|
|
It is currently Sat Apr 27, 2024 8:18 pm
|
View unanswered posts | View active topics
This is a static archive the Twin Cities Carry forum, maintained as a public service by the current forum of record, The Minnesota Carry Forum.
All times are UTC - 6 hours
What money savers do you have?
Author |
Message |
mobocracy
|
Post subject: Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:58 am |
|
Forum Moderator |
|
Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2005 6:55 pm Posts: 986
|
chunkstyle wrote: I make my own cleaning solution. Ed's Red is the famous homebrew, but you don't specifically have to go there.
Ed's Red is Auto Transmission fluid, acetone, paint thinner/coleman fuel, and kerosene.
I tweak this around, you can just use regular gasoline for paint thinner, and diesel for kero. I usually leave out the acetone, it can be harmful to plastics. I throw in things like Kroil, Hoppe's #9 (cheap by the quart), and 3-in-1 oil. Other things could be Marvel Mystery oil, and Rizlone.
I get a Mason jar with a tight fitting lid, and soak my barrels in there, prior to cleaning. Put some on a mop to clean the bore. Some on a patch, for slide parts, and rails. Q-tip and a tooth brush for hard to reach spots. Anything that's doesn't come, I scrape with a dental pick.
I have very clean guns.
Am I just paranoid, or is using an explosive like gasoline not a good idea for gun cleaning, especially in an enclosed space?
|
|
|
|
|
ironbear
|
Post subject: Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 9:14 am |
|
Longtime Regular |
|
Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2005 1:08 pm Posts: 546 Location: Roseville
|
mobocracy wrote: Am I just paranoid, or is using an explosive like gasoline not a good idea for gun cleaning, especially in an enclosed space?
I don't think gasoline is technically explosive. At worst it would be a deflagrent and at best flammable. In any case many of the good solvents are flammable and chemically nasty; and it is ill advised to use them in an enclosed space.
As far as cost saving stuff... I haven't used it for any gun stuff, but Starting Fluid takes grease off like nobody's business! Blows axle grease right out of clothing. Definitely use outdoors. I have to stay upwind, as it make me nauseous, so I don't use it unless I have to.
|
|
|
|
|
chunkstyle
|
Post subject: Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 1:17 pm |
|
Longtime Regular |
|
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:28 pm Posts: 2362 Location: Uptown Minneapolis
|
Hoppes #9 is pretty durn flammible. It'd surprise me is it were much less so that gasoline. Sure, of course you should take fire preventative measures when using solvents.
|
|
|
|
|
Pat Cannon
|
Post subject: Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:36 pm |
|
Longtime Regular |
|
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 10:53 pm Posts: 1421 Location: South Minneapolis (East of Lake Nokomis)
|
chunkstyle wrote: Hoppes #9 is pretty durn flammible. It'd surprise me is it were much less so that gasoline. Sure, of course you should take fire preventative measures when using solvents.
I don't suppose we have a chemically educated person here who can really tell us about flash points and such? My first impulse was , 'gasoline, are you insane?' but then I thought, 'well, paint thinner is pretty darn flammable too'.
In any case let me put in +1 vote for Ed's Red; it works as well as anything I've tried, and you can mix it up by the gallon for a tiny fraction of whatever it is you might buy at the gun store.
Then let's start debating lubes. My 1911 seems to work fine with 5W30 motor oil.
|
|
|
|
|
White Horseradish
|
Post subject: Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:05 pm |
|
Longtime Regular |
|
Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2005 9:52 pm Posts: 700 Location: Northeast Minneapolis
|
Gasoline is only explosive if mixed with air - vaporised. Gas vapor exploding is what makes a car engine go. If you have good ventilation, you're fine. If not, you're asking for trouble.
Personally, I wouldn't use gasoline for two reasons. One, pump gas has additives, I don't know what they are. Two, it really burns my skin. I just got out from under a car where I had some gas soak into my t-shirt and that sucked royally.
|
|
|
|
|
chunkstyle
|
Post subject: Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 11:56 pm |
|
Longtime Regular |
|
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:28 pm Posts: 2362 Location: Uptown Minneapolis
|
Pat Cannon wrote: chunkstyle wrote: Hoppes #9 is pretty durn flammable. It'd surprise me is it were much less so that gasoline. Sure, of course you should take fire preventative measures when using solvents. I don't suppose we have a chemically educated person here who can really tell us about flash points and such? My first impulse was , 'gasoline, are you insane?' but then I thought, 'well, paint thinner is pretty darn flammable too'. In any case let me put in +1 vote for Ed's Red; it works as well as anything I've tried, and you can mix it up by the gallon for a tiny fraction of whatever it is you might buy at the gun store. Then let's start debating lubes. My 1911 seems to work fine with 5W30 motor oil.
Uh, actually, I am a chemist. Did a little research, and found that Hoppe's FP is 59 degrees F, i.e. below room temperature. So, yeah, it's highly flammable. Nevertheless, I know gasoline's is about -40 to -45F. Far easier to light on fire. Still, as long as there is no point of ignition. there can be no fire. Don't smoke while you clean your guns.
Now, as to paint thinner. Most paint thinner is a grade of petroleum distillate known as "Stoddard solvent". Slightly heavier in grade and lower in flash than commercial gasoline. Sometimes this is labeled "Varnish Maker's and Painter's (labeled "VM&P") Naphtha".
