Penetrating Oil and Its Worth

[Olden Days]

Once I discovered Kroil that is all I use. A few years back I was called to do a job at a co-gen plant that had been mothballed and now being brought back on line. When I saw the Mill wrights that were pulling apart the turbines had 55 gallon drums of Kroil on hand I knew I had the right stuff.

[GOPAPA]

Originally Posted by GOPAPA

Machinist's Workshop magazine actually tested penetrants for break
out torque on rusted nuts. Significant results! 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

None ..................... 516 pounds

WD-40 .................. 238 pounds

PB Blaster ..............214 pounds

Liquid Wrench ...... 127 pounds

Kano Kroil ............ 106 pounds

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. A local machinist group mixed up a batch and 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.

Anyone have any personal experience backing up these claims?

Another forum answered me with this remedy::: the guys ask me if I ever heard of Ed's Red

Ed's Red is a homebrew bore cleaner from equal part: mineral spirits, aft, acetone, and kerosene.

I now wonder if Moon Shine might work ..interesting to say the least.

[srr]

I used to use WD-40. I switched to PB blaster and buy it by the gallon. Even though it doesn't say this on the can, I use it for drilling, tapping and to cool my sawzall blade if doing multiple cuts. Works great and you don't need a lot.

[pat 70/71]

I have tried all the commercially available penetrating oils. and for my money PBblaster is the shizzz! try it and you will see. If you have an old car/truck you need it. cheers, Pat

[ERASER5]

I love Kroil. I use it in my shop and on my guns, I fact the last can I bought was from Brownels.

I found that PB Blaster will get sticky after awhile. It happens when you spray down rusty bolts several weeks before you work on the project. I still use blaster for some stuff, but I prefer Kroil.

WD40 is used only a starter fluid for my diesel and anti-rust for shovels, axes and what not.

[Vintage Windmills]

Originally Posted by 63 & 64 Bowties

I wondered about that also. I know that acetone will melt plastic in a heartbeat. So, using an old spray bottle is out of the question. Only problem with the old metal cans is that you can't spray uphill.

All plastics are not equal. Just find a polyethylene or polypropylene bottle. They are very common and marked PE or PP on the bottom. Will hold up to acetone/laq thinner/xylene.

[gsxrdoug]

I knew I liked liquid wrench for a reason.