What is Mineral Spirits in Australia?

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

I have come across recipes for "Ed's Red" sourced from the gun fraternity. These recipes are from the USA and feature "Mineral Spirits". Are Mineral Spirits available in Australia? Are they called "Mineral Spirits or are they known by some other name? If so what?

One recipe for Ed's Red is:

1 part lanolin
5 parts mineral spirits
1 part ATF (automatic transmission fluid)

I checked online and apparently Mineral Spirits is not "Mineral Turps ... Turpentine. So there went that idea of mine! It is not Metho either.

I am looking for a rust prevention coating that can be made at home to treat things like nuts and bolts after they have been cleaned. Living in Bundaberg once metal is cleaned it gets a coating of surface rust very rapidly - even if it is stored in the shed. Some parts will be in storage for months before they are reassembled.

Another concern is whether once Ed's Red is cleaned off does it leave a residual layer that may cause problems when the metal surface is painted?

What other "home-grown" rust prevention coats do you use? What is your recipe?

Kind regards
Lionel

[Tombie]

You sure?!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200202/70725ea2856eb2f6af93a4e6f2a5bcba.png

[p38arover]

I saw the same Wiki when I looked it up some years back but wondered if white spirit was more like lighter fluid. Coleman fuel, or dry cleaning fluid than mineral turps.

From that Wiki entry:


In Australia, white spirit is normally sold under the generic name of Shellite (a trademark of Shell Australia), and is composed of C6 to C10 straight alkanes, classing it as light pure naphtha. It is used for fuel and cleaning.

I bought a 20 litre drum of Vartex Cleaning Fluid (UN NO. 1271) years ago for my Coleman stove. I use it in my Zippo lighter, too. (I can't find the Vartex anywhere in a Google search.)

[trout1105]

Don't worry about some yank concoction just spray whatever you need rust prevented or to loosten up rusty gear with "Lanotec", Bloody amazing stuff and it is Aussie made as well[thumbsupbig]

[Bigbjorn]

We call it Shellite. Like Ron, I have a Coleman stove that uses it. Best piece of camping kit I ever bought.

[Lionelgee]

Hello Tombie,

I cannot find the site that I found previously which explains the difference between Mineral Spirits and Turpentine ... However, I found this thread where a number of people offer a similar description....

Lorraine writes .... Mineral spirits (often called petroleum spirit or white spirit) are mid-range boiling products distilled from petroleum. The exact composition may vary, but they are usually mixtures of aliphatic hydrocarbons. They can be sold as paint thinners by themselves. Paint thinners (especially very good ones) tend to be blends. They often contain both turpentines and mineral spirits. Turpentines are usually obtained by steam distillation from the wood of some species of pine trees. Accessed 2nd February 2020 from, difference between mineral spirits and turpentine and paint thinner? | Yahoo Answers (https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130426095100AA1JzOZ)

Found another link: How Mineral Spirits & Turpentine Are Completely Different (https://createlet.com/mineral-spirits-vs-turpentine/#Mineral_Spirits_vs_Turpentine_What_Are_They_Formu lated_From)

Kind regards
Lionel

[Lionelgee]

Don't worry about some yank concoction just spray whatever you need rust prevented or to loosten up rusty gear with "Lanotec", Bloody amazing stuff and it is Aussie made as well[thumbsupbig]

Hello Trout,

Thanks for pointing me towards Lanotec... It is the very type of product I was trying to find a home recipe for!

As a rust penetrate I use Woolube's Ozspray Heavy Duty Industry Extra Grade Liquid Lanolin.

Kind regards
Lionel

[trout1105]

Hello Trout,

Thanks for pointing me towards Lanotec... It is the very type of product I was trying to find a home recipe for!

As a rust penetrate I use Woolube's Ozspray Heavy Duty Industry Extra Grade Liquid Lanolin.

Kind regards
Lionel

I have used lanotec for years now on boats, outboard/inboard motors, 4WD's, motorbikes, tools and pretty much Anything else that needs to be protected from corrosion on not only steel But also aluminium brass and copper as well.
Unlike CRC, WD40 and others the lanotec doesn't wash off[thumbsupbig]

[JDNSW]

Lanotec is what you want, but confirming what others have said, Mineral Spirits = Shellite.

[Lionelgee]

I have used lanotec for years now on boats, outboard/inboard motors, 4WD's, motorbikes, tools and pretty much Anything else that needs to be protected from corrosion on not only steel But also aluminium brass and copper as well.
Unlike CRC, WD40 and others the lanotec doesn't wash off[thumbsupbig]


Hello Trout,

You are preaching to the converted regarding Lanolin - Woolube is also an Australian company - like Lanotec. I found a Lanotec product called "Steel Seal".

