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Bill Jobe
10-10-2017, 9:45 PM
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.

Dave Lehnert
10-10-2017, 10:01 PM
I never made the homemade brew you speak of but have used Kroil, It works extremely well.

Bill Jobe
10-10-2017, 10:39 PM
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.

Bill Jobe
10-10-2017, 10:43 PM
This hellbrew I speak of has the additional benefit of removing CA glue.

Mike Gresham
10-11-2017, 9:30 AM
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.

Bill Jobe
10-11-2017, 10:04 AM
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.

michael langman
10-11-2017, 10:54 AM
Have heard of the acetone and transmission fluid from many people, but have been using Kroil for most of my working life.

Andrew Gibson
10-11-2017, 11:05 AM
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.

Brad Adams
10-11-2017, 12:21 PM
I have found that Thrust is a really good penetrating oil. Kinda smells like kerosene though.

Lon Crosby
10-12-2017, 10:38 PM
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*

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Face.imageg.net%2Fgrap hics%2Fproduct_images%2Fp2974156t50.gif&hash=dbbf95cf260b72f060a3b546e06f2765 None ..................... 516 pounds
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F61cpr939Z%252BL._SL75_SS 50_.gif&hash=3e347aa804e2967af6b3e7b0045a2f08 WD-40 .................. 238 pounds
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tractorsupply.com %2Fwcsstore%2FConsumerDirectStorefrontAssetStore%2 Fimages%2Fproducts%2F50%2F7036044.jpg&hash=6d6baa1426e1416465884a2aab657e95 PB Blaster ............. 214 pounds
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usefilm.com%2Fima ges%2F5%2F7%2F1%2F5%2F5715%2F1463151-Micro.jpg&hash=1d6a7a881c1f9372d1dc1dc49a7f11e2 Liquid Wrench ..... 127 pounds
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bosesguns.com%2Fv %2Fvspfiles%2Fphotos%2FkanKroil%2520Gallon-0.jpg&hash=a0877e17e1f4b9659f897da8c7c92467 Kano Kroil ............ 106 pounds
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hallspeedshop.co m%2Fproduct_thumb.php%3Fimg%3Dimages%2Fbm%2F80286. jpg%26w%3D36%26h%3D57&hash=ec9963de0846d7ed30731b336508b9e9 https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsytropin.yeahost.com% 2Fimg%2Fplus.jpg&hash=b10a51289675322f1a6012af232fe317 https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.coleparmer.com %2Fx_small_images%2Fchemicals_generic.jpg&hash=6528c5c0e611c0d11e36294c097c1dbb 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

Wade Lippman
10-13-2017, 11:55 AM
Makes you wonder why the commercial brands don't just use atf-acetone.

Mike Cutler
10-13-2017, 3:27 PM
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. ;))

Mel Fulks
10-13-2017, 4:48 PM
That makes sense ,Mike. But It's the pb blaster that makes me feel sick quickly. Can not be near that stuff.

Mike Cutler
10-13-2017, 5:11 PM
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..:(

lee cox
10-14-2017, 4:35 PM
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.