Hoppe's has a NFPA rating of 3, as does gasoline. Paint thinner, just 2, same as kerosene and diesel fuel.
So, yes, they are a bit more flammable. But mixing with the heavier components mitigates this somewhat, and in any case, one should always be careful about fire in the area of organic solvents.
The primary reason for the substitution of diesel for kero or gas for paint thinner, is that these car products also contain detergents and other cleaners, which aids me in my objective, which is cleaning guns. But that's just me.
Last edited by chunkstyle on Mon Jul 17, 2006 10:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
|
|
|
|
|
mobocracy
|
Post subject: Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 8:04 am |
|
Forum Moderator |
|
Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2005 6:55 pm Posts: 986
|
Thanks for the education.
One question I have, though, is if these homemade cleaners made with inexpensive common chemicals work so well, why haven't we seen someone start selling them commercially? They could sell them in bulk at half the cost of others and still make money.
|
|
|
|
|
plblark
|
Post subject: Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 9:15 am |
|
Longtime Regular |
|
Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:41 am Posts: 4468
|
mobocracy wrote: Thanks for the education.
One question I have, though, is if these homemade cleaners made with inexpensive common chemicals work so well, why haven't we seen someone start selling them commercially? They could sell them in bulk at half the cost of others and still make money.
Liability, marketing, overhead, liability, etc... is my guess.
|
|
|
|
|
Brewman
|
Post subject: Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 10:07 am |
|
Longtime Regular |
|
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 2:39 pm Posts: 1132 Location: Prior Lake, MN
|
Maybe some of the existing products did start that way. Then the business grew, and with it costs grew- for facilities, machinery, advertising, salaries, HAZMAT FEES, etc...
_________________ Brewman
|
|
|
|
|
Pinnacle
|
Post subject: Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 10:54 am |
|
Designated waste of protoplasm |
|
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 4:41 pm Posts: 1807 Location: Western Burbs of MPLS
|
Ever Try Simple Green to clean a really skunky Auto? I used to shoot bullseye powder - I had to use simple green to get the residue off.
|
|
|
|
|
mobocracy
|
Post subject: Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:39 am |
|
Forum Moderator |
|
Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2005 6:55 pm Posts: 986
|
plblark wrote: Liability, marketing, overhead, liability, etc... is my guess.
Marketing and overhead don't really count, since any commercial product shares those items, more or less.
Liability is the one I wonder about -- if (and I'm not challenging the actual chemists here on this point!) the homebrew cleaners really are more dangerous than packaged ones, perhaps the reason they aren't sold is that, well, maybe they are more hazardous to use than the existing chemicals.
Just a guess, mind you, but I'm always a little concerned when some simple, obvious solution to a problem doesn't exist in a commercial space. It usually isn't because sellers want to work harder to produce a lesser product, but there's something "not right" about the simple, obvious solution..
|
|
|
|
|
Rem700
|
Post subject: Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 7:48 am |
|
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2005 7:46 am Posts: 257 Location: Blaine, Mn
|
Brownells carries Eds Red believe it was $7.99 for 4 ounces plus shipping. To save you the mess of mixing it yourself, If you use it to clean your guns how is it any more messy to mix it yourself? Never really figured the cost but believe somewhere under $10 a gallon=128oz
Isnt Polydunkit supposedly the same thing as Eds Red and sells for
IIrc $40 a gallon
|
|
|
|
|
halvey
|
Post subject: Walnut Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 12:02 pm |
|
Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2005 5:56 am Posts: 112
|
Does the ground walnut from the pet store clean out the primer pockets better than the corn cob media?
Most of my reloading is for bolt rifles, so the brass doesn't get that dirty - except the primer pockets.
|
|
|
|
|
Selurcspi
|
Post subject: Re: Walnut Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 12:07 pm |
|
Longtime Regular |
|
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:02 pm Posts: 1569 Location: The Mild, Mild, West, Burbs
|
halvey wrote: Does the ground walnut from the pet store clean out the primer pockets better than the corn cob media?
Most of my reloading is for bolt rifles, so the brass doesn't get that dirty - except the primer pockets.
The pocket is cleaner than when the tumbling started, but for a really clean pocket, nothing beats a brush.
_________________ NRA Certified Instructor MADFI Certified Instructor MN DNR Certified Instructor UT BCI Certified Conceal/Carry Instructor
"If you expect the police to always be able to protect you, why are the ones who show up at crimes called 'detectives' instead of 'defenders'? Detectives try to find a criminal after they've committed a crime."
|
|
|
|
|
cobb
|
Post subject: Update on the rice Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 6:52 am |
|
1911 tainted |
|
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 2:47 pm Posts: 3045
|
The rice as cleaning media in a tumbler is cheap and works pretty good on straight wall cases with large primer flash holes. I just tried it on some pistol cases that have small flash holes and what a pain. The rice sticks in the small flash holes and you can't just push it out, you have to break it off with a small screw driver, then you can use a small diameter tool push it out. Again, what a pain, if you are going to try it, don't try it with any brass that has small flash holes and I don't even want to find out what kind of jam it may create in a bottle neck case because of it's shape. Lesson learned.
Have used a few bags of the ground walnut shells that I buy at a local pet store, labeled as lizard and snake bedding. Works well for me.
|
|
|
|
|
This is a static archive the Twin Cities Carry forum, maintained as a public service by the current forum of record, The Minnesota Carry Forum.
All times are UTC - 6 hours
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 38 guests |
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum
|
|
|