Homemade Penetrating Oil
Updated: Jul. 05, 2019Can’t find the rust penetrant? Try this home brew for penetrating fluid.
How to make your own penetrating oil spray
Rust penetrant manufacturers are constantly working to improve their products. The latest formulations work better than previous brews. So if you’re still using a 10-year-old can of penetrant, you might want to upgrade to the latest formulas from Liquid Wrench or the Specialist Rust Release Penetrant from WD-40.
Penetrating oil spray ingredients
As great as those new products are, occasionally you can get by with a home brew—a 50/50 mixture of acetone and automatic transmission fluid. Pour it into a spray bottle and you’re good to go. It has a strong smell and is far more flammable than commercial products, so when creating your own penetrating oil spray, make sure you use it outdoors and away from flames. It doesn’t work as fast as the commercial products, but if you need rust penetrant in a hurry, it will work.
Required Materials for this Project
Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here’s a list.
- Acetone
- Automatic transmission fluid
