ATF

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  • Last Post 12 December 2012
nimrod posted this 27 November 2012

I just read the article by Ken Mollohan in the FOULING SHOT about all the great properties of ATF. I have known about a lot of them for a long time although I never have used it much around guns and especially molds. So I was getting ready to cast some bullets up and decided to try out some of Kens ideas.

Wow! The stuff does work very well. I had been using a product from NOE molds called Bull Plate for a sprue plate lube and it does work very well but you best not get any in the mold cavities. It takes a long time to get it out even if you get too much on the sprue plate it will leave bubbles in the top of the casting for several bullets. Not the ATF. After a bit this mold has one cavity that likes to hang up on the right side. So when I reached that point I got brave and placed a drop of ATF on a q-tip and rubbed a very small amount in the offending cavity. The first bullet just dropped out great but did not fill out completely. Very minor and a lot of people would probably not even notice. The next 50 or so were perfect looking at them, I haven't put them on a scale yet.

Has anyone else tried this stuff? I'll be exploring more uses for the ATF as time goes on.

Thanks Ken!

Richard

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RicinYakima posted this 27 November 2012

Since it is the long lasting part of “Ed's Red” bore cleaner, I have been using it for years. But with Ed's Red, you do not want to get any of the kerosene into your moulds! Takes forever to get it out. FWIW, Ric

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nimrod posted this 27 November 2012

Yep been there and done that. For a while I wiped my molds down with Ed's Red but too hard to clean out. That is why I was so surprised that plain old ATF worked so well on the sprue plate and cavity. I'll definetly will be expermenting with this some more. I have also noticed in the past that it is mentioned as a additive to bullet lube too but never tried that either.

Richard

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delmarskid1 posted this 27 November 2012

ATF makes a great parts cleaner. I've used it in my home made lubes when I feel that they are too stiff. I changed the fluid in my transmission and dumped the old stuff into the tank of my wife's school bus. She used to drive. It smoked like crazy and drove her nuts till it was gone.

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Jeff Michel posted this 27 November 2012

If I remember correctly. ATF was originally formulated to replace whale oil in early automatic transmissions. I've used it for years to lubricate everything from door hinges to firearms to clocks and watches. It doesn't seem to solidify or dry out like other types of oils.

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RicinYakima posted this 28 November 2012

That is affirmative! Hudson required Sperm Oil (Hudson brand) until 1954 in their wet clutch systems. Only after they were absorbed into American Motors did they OK ATF. Ric

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oscarflytyer posted this 28 November 2012

Used to mix 50/50 ATF and Kerosene and pour a qt down thru a carburetor. Smoke like crazy and you could hear the pieces of knocked loose carbon going thru the engine like marbles! But man, the thing would run a ton better after. And a lot cheaper than can carb cleaner!

I also use Ed's Red - and love it.

Another homemade is the 45/45/10 lube. Wonder how it would work adding the 10 of ATF instead of Mineral Spirits? Anybody try this yet?

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delmarskid1 posted this 29 November 2012

I had a 64 Tempest that leaked oil like a sieve. I poured in what I could find. Sometimes it was quarts of ATF or gear lube. When I got fed up enough to change the rocker cover gasket the insides were spotless. I drove the thing about 20 miles in low (it had a power-glide)with my foot to the floor using that soup just to see of she would let go. When I got home it ran better than when I started. Hudson sold it's rights to it's automatic transmission to Pontiac before 54. I know because I have a 54 Chieftan and had to find someone to fix the trans. He used a Hudson manual.  I'm thinking of making a lube using ATF and motor mica. It should mix up to a putty that will go through my lube sizer.

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RicinYakima posted this 29 November 2012

The rest of the story.

In 1951 Borg-Warner transmission factory had a major fire and was out of business. General Motors sold Hudson, and Studebaker, Hydro-Matic transmissions. Can you imagine that today, selling your products to a compeditor? That is why he used a Hudson Manual, same as GM from 1951 thru 1954.

The Hudson stardard transmission had a sealed pressure plate cover to the flywheel. Inside was the disc with just cork disc's about 1/2” in diameter on each side of the pressure plate. These were in a bath of Sperm Oil. Much smoother than the dry system eveyone else use.

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R. Dupraz posted this 29 November 2012

Interesting discussion on using ATF on bullet moulds as rust preventive and also for curing the sticking bullet problem.

                                                                                                                             I have been flying RC aircraft for quite a while now using both glow and gas engines. The fuel for the glow engines is a mixture of methol alcohol and nitro methane and leaves combustion byproducts in the crankcase that will turn into nitric acid when exposed to humidity or any moisture. This will rust the crank shaft bearings in short order. A common preventive is to fill the crankcase with ATF when the engine is stored or not run for a while.

Ever since I started shooting the BPCR, I have mixed my own lube using 50/50 olive oil and bee's wax with a dash of lanolin mixed in. But always wondered if substituting ATF for olive oil would work better in the high heat of summer. 

Is modern ATF petroleum based or no?

RD

 

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Sonny Edmonds posted this 12 December 2012

I found that just touching a candle to a misbehaving sprue screw has worked great for me. Just a tiny touch and the old sprue swings like a garden gate in a hurricane.

But I'll try and remember the ATF for a try. (As long as it isn't Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.) :( (Now BATF)

Oh, and as an aside... I found that coating my molds with candle wax (paraffin) when done and while still hot coats them and seals them from any moisture. While the pot heats up the mold rests on top pre-heating and the wax there is melts away into the lead. Works for me!

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