Diesel, mineral spirits and marvel mystery oil?

dwd · Post by **dwd** » February 20th, 2008, 5:48 pm

I read on a forum yesterday about a guy that had his own recipe for a gun cleaning fluid. It was mostly diesel fuel and some mineral spirits and a little Marvel mystery oil with a few other additives. Now I can't find it anywhere. I was wanting to try it but since I can't remember everything that was in it I'm skeptical. Does anybody know where this recipe is or something like it?

protector · Post by **protector** » February 20th, 2008, 6:33 pm

Type in (Ed's Red) in a search engine-good stuff!!

fritzhund · Post by **fritzhund** » February 20th, 2008, 6:59 pm

Are you looking to clean Cosmoline off a gun such as a P-64 that has been in storage, or a gun cleaner for general use?

I use straight kerosene to remove Cosmoline and it works great.

I think that Cosmoline is kerosene/diesel based. Kerosene and diesel oil both melt Cosmoline away in no time.

I have done Mosins, SKS's, and P-64's with this "formula" and have had great luck. Try it on a grease soaked SKS once and you will know what I mean.

Be sure to oil well after cleaning.

fritzhund

volfandan · Post by **volfandan** » February 20th, 2008, 11:11 pm

Ed's Red is a 4 part mixture of Dexron II transmission fluid (which gives it the "red" color), K1 Kerosine (like camping stove Kerosine), Aliphatic Mineral Spirits, and Acetone.

gunneyrabbit · Post by **gunneyrabbit** » February 21st, 2008, 2:01 am

fritzhund, does the kerosene work as well on both metal and wood? I have an M44 that I want to go to work on and I've been told that the only way to get cosmoline off of the wood is to heat it in the oven and start rubbing. If the Kerosene works that well I'm on the job.
G.R.

dwd · Post by **dwd** » February 21st, 2008, 11:03 am

Actually I started searching for something to clean cosmoline. I bought a PA-63 that had cosmoline on it and I didn't know how to get it off. I ended up soaking it overnight in mineral spirits because that was what I had. I followed up the next morning with a toothbrush and blew it dry with compressed air. I thought it did an excellent job. But then I took it out and shot it and had a 5 ftl out of 14 rounds. On another post on this board they said to clean it and clean it again. That got me to thinking maybe I didn't get all the cosmoline off. so then I started searching for another cleaner. Couple days ago I ran across this recipe but I'm sure it wasn't "Ed's Red" because I remember it had Marvel Mystery oil. It also had something else and I wonder now if it wasn't acetone but I'm not sure. I thought it had some other things in it too. I wish I had printed it off, but I would have probably lost that too.

barnett3006 · Post by **barnett3006** » February 21st, 2008, 11:21 am

http://home.comcast.net/~dsmjd/tux/dsmj ... ds_red.htm

That is a link to Ed Harris's to an article on and the latest recipe for Ed's Red Bore Cleaner.

fritzhund · Post by **fritzhund** » February 21st, 2008, 1:59 pm

Hey gunneyrabbit,

The kero works great on metal but a good old baked gunstock is the best for getting the green menace out of the wood.

fritzhund

blinddog · Post by **blinddog** » February 21st, 2008, 3:24 pm

If you are in Florida around Mexico Beach, Port St. Joe or Panama city, Eds Red is a darn fine oyster sauce!!!!

tripper · Post by **tripper** » February 21st, 2008, 5:09 pm

dwd- I believe this is the recipe you are looking for. When you get to the site scroll all the way down to the bottom to Greg Samplawski's formula.

http://www.makarov.com/tech.html

dwd · Post by **dwd** » February 21st, 2008, 5:29 pm

That's the one tripper! Thanks a bunch. I knew you guys could help me out. No wonder I couldn't find it, I thought I had seen it on a message board.
Now, does anybody know what "Rislone oil" is?
I wonder what this red dye will do to the porous aluminum frame on my PA-63?

tripper · Post by **tripper** » February 21st, 2008, 6:29 pm

Now, does anybody know what "Rislone oil" is?
I wonder what this red dye will do to the porous aluminum frame on my PA-63?

Rislone is an engine oil additive that's supposed to reduce friction and keep the engine clean. You can get it at any auto parts store. As far as the red dye affecting your frame, make sure you read Samplawski's statement about his formula.

I used this formula on a couple of Makarovs that were in a fire. I soaked the pistols for two weeks, gave them a good brushing, soaked them again for another week and then good workout with 0000 steel wool. Here's what they looked like after the fire:

After treatment:

I'm sorry if the pictures are too big. Haven't had a chance to reduce them.

doyle · Post by **doyle** » February 21st, 2008, 11:47 pm

Nice work Tripper. For cosmoline on metal, I've always just used plain spray carb cleaner. Do it outside because it is wickedly toxic stuff, but it will clean cosmoline just fine. Just make sure you remove any rubber or plastic parts/grips. I use compressed air to blow it off after cleaning.

fritzhund · Post by **fritzhund** » February 22nd, 2008, 1:07 am

I meant slow baked, not char-broiled >:(

Is Russian design to make weapon to survive nuclear attack.

Built like Russian Bear. After Heat Wave Makarov survive.

Dude, what the hell happened to your house?

tripper · Post by **tripper** » February 22nd, 2008, 11:12 am

Dude, what the hell happened to your house?

This is what happened when a couple of idiots lit a Roman Candle too close to the building two days before the last Fourth of July.

The Unofficial P64 Resource Forum