However, I was looking at home recipes that use Lanolin

Another recipe I found had anhydrous lanolin, beeswax, DOT3 brake fluid, and turpentine.

The brake fluid is a bit of a concern regarding leaving a residue that could effect the application of new paint.

Kind regards
Lionel

[Bulletman]

I would be very careful using Shellite in a confined space , even a garage. Many years ago an electrician was cleaning parts in a engine room and the battery charger kicked in and the explosion that it set off buckled a 8mm steel deck.

Luckily no one was seriously injured or killed , but the damage was extensive. Make sure you are well ventilated if using it.

bulletman.

[gromit]

Phosphoric acid will neutralise the rust and etch the surface. Should hold back the rust for some time.
Gives a good surface to paint over but nuts & bolts may get damaged as you tighten them, you really need new plated ones or paint after fitting.
I also find that if re-using nuts & bolts I have to run a tap through the nut and a die down the bolt (slow exercise) then treat them with phosphoric acid.

A lanolin type product would have to be removed with a solvent before painting as would the concoction you found online.

You can get phosphoric acid rust treatments from most auto shops & places like Bunnings. Probably cheaper still from a chemical supplier.
Bondall 1L Ranex Rustbuster Rust Converter | Bunnings Warehouse (https://www.bunnings.com.au/bondall-1l-ranex-rustbuster-rust-converter_p1560863)

Everything steel I strip & paint gets the phosphoric acid treatment. With small brackets etc. I don't undercoat just epoxy paint over the treated steel.

The concoction you found sounds more like a penetrating oil. I've seen it somewhere on a forum but it was ATF & acetone.
Home-made Penetrating Oil - Instructables (https://www.instructables.com/id/Home-made-penetrating-oil/)


Colin

[BradC]

Mineral turpentine resembles turpentine in name only. It's mostly light hydrocarbon with some slightly heavier "enes" (xylene, toluene, methyl benzene) in small quantities. A crapload easier and cheaper to produce than real turpentine and just as good for cleaning brushes (and a lot cheaper). Not as good for stuff that really wants turpentine though.

Another vote for Shellite. Love the stuff.

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

I started off today thinking about Cosmoline. There are still NOS World War Two vehicle parts that come wrapped in tar paper. Inside the wrapping the metal is coated in Cosmoline, with no rust present. Then I thought about lanolin. Some varieties of Ed's Red formula includes lanolin for protection during storage.

Colin, there was an article from a metal machinist forum that tested different types of rust penetrate, I think the link you found is based off the metal machinist thread. I just tracked down a forum posting that mentions the test. I tried to get to the original site however it is no longer freely accessible. The article I found that mentions the test i- accessed 2nd February 2020 from, Home made Penetrating Oil -

The Home Shop Machinist & Machinist's Workshop Magazine's BBS (https://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/forum/general/73257-home-made-penetrating-oil#post73257)


Recently “Machinist Workshop Magazine” did a test on penetrating oils. Using nuts and
bolts that they ‘scientifically rusted’ to a uniform degree by soaking in salt water, they then
tested the break-out torque required to loosen the nuts. They treated the nuts with a variety
of penetrants and measured the torque required to loosen them.

This is what they came up with:
Nothing: 516 lbs
WD-40: 238 lbs;
PB Blaster: 214 lbs;
Liquid Wrench: 127 lbs,
Kano Kroil: 106 lbs
(ATF)/Acetone mix (50/50): 50 lbs.

This last “shop brew” of 50% automatic transmission fluid and 50% acetone appears to beat
out the commercially prepared products costing far more.

I wonder whether the the ATF/Acetone mix could be further improved by adding lanolin into the formula?

Kind regards
Lionel

[gromit]

Another recipe I found had anhydrous lanolin, beeswax, DOT3 brake fluid, and turpentine.

The brake fluid is a bit of a concern regarding leaving a residue that could effect the application of new paint.


The lanolin & beeswax would also leave a residue.

Colin

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

The current weather is not conducive to working outside on Land Rovers.

I looked up Shellite on the internet. I found some links to be Shellite powered irons used for ironing clothes. Gee what could possibly go wrong!

Kind regards
Lionel

[JDNSW]

The whole idea of adding lanoline or beeswax to rust treatments is exactly to leave a residue. As Colin hints - do not use if painting. These products are most use if you are not or cannot paint it, for example if you are not planning to disassemble whatever it is.

