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Thread: A better rust penetrator?

  1. #1
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    A better rust penetrator?

    Read somewhere or watched a video about mixing equal parts of acetone and ATF makes a terrific penetrating oil. Bought a can of acetone thinking surely I've got a quart of ATF at home. Nope.
    Has anyone tried it. The info I got claimed it works better than anything in a spray can, even Blaster.

  2. #2
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    I never made the homemade brew you speak of but have used Kroil, It works extremely well.
    "Remember back in the day, when things were made by hand, and people took pride in their work?"
    - Rick Dale

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Lehnert View Post
    I never made the homemade brew you speak of but have used Kroil, It works extremely well.
    Every machinist (as opposed to machine operators such as myself) in the shop I retired from had a can of that stuff no more than arm's reach away.
    This may be blasphemy to some, but I hate the smell of Kroil.

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    This hellbrew I speak of has the additional benefit of removing CA glue.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Jobe View Post
    This hellbrew I speak of has the additional benefit of removing CA glue.
    Well, that's the acetone at work. I used to use it to clean CA glue out of pipettes when I built model airplanes. A couple of days in a jar of acetone and they were clean as new. Finger nail polish remover will work too because it is acetone based, but takes a lot longer.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Gresham View Post
    Well, that's the acetone at work. I used to use it to clean CA glue out of pipettes when I built model airplanes. A couple of days in a jar of acetone and they were clean as new. Finger nail polish remover will work too because it is acetone based, but takes a lot longer.
    Acetone will take CA off skin but it takes some elbow grease.

  7. #7
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    Have heard of the acetone and transmission fluid from many people, but have been using Kroil for most of my working life.

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    I would think that the acetone would evaporate quite quickly but might help the oil penetrate. I have always used a 50/50 mix of Marvel Mystery Oil and WD40. It is my do all spray. If something is rusted enough to need more than that, it gets the torch.
    Andrew Gibson
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    Florida School Of Woodwork

  9. #9
    I have found that Thrust is a really good penetrating oil. Kinda smells like kerosene though.

  10. #10
    That is true. Do an internet search and you'll find the original test results. Tested against all of the popular commercial solution on purpose rusted bolts. A hand's down win.
    Update:
    Machinist's Workshop Magazine (March/April or May/June, 2007) actually tested penetrants for break out torque on rusted nuts. Significant results! They are below, as forwarded by an ex-student and professional machinist, Bud Baker.

    They arranged a subjective test of all the popular penetrants with the control being the torque required to remove the nut from a "scientifically rusted" environment.

    *Penetrating oil ..... Average load*

    None ..................... 516 pounds
    WD-40 .................. 238 pounds
    PB Blaster ............. 214 pounds
    Liquid Wrench ..... 127 pounds
    Kano Kroil ............ 106 pounds
    ATF-Acetone mix....53 pounds

    The ATF-Acetone mix was a "home brew" mix of 50 - 50 automatic transmission fluid and acetone. Note the "home brew" was better than any commercial product in this one particular test. Our local machinist group mixed up a batch, and we all now use it with equally good results. Note also that "Liquid Wrench" is about as good as "Kroil" for about 20% of the price.

    Here's the post I found:
    http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=20131.0
    Last edited by Lon Crosby; 10-12-2017 at 10:42 PM. Reason: search results

  11. #11
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    Makes you wonder why the commercial brands don't just use atf-acetone.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wade Lippman View Post
    Makes you wonder why the commercial brands don't just use atf-acetone.
    One look at the SDS sheet and you'll have the answer.
    We don't even have acetone at work onsite any longer. Same with MEK, and this is billion dollar facility with three full machine shops, weld facilities, sheet metal shops and Fab shops.
    Safety Department and Hygenist took them away a long time ago. Luckily we kept the Kroil. ( Machinists Old Spice. )
    Last edited by Mike Cutler; 10-13-2017 at 3:29 PM.
    "The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)

  13. #13
    That makes sense ,Mike. But It's the pb blaster that makes me feel sick quickly. Can not be near that stuff.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mel Fulks View Post
    That makes sense ,Mike. But It's the pb blaster that makes me feel sick quickly. Can not be near that stuff.
    Mel
    They all reek to me.
    Generally if I have stuck bolt or nut. I'll encapsulate it, or dam it as well as I can, let it soak over night, and try again in the AM. The greater majority of the time though, I still end up with an impact wrench in one hand, and a MAPP gas torch in the other.
    Other times, well,,,,,,, that's when you run around looking for left twist drill bits and EZ outs..
    Last edited by Mike Cutler; 10-13-2017 at 5:15 PM.
    "The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)

  15. #15
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    I tried acetone and ATF non-synthetic as I am not sure whether synthetic will work or not. It works great. I mixed it in an old metal quart breakfree can.

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