The best frozen thread penetrant you never saw - maybe!

[Grahame Collins]

One of the left over jobbies from the school hols was replace the halogen stick globe on the light for the back yard which I did not do as it rained a lot. Easy peasy I thought until I got up there and found the once shiny goldy zinc coated dome head fastener seemingly frozen solid into the powder coated pot metal light frame casting.

The phillips head screwdriver started to cam out in the screw head. Rather than bugger it up completely with the phillips head, I elected to try out the Oil of Wintergreen - Methyl Salycitate. A couple of drops on the screw and I again attacked it with the phillips head . Nope! the s bloody crew driver would not shift it.

Plan B , the screw head was a combination slot & phillips head, so down the ladder I go and reground a straight slot screw driver to the slot width. Back up the ladder and fitted screwdriver to the slot and the screw backed out with minimal effort.
Was it he better fit on the driver or just the wait for the OOW to wick in?

More research required.

I have an old pair of s metal shears in the yard to resurrect so my next experiment will be on its frozen nutz

Sorry no aerial photos from the roof.Too busy trying not to fall off and not enough hands.


Grahame

[azzrock]

where did you get it Grahame?

[jhovel]

Aaron,
any chemist shop has it. Ask for "methyl sal" or "methysl salicilate" or "oil of Wintergreen". It's used for massaging sports injuries or warming up muscles before some sports. You'll recognise the smell instantly.
Joe

[rfurzer]

I have heard that a 50 : 50 mix of acetone and auto trans fluid was the best in a test.

Here is a cut and paste

"Machinist's Workshop magazine actually tested penetrants for break out torque on rusted nuts. Significant results! They are below, as forwarded by an ex-student and professional machinist, Bud Baker.




April 2007 "Machinist's Workshop" magazine comparison test.

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. Our local machinist group mixed up a batch and we all now
use it with equally good results.





Troy Oscar

Sr. Product Engineer

ROUSH

12011 Market St.

Livonia, MI 48150

e-mail: [email protected]

phone: (734) 779-7416

fax: (734) 779-7903

Cell: (734) 625-0490"

[azzrock]

very interesting.
thanks joe . i thought it was aspirin but its not lust sounds similar. ill have a look.

troy im going to try that. you address and phone no. don't look local are you from the
us? do they have the internet over there as well.
aaron

[Com_VC]

Next time you should try using an impact driver.

Sidchrome - Impact Driver Kit

[.RC.]

acetone and ATF does not seem to mix... At least when I tried it...

[azzrock]

Next time you should try using an impact driver.

Sidchrome - Impact Driver Kit

there are handy but might make a mess of a light fitting.

[Grahame Collins]

I have been using the mix for a few tool reclaimations. See plier pics below.
I am at the point where Iam so disappointed with allegedly quality brand name tools made you know where ,I'll chase up selected old tools at the recyclers and put in the effort to refurbish them and end up with a better tool.

RC I take your point about the acetone not mixing.The reading I have done indicated that it is a mix that is not miscible and one person wrote that it looks like salad oil ,ie not homogenised.

I ''ll get some more acetone and make up a new mix.
It may that the type of ATF is critical.

Heres a cut and paste of a formula.

1 part Dexron II, IIe or III ATF, GM Spec. D-20265 or later.
1 part Kerosene - deodorized, K1
1 part Aliphatic Mineral Spirits, Fed. Spec. TT-T-2981F, CAS
#64741-49-9, or may substitute "Stoddard Solvent", CAS #8052-41-3, or
equivalent, (aka "Varsol")
1 part Acetone, CAS #67-64-1.


I''ll try and get some acetone tomorrow evening at Bunnings as I have none left. I think its worth pursuing.

Cheers
Grahame

[Ropetangler]

acetone and ATF does not seem to mix... At least when I tried it...

I have read that too, and there was some chat on either HSM or PM about the fact that the original mix may have been from a very old batch of ATF, from around the 40s or 50s, after which the poster stated that ATF had been reformulated, and was no longer soluble in acetone. The poster went on to say that it was soluble in Trichlorethylene, but 'trike' is no longer so easy to come by, and in any case, has been linked to various health issues, such as cancer IIRC, so at the very least, great care and the use of the right protective equipment would be called for.
Rob.

[Hunch]

Has been around for donkey's years in the aviation game and amazed what it can do compared to other penetrant oils, MSDS indicates you could probably make it easy enough......

http://www.mousemilk.com/Mousemilk_Green_MSDS.pdf

There's a new formula too based on vegetable oils, probably prompted by everything in California being some sort of cancer risk and requiring hazmat precautions!

[jhovel]

I've been using Mousemilk as for years - and mentioned it in several threads. Never got any response.... It is by far the best prnrtrant and high temperature lubricant I know. Everyone riding old turbo motorcycles uses it to lubricate the turbo waste gate spindle which otherwise invariably 'freezes' from exhaust gas corrosion.
It is not easy to get because it can't be posted in Australia. I got my last lot from Aviol at Cairns airport....
Joe

[Hunch]

Use for turbos is a new one for me.

I'm just grateful close fitting countersunk screws that abound on inspection panels, somehow release effortlessly after an application, where otherwise you'd be turning out heads and cursing profusely. The mark-up locally, the only downside.

[Grahame Collins]

I've been using Mousemilk as for years - and mentioned it in several threads. Never got any response....

It is not easy to get because it can't be posted in Australia. I got my last lot from Aviol at Cairns airport....
Joe

The same happens when some of our US contributors tell us about Kroil or PB blaster or whatever.

If the majority have to go to any real effort to obtain ie import-whatever the product is - there won't be a lot of interest.Or does the $74 per liter put people off?

My bottle of 100ml Gold cross Methyl Salicitate came from a local pharmacy cost about $7 and worked for me.

Now that I have something works well for me some plik in Canberra will decide its too dangerous for us diy folk and will pull it off the market .

Now for an admission.! following comments and research on the the net where it was stated that acetone does not mix with modern ATF, yes its true.

I went rummaging for the bottle of old auto trans fluid and could not find it but found a half empty bottle of newish ( couple years old maybe?) power steering fluid and can confirm it mixes ok with acetone. Sorry to lead anyone up the garden path , but the acetone /power steering oil mix works for me.

I don't leave tools outside as they were getting rusty enough inside.I have a whole rack of snips pliers and lever tools inside the shed that do not rust now but once did before the application of the the potion snake oil, call it whatever you want to label it.

Cheers
Grahame

[jhovel]

By the way, Methyl Sal is brilliant at restoring flexibility of old hardened rubber components! E.g.in vintage bikes or cars...
I've used (on advice of professional vintage vehicel restorers) by soaking totally hard intake manifold boots in it overnight and then putting them wet into ziplock bags for a few more days, then cleaning them and letting them dry out for a day. The new flexibility is astounding! Once flexible again, I maintain that state spraying them once overy six monthscwith something called "Rubber Magic" on the bikes. I have a couple of spares I keep in ziplock bags and spray them with Rubber Magic once a year or so and lock them in again. Old rubber treated like that seems to stay in good condition for years after their use-by date.
This might be equally applicable to rubber chip guards, concertina guards and machine tool column boots - I haven't tried.
Cheers,
Joe