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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 4:07 pm
by jayhawk
I received two cans of Kroil that I ordered after reading this thread. I noticed when I used it that it is the same red color as transmission fluid. Hmmmm. Along with a little heat, it helped break loose a rusty set screw on a lathe tool rest that I have.
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 4:50 pm
by heathicus
So far, I have a 100% success rate with a combination of heat and Kroil.
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 7:04 am
by nuhobby
foxtrapper wrote:I made a batch of what is essentially "Eds Red" some time ago. That's the acetone/ATF mix. It works as a penetrating oil, but I've never found it to be particularly impressive. Kroil, PB Blaster and Liquid Wrench with Teflon all worked better.
Interesting side note on the acetone/ATF mixes. It separates. As in nearly instantly. You've got to be shaking the heck out of it to get it to stay mixed. If I wasn't using a clear bottle I wouldn't have noticed this because the red die from the ATF goes right into the acetone. But the two fluids do not stay mixed.
The Feb/March 2010 Machinist's Workshop magazine is now showing a reader-letter about the fluid sepaation, and author's response....
"The original homemade penetrating oil mixture called for using trichloroethelyne as the solvent. I cannot recommend trichlor for home shop use and definitely not for anything slightly resembling a business. Both Power Steering Fluid and Automatic Transmission Fluid will form emulsions with acetone under mild agitation, sufficient to thin the oil enough to penetrate. Upon standing, these will separate. Acetone performs better than the other commonly available organic solvents, such as methanol, but not as well as trichlor."