Kerosene substitute in Ed’s Red

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Last Post 30 August 2025
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delmarskid posted this 28 August 2025

We have several bottles of charcoal starter fluid. I wondered if this would be a decent sub for k1 kerosene. Yes I am that frugal.

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Ed Harris posted this 28 August 2025

Charcoal lighter is mineral spirits. Just mix the ER without the K1 and it will work OK.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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delmarskid posted this 28 August 2025

Thank you

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RicinYakima posted this 29 August 2025

However, the K1 is the ingredient that gets under the ironed on carbon and lifts it up. That is why an overnight soaking with Ed's Red is so good on a new used rifle you have just got; getting down to the copper fouling.

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Lance Boyle posted this 29 August 2025

I bought a can of the allegedly deoderized K1 at the Home Despot store. It costs more but making a gallon of Ed’s lasts me how many years? and I am not stingy with it.

I like to leave bores lightly wet with it over the winter in the safe. When I patch them out to shoot in the Spring I always get a bit more fouling and or copper blue from the slow action soak.

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delmarskid posted this 29 August 2025

Do you add the acetone? I’m considering leaving it out as I won’t need to worry about plastic fouling.

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Lance Boyle posted this 29 August 2025

I did add the acetone.

It does work that shotgun wad fouling out. AA wads were never bad but the AA equivalents from Claybusters would put layers in the tube. Ed’s Red soaking about five minutes and a brush would take out long strings of plastic.

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delmarskid posted this 29 August 2025

I think I will go with the kerosene, thinner, dextron, and lanolin mix. Acetone makes me nervous. I used to wash my hands with it and I don’t want to push my luck.

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Lance Boyle posted this 29 August 2025

I don’t blame you. I keep a box of rubber gloves handy as some of that stuff is absorbed through skin. Acetone is also an inhalation hazard. well ventilated area is recommended if using it with the acetone.

I often forget. I admit I sometimes use gloves when using solvents but I am not good at perfecting that habit.

Edit. I did leave the lanolin out.

Edit 2.

Nothing wrong with splitting your batch and just making a small portion with acetone for when it’s wanted but use the without acetone version for general cleaning,

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Ed Harris posted this 29 August 2025

A 50-50 mineral spirit - ATF mix works pretty well and is easy. I use it as a CLP.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Glenn R. Latham posted this 29 August 2025

Ed, that 50-50 mix is what I've started using in my 22 RF match rifles. I use the Patch Worm (https://patchworm.com/) and pull a wet patch thru the bore every target or two (25-bull targets). If there's lead, it will show on the first patch. I leave the bore wet for extra lube for the next target. Very little POI change.

Glenn