John

[Bigbjorn]

Hello All,

The current weather is not conducive to working outside on Land Rovers.

I looked up Shellite on the internet. I found some links to be Shellite powered irons used for ironing clothes. Gee what could possibly go wrong!

Kind regards
Lionel

It is used in pressure lanterns, blow torches, soldering irons. Many Shellite heated appliances were used in the bush before mains electricity was widespread.

[Don 130]

If you want eventually to paint your items, coat them in Penetrol, then paint over it. The Flood Company Australia » Anti Corrosion Products » penetrol-anti_rust (http://www.floodaustralia.net/products/anti_corrosion/penetrol-anti_rust.php)
You can also add penetrol to the enamel paint to make the paint flow better and give a spray like finish from a brush.

If you just want to coat the items for rust prevention and then clean it off later, have a look at Shell Ensis fluid. http://roghanonline.com/Data-Sheet/Shell_Ensis_Fluid.pdf
We used to coat our plough shares with it after ploughing. A year later after a wash with turps, they would be just as shiny as the day it was put on. Shiny ploughs use less horsepower than rusty ones.
Don

[JDNSW]

Hello All,

The current weather is not conducive to working outside on Land Rovers.

I looked up Shellite on the internet. I found some links to be Shellite powered irons used for ironing clothes. Gee what could possibly go wrong!

Kind regards
Lionel

An aunt of mine had a shellite fuelled iron. Although my father regarded his sister's iron as a disaster waiting to happen, it never did. On the other hand, the same aunt, some years later, having changed to a mains iron, returned home after several days away with the family to find the house full of smoke, and the iron hanging by its cord through the hole it had burnt in the wooden ironing board, and glowing a dull red (this was before irons were temperature controlled - you switched them on and off to maintain correct temperature). Amazingly the house did not catch on fire.

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,'

Would a residual coating from lanolin or beeswax have a negative effect on the internal components of a gear box or an engine? For example, shafts, gears and bearings after the gear box or engine is reassembled?

Would the coating have to be removed during assembly to avoid contaminating the gear box or engine oil? Or would the residual be so minimal that it would not cause any harm to the oil?

Kind regards
Lionel

[JDNSW]

I can't see it having any detrimental effect at all in a gearbox. I would be a little cautious about it in any electrical equipment, and definitely do not use it on the internals of any fuel injection equipment. I can also see it causing issues with piston ring sealing if used on cylinder bores, and for similar concerns on the inside of any hydraulics (including auto boxes). In an engine, it could result in the formation of gums, so probably better not in the internals of an engine.

[Blackrex]

Hello All,'

Would a residual coating from lanolin or beeswax have a negative effect on the internal components of a gear box or an engine? For example, shafts, gears and bearings after the gear box or engine is reassembled?

Would the coating have to be removed during assembly to avoid contaminating the gear box or engine oil? Or would the residual be so minimal that it would not cause any harm to the oil?

Kind regards
Lionel

Put a combination of the gear oil and the lanolin/beeswax in a blender and see what the result is, you might come out with a quite interesting emulsion at the end.

I would thoroughly clean any residue like that off of the internal gearbox parts before assembling the gearbox again.

[mbarker]

Mineral spirits, is closest to mineral turps in oz/nz and white sirits in the uk. My favourite rust proof mix is equal parts of diesel and atf, both have creep qualities to get into everywhere. But some lanolin mixed in will give a heavy residue

Hello All,

I have come across recipes for "Ed's Red" sourced from the gun fraternity. These recipes are from the USA and feature "Mineral Spirits". Are Mineral Spirits available in Australia? Are they called "Mineral Spirits or are they known by some other name? If so what?

One recipe for Ed's Red is:

1 part lanolin
5 parts mineral spirits
1 part ATF (automatic transmission fluid)

I checked online and apparently Mineral Spirits is not "Mineral Turps ... Turpentine. So there went that idea of mine! It is not Metho either.

I am looking for a rust prevention coating that can be made at home to treat things like nuts and bolts after they have been cleaned. Living in Bundaberg once metal is cleaned it gets a coating of surface rust very rapidly - even if it is stored in the shed. Some parts will be in storage for months before they are reassembled.

Another concern is whether once Ed's Red is cleaned off does it leave a residual layer that may cause problems when the metal surface is painted?

What other "home-grown" rust prevention coats do you use? What is your recipe?

Kind regards
Lionel