spot.ontheroad Posted February 12, 2017 Report Share Posted February 12, 2017 (edited) I have found an old tin of original Youngs 303 but the remaining contents are too thick to flow out. Does anyone know what I could "thin" it down with to make it usable? I.e. What is the 'base' oil of Youngs 303 that I could add to it to make it flow again. Any advice gratefully accepted. Cheers Edited February 12, 2017 by spot.ontheroad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red-dot Posted February 12, 2017 Report Share Posted February 12, 2017 Great stuff, try sitting tin in hot water? Mine is like treacle but still does the job. The smell is often commented on from guns 3 pegs away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted February 12, 2017 Report Share Posted February 12, 2017 Most oil will thin if the container is gently warmed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AULD YIN Posted February 12, 2017 Report Share Posted February 12, 2017 According to the writing on the tin its a combined cleaner and rust preventer and nitro solvent . instructions for its use are for cleaning gun and it can be mixed with water,so i assume its not oil ,used it for many years as a cleaner /preservative NEVER as a lubricant. johnnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted February 12, 2017 Report Share Posted February 12, 2017 (edited) Youngs 303 is an oil known as a miscible oil. it is the same type of water soluble oil that when mixed with water is used for cooling and lubrication in lathes, milling machines and cutting tools ect. it was used to make Aquoil which is 3:1 water /oil and used with a phosphor bronze brush to clean the inside of barrels. it can be used as a general lubricant neat and has been stated its a really nice smell. but it should only be mixed up with water in small amounts because it goes off and bacteria can grow in the stuff. PS. I always forget stuff. Apart from water I dont know what would make it more fluid. if you heat it, you will only make the stuff go more stiff. This stuff is a bit like oil used in artists paint and I believe that there is some sort of water based linseed oil that they use but by the time that you mess about experimenting you might as well go and buy a new tin of the stuff. never thought about a situation like this. experiment with small quantities this is on the wrong side of most oil solvents because of the water emulsion base. it isn't mineral oil base like most oils but more like castrol R or even mazola sunflower or rape seed oil. these are only random ideas. It does smell nice though. Edited February 13, 2017 by fortune Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainBeaky Posted February 13, 2017 Report Share Posted February 13, 2017 (edited) The original 303 had, IIRC, cresylic acid in it - the same base as creosote - hence the smell. This gives the product it's water solubility and cleaning ability. They changed the formulation sometime in the the 80's, for safety reasons - it was never as good after, and the smell want nearly as nice Edited February 13, 2017 by CaptainBeaky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted February 13, 2017 Report Share Posted February 13, 2017 Try white spirit to thin it down, I just binned mine when it gelled up in the tin. 009 went the same in a aerosol after a while and wouldn't work properly. Have not used either for years now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spot.ontheroad Posted February 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2017 Thanks for all the advice. If I'd have thought about it more - re: aqua-oil it makes perfect sense to try mixing with water - after all, thats what it used to say on the tins! Thanks again. I will give it a go. And that smell........😃 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted February 13, 2017 Report Share Posted February 13, 2017 Get your wife a tin to wear behind her ears for those special nights in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.