# Ed's Red



## Chuck K (May 10, 2017)

I have seen discussions on eds red cleaner for years and always meant to try it out. I found myself at the big box store today and actually remembered to pick up the ingredients that I was missing. I mixed it without the lanolin as I am more interested in cutting crud than preservation on this project. I have a very crusty hendey lathe that I thought would be a perfect test for the cleaner.  I only had a few minutes to mess around with it but I am impressed. I wiped some on the greasy cover on the back end of the machine and it just melted the grime.  I'm looking forward to giving it a more in depth test.  Pretty easy to mix:  equal parts kerosene, mineral spirits, acetone, and dextron.  I'll follow up when I have time for some serious cleaning.


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## Mister Ed (May 10, 2017)

Chuck, its all that I have used as a penetrant for years. I usually mix up without the acetone. If I am working on a gearbox (windmill) that is extremely sludgy, grungy, then I will spike my standard mix with acetone.

I started using it in the early '90s as I used to shoot a bunch. Once I started using it I also discovered it was the ticket for cleaning surplus WWII era rifles that had been covered in cosmoline grease for decades.


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## USMCDOC (May 10, 2017)

You forgot the Marvels Mystery Oil, Kroil (made right here in Tennessee).. But instead of that, why don't you just hope on down to your local Wal-Mart and get some Hoppe's No 9


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## Silverbullet (May 10, 2017)

Love eds I've used it for years cleaning guns I mean lots of guns at times twenty to forty a day. Now the lanolin is just for your hands not much for lubing or cleaning. As far as hoppes cleaner it's about $40.00 or more for a 16 ounce bottle . Eds red per gallon is that or less. Good luck I love the stuff.


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## USMCDOC (May 10, 2017)

I understand the cost value of it all.. i use it on my 22.. but i used other stuff on my centerfire devices..


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## Mister Ed (May 10, 2017)

USMCDOC said:


> You forgot the Marvels Mystery Oil, Kroil (made right here in Tennessee).. But instead of that, why don't you just hope on down to your local Wal-Mart and get some Hoppe's No 9


No one forgot about Marvel Mystery Oil or Kroil for that matter. I have a gallon of MMO in the shop and use it.

I can make up gallon of Ed's Red with acetone for $14.50 and without acetone for $11.99. Kroil will cost $71.99 for a gallon and I could buy 4 quarts of Hoppes #9 at Wally World (online) for $11.99 per quart ($47.96/gal).

So, tell me why I should spend 4-5x's as much money, when Ed's Red works??

I would say you may want to read up on Ed's Red. It was actually developed for your (and everyone else's) "center fire devices". It is actually an adaption of a bore cleaner from the old Frankfort Arsenal and the formula was published in Hatcher's Notebook. The revised formula does substitute the ATF for the Sperm Whale Oil ... but then again Sperm Whale Oil was used in the formulation of ATF, many, many moons ago.


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## Chuck K (May 10, 2017)

Mister Ed said:


> No one forgot about Marvel Mystery Oil or Kroil for that matter. I have a gallon of MMO in the shop and use it.
> 
> I can make up gallon of Ed's Read with acetone for $14.50 and without acetone for $11.99. Kroil will cost $71.99 for a gallon and I could buy 4 quarts of Hoppes #9 at Wally World (online) for $11.99 per quart ($47.96/gal).
> 
> ...


The cost value is why I decided to try it.  I am forever buying different brands of degreasers that are pretty much worthless. The best I've ever used is Citrol.  It's made by Shaffer and it is hands down the best cleaner I've ever found...but it's pricey.  Eds is cheap and I think it will do what I need.


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## Whyemier (May 12, 2017)

Forgot about Ed's Red. Used to use it regularly when shooting black powder. Kept a gallon can around 'til I used it up even after I stopped shooting black powder pistols. Good cleaner decreased.


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## Ulma Doctor (May 12, 2017)

Ed's Red, is great!
i never considered it as a gun cleaner.
i learned something new!
thanks gents!


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## Mister Ed (May 12, 2017)

Ulma Doctor said:


> Ed's Red, is great!
> i never considered it as a gun cleaner.
> i learned something new!
> thanks gents!


Yep, that was the intent of the original formula. What really sold me as a bore cleaner, gun lube (with lanolin) was the fact that back in the early '90s I used to shoot high power rifle in SE Wis. Many people in our area were using ER (this was shortly after its rebirth as Ed's Red). More importantly, a couple of those folks using this formula, were also custom barrel makers (not smiths, but the manufacturers of the barrels that the smiths used).

And besides ... its's got a cool name. ;-)


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## genec (May 12, 2017)

cylinder and slide in fremont, NE. used to sell some red cleaning fluid there on the net.


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## T. J. (May 12, 2017)

You can also add ammonia to the basic ER formula if you need to remove copper fouling. I don't remember the ratio, but I can look it up if anyone is interested.


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## Ulma Doctor (May 12, 2017)

T. J. said:


> You can also add ammonia to the basic ER formula if you need to remove copper fouling. I don't remember the ratio, but I can look it up if anyone is interested.



I ,for one, would be very interested in the ratio of ammonia in the mixture!


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## T. J. (May 13, 2017)

I had forgotten that there was a little more to it than just ammonia. Here's the recipe:

11 oz. Ed's Red
2 oz. 10-20% ammonia
2 oz. Rustlick WS-11 cutting oil
1 oz. Murphy's oil soap

My source is this:

http://frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm

If you are a shooter, there's lots of other stuff on that page and the whole website as well.


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## Chuck K (May 28, 2017)

I've had some time since I first posted about Ed's Red to experiment with it a bit.  I'm still impressed with it.  What I find myself doing is mixing it to suit my  application. Today for instance,  I was disassembling and cleaning the apron on my Hendey. I mixed it kind of hot with acetone. The cases had some serious gunk in them,  some of it was hardened. After brushing it on and letting it sit for a while I hit it with one of those cheap detail brushes from horror freight and the gunk came right off.  As a bonus it softened the green paint on the exterior of the case and it brushed right off too.  The only thing left was a little of the original paint.  I'm done buying degreasers at the store.  The downside for me is, during the heating season I'll have to curtail my use because I have a radiant tube heater. Any solvents tend to get real smelly when that runs.


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