber grips, scope lenses, etc. However these cautions apply to most commercial bore cleaners as well.
314299 2 years ago
Excellent - good advice on the labeling.
Don
Herbie1111 2 years ago
I really should have had a sample label to show in the video.
314299 2 years ago
I have been using this solvent quite extensively for some years and I love it. With that being said, 1 batch will last about 3-4 years to the average shooter. Well worth the effort and money to make it.
Thanks for making this video....I don't think there is a recipe for making it out on youtube...good work.
Iraqveteran8888 2 years ago 4
Thanks Eric. I only came across one mention of ER on youtube, so I thought I'd do a video since I need to mix up a batch anyway. One of the big advantages to this stuff is that people tend to use more of it than they do if using the bought types, and using more solvent generally gives a better result.
314299 2 years ago
i will make a batch of that stuff soon ,does it work well for corrosive ammo? will it remove all the salts
VIKINGWARLOCK 2 years ago
I don't believe that ER will remove all the chlorate salts from firing corrosive ammunition. However some claim that it will. Personally I clean the bore and gas system components with ER, dry them, then clean again with Windex, dry again and once more with ER. Works for me.
314299 2 years ago