ed red

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I use one type with almost no lanolin. The other version has alot of lanolin.

Used it for years and love it.
 
Only one MAJOR problem with "Ed's Red"........ It doesn't smell like Hoppe's #9.

I use it and like it.
Even having to buy all the ingredients is still probably cheaper than a bottle of the fancy gimmicky stuff with supper secrete magical ingredients like "snake oil" and "pixie dust" and you get a lot more.

Give it a try for your self.
 
i made my 1st batch of ER years ago, but the acetone has always bothered me

it can be left out, but i always included it, do any of y'all leave it out, and how does it change the effectiveness of the mixture?

thanks
 
Acetone (systematically named propanone) is the organic compound with the formula (CH3)2CO. It is a colorless, mobile, flammable liquid, and is the simplest ketone.

Acetone is miscible with water and serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically for cleaning purposes in the laboratory. About 6.7 million tonnes were produced worldwide in 2010, mainly for use as a solvent and production of methyl methacrylate and bisphenol A.[7][8] It is a common building block in organic chemistry. Familiar household uses of acetone are as the active ingredient in nail polish remover and as paint thinner.
 
The acetone is in Ed's Red to help remove the poly wad residue in shotguns, it is not needed if you are cleaning metallic cartridges. I substitute a glycol ether in place of acetone because the acetone evaporates so quickly and because most of your commercial cleaners also use glycol ethers. These aid in penetrating the carbon/lead/copper build up as well as soften plastic if needed.

I have made and use Ed's Red, those that stated using just 50/50 kerosene/auto transmission fluid we on the money. I like a little more solvent so I don't use as much auto trans fluid, the hydrocarbon (kerosene) is what is cleaning the carbon build up while the transmission fluid is acting as a corrosion inhibitor.

For simple metal parts or black pistols I use non-chlorinated break cleaner in an aerosol can. Do. not use this on wood finishes and test your polymer prior to blasting it with this. Many none-chlorinated break cleaners are just cheap version of lacquer thinner.
 
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Stormin.40 said:
The acetone is in Ed's Red to help remove the poly wad residue in shotguns, it is not needed if you are cleaning metallic cartridges. I substitute a glycol ether in place of acetone because the acetone evaporates so quickly and because most of your commercial cleaners also use glycol ethers. These aid in penetrating the carbon/lead/copper build up as well as soften plastic if needed.

I have made and use Ed's Red, those that stated using just 50/50 kerosene/auto transmission fluid we on the money. I like a little more solvent so I don't use as much auto trans fluid, the hydrocarbon (kerosene) is what is cleaning the carbon build up while the transmission fluid is acting as a corrosion inhibitor.

For simple metal parts or black pistols I use non-chlorinated break cleaner in an aerosol can. Do. not use this on wood finishes and test your polymer prior to blasting it with this. Many none-chlorinated break cleaners are just cheap version of lacquer thinner.
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Where does one find glycol ethers? Or is there a substitute for it?
 
Butyl Cellosolve also called glycol ether EB may be available at an industrial paint store. I am pretty sure a Sherwin Williams industrial store would have it available by the gallon. It is often used as a retarder solvent for slowing paint down. The term Glycol Ether however is a generic term for a family of chemicals. Just like acetone is a ketone and there are many other ketones, EB is a glycol ether and there are many others.

I have have the advantage of working for a chemical company and have access to a large variety of various solvents.
 
ColtPythonElite said:
I leave the acetone out.
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I will next time. I have a small squirt bottle of several different bore cleaning solutions in the cleaning kit I take to the range. I usually leave it in the trunk. My trunk now smells like acetone. Why couldn't it smell like Hoppe's instead?

The acetone is so volatile it just doesn't want to stay in the bottle like all the other stuff does.
 
I used to use it.

Now I use

1/3 ATF
1/3 light mineral oil
1/3 kerosene

It cleans things fine and I haven't noticed a difference between it and the more complete Ed's Red formula.

Also here are a bunch of recipes for people who like to mix up their own stuff.

http://www.frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm
 
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I really like Ed's Red although I use modified versions of it.

I substitute methyl ethyl ketone for acetone in one version as it has a slower evaporation rate. I've also added toluene in the past but lately I've omitted it as the mixture smelled real good but I do not enjoy sleeping on the ceiling any more.

I've never tried adding butyl cellosolve, aka 2-butoxyethanol or ethylene glycol monobutyl ether although I have almost a gallon in stock. It can also be ordered from www.thechemistrystore.com although their shipping costs are on the high side. Butyl cellosolve is an excellent degreaser/cleaner in its own right and you don't need very much of it.

In all of my versions I add Lube Control LC-20 additive which apparently contains a fair percentage of cyclohexanone, said chemical is an excellent antioxidant and oil coefficient of friction reducer, as well as a good carbon solvent.

Ed's Red does lend itself to a fair degree of flexibility with respect to what you have on hand, as long as you keep it within reason and you know what you're handling. I like that aspect of it.
 
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