Home made penetrating oil?

I guess I need some help here. I thought I remembered hearing of some of you guys making your own penetrating oil out of a 50/50 acetone and automatic trans fluid. I tried it yesterday. I had a suspicion that the oil and solvent was separating, so I found a clean baby food jar, where I could see what was going on, and sure enough it is separating. So how are you guys making this?

It does separate, you need to shake well about every 2-3 minutes as you would a can of paint.

As long as it isn't brand new or waay past when it should have been changed you parts washer is full of real good penetrating oil (less perfume and fancy can).  Recently we changed over to a hot water/detergent wash cabinet so soon I wil be buying penetrant oils again, LOL.

Edited by Butch(OH) - 27 Dec 2011 at 10:41am

I mixed some Acetone, ATF, Rust Buster, Liquid Wrench and PB Blaster and Kroil from some cans of this stuff I had in the shop.

I put it in the plastic Rust Buster container with the long tube spout.
I then put that in a can if something in the mixture would affect the plastic.
Two years later the plastic container is in good shape.

That mixture works goods.

I had a threaded rod that was threaded into a thick piece of steel.
I put vise-grips on it and it would not move.
I put my mixture on it and went to town for coffee.
When I got back I put the vise-grips back on it and the weight of the vise-grips hanging on the rod started turning the rod.
It was free and came out by hand.

I tried putting lacquer thinner in the mix , that made them mix . I also tried 50/50 lacquer thinner and atf it also worked.

Thad in AR. wrote: I just got some very rusty C-clamps from a friend and I took them in the shop and washed them in my dirty parts washer (Mineral spirits and a splash of laquer thiner) The next night both were free. I think I'll start saving some when I change solvent.

Thad, That's funny that you mentioned cleaning parts and them freeing up. I worked as a heavy equipment mechanic for years and spent a lot of time at the cleaning table. Even after a change of cleaning fluid, regardless of which kind, it doesn't take long for oil to build up in the solvent and in turn creating a penetrating fluid. I've stopped up the drain hole on a cleaning table and left stuck parts soak over night and like you find them freed up the next day. As you suggest, save some off the top and you get a second use for it, unintentionally homemade penetrating fluid.

I'm a huge fan of Kroil. BUT Ken is right, heat can take apart anything... (especially if you have finally just had enough, and you press down on the oxygen lever! LOL)