Kroil and their little known products

[Sarge 3,463]

To say Kano Labs makes some interesting products is sort of like saying NASA does some interesting work. Most folks that use Aero Kroil, Kroil or other products they make generally have no idea what else is available unless they are subscribed to their mailers. One of those mailers last year mentioned some additional accessories that I'd never heard of - especially the Kroiler and the pouring spout. Hmm, had to check into this, so I gave them a call. Nice, friendly lady that answered the phone was full of interesting and tantalizing details, so I ordered a few things, especially that unheard of pouring spout for their gallon size bulk cans. I've had that gallon can of their product for 2yrs now, never could pour any of it into a container or oiler without most of it covering the top of the can, the floor, the bench, and myself. The last thing I wanted to be contaminated with oil is my welding table, that was the first thing to get splashed with the stuff, so the can was put away and stayed there until I could figure it out. I tried 2 different suction guns, neither would work right with that super thin viscosity of the Kroil - so I gave up and forgot about it. 

 

Now, listen up - I know all too well about the methods used to pour from metal cans, I learned that one when I was about 5yrs old from my Dad with gasoline cans, ect. Even the nice gal at Kano mentioned the method to pour out of that type of container - "you must put the spout at the top to pour the product out" she adamantly pointed out.

"Yeah, tried that - it's all over the floor, my bench, me and everything else in the shop. The gallon can arrived almost dead full and this stuff is not in any way considered a cheap bulk purchase - I'd rather not waste any if you don't mind" was my reply. She laughed, said yes, in fact - doing this will spill some - use a funnel.

 

"I was using a funnel, the oil is designed to cling and migrate on metals, and it does that quite well - says right on the can 'the oil that creeps'. Well enough, it will drip off the rim of the can and create a mess that does not come off. I'm looking for a spout - have one?"

 

"Yes, we do - $XX dollars".

"Great, does it leak??"

 

"No, it is designed to seal and be left on the can for later."

 

"Awesome - can I order one, please?"

 

"Sure - you have an account here"

 

"Ok, what else do you have in terms of dispensers and containers?"

 

"We have a small metal can, the oiling can and several other things"

 

"Hmm, interesting"....

 

Well, that cost me about $72 after shipping, lol. One spout, two Kroilers, one small metal can, plus ship - I didn't care I spent more than what the bulk gallon price was on the product, I just wanted to be able to use it and not spread the stuff across half the planet.

 

So, after the phone call and the order placed - a few days later these items showed up via the brown truck.

 

 

First, the small tin can - they come empty, and you have to specifically ask for them. I believe you can also purchase them filled - it is intended to be like a 3 in 1 dripper can. Via the new non-leaking spout - I filled that can last night without spilling a drop - excellent!!! The little plastic spout has a threaded neck and the included cap is threaded - seals well after I made a gasket to seal off the top of the can - otherwise, it would leak. Still, not a big disappointment - that can has already proven quite useful with the .080" hole I drilled into the spout since it comes with a tip you must cut off yourself. Works like a small dropper, but bigger - like it very much.

 

The Kroiler oiling can with the spout. Just basically a run of the mill Goldenrod oiling can with a paper label poorly applied. Works quite well and will find out in time if the solvents want to evaporate off easily or not. Seals seem to hold very well compared to most of the Goldenrod pump cans I have had in the past - maybe it's a specially designed one? I do like that is has a threaded tip - there are different tips out there for the Goldenrod cans, btw...

 

Last, but definitely not least is that red spout. I have never found any spouts made to fit bulk gallon metal cans except for older gasoline cans - and we all know too well how much those things leak. The Kano Kroil metal gallon sized can is a 1-3/4" coarse threaded neck - searched high and low for a solution and all this time Kano has one of their own. Felt like an idiot the first time I screwed it on the can, capped it off with the included sealing cap and promptly flipped the can upside down to see if it was going to leak everywhere. It does not - in fact, I propped it up on a block in an oil drain pan and left it upside down for 3 days - not one sign of a leak anywhere. That sealing cap fits very tightly - so tight, it's a bugger to get it off but I'd rather have that than lose the solvents or have a spill. I think the spout was around $20, well worth the cost in my opinion.

 

These items and more are available but you have to call them directly. They are not advertised anywhere nor are the really well known by most that use Kano's products. Glad I took the time to call them, I use their products a lot around here for all the rusty things I work on living in the Rust Belt. In thinking about it - I should have gotten one or two more of the little metal cans - they seal well with the gasket I made and would be a great way to store the common "Ed's Red" recipe penetrant versus a glass mushroom jar that I currently use. Not sure, maybe the acetone would still leak past the seal - it will slowly evaporate through the metal lid on the glass jar as it is now.

 

BTW - has anyone ever found a spout to fit the metal gallon cans of Acetone?? I use a lot of it here, most of it evaporates over time due to the seal on the can wearing down. The smaller quart cans have gone to a stupid plastic snap-on lid that eventually starts to leak as well. With TIG welding - cleanliness is everything and I use the acetone to wipe things down prior to welding them, including the filler rods. If I could find a dispenser that can hold that stuff without melting or allowing it to evaporate - I'd be quite the happy old bugger. I might even smile, for once.

 

Sarge

 

[Lane Ranger 10,992]

Sarge:   You have to be very careful with Kriol.   Skin exposure and or any rubbing on skin can cause severe irritation and damage.   I have used before and it does a good job but not user friendly in my opinion.

 

This funnel/spout story reminds my of a breakfast I had at a Bob Evans' restaurant on the northside of Columbus, Ohio about ten years ago or more.

 

The guy next to me at the counter started a conversation while we we eating breakfast.   Somehow we got to discussing what he did for a living and he was retired but had recently sold a product to Wal-Mart.

 

He was making a set of four or five funnels to Wal-Mart as a packaged item.     And after I went to Wal-Mart one day later on I saw his funnels in three or four places in Wal-Mart displayed on racks in the autoparts and hardware section.

 

He had a very niche market for good funnels !

 

 

[Rob R 966]

Love the stuff (Kroil oil), you need to handle with care..... if your out mix equal parts of tranny fluid and acetone..... and it will do the job for you until you restock.

[JoeM 7,874]

Creeps to a millionth of a inch, how they keep it in the can?

All kidding aside, I have used it for many years works good but pricey.

[Sarge 3,463]

The issue with all solvents is keeping those ingredients from evaporating - hence the reason the cans are metal crimped containers and really well-sealing lids. I'm sure the lids are located to prevent shipping damage/leaks but if they would at least locate them close to a corner it would sure help. Acetone is one of the worst - nearly impossible to get a decent quantity out of those cans without losing a lot of it. Even worse, skin exposure to acetone is a no-no, so that said it is pretty lame you can hardly pour the stuff out without wearing it. I've tried using injectors made for prepping meat to extract some and transfer it to another container for a day's work, but the stuff eats either the body of the injector or the seals quickly. What I want is a lab bottle with a spout and a cap that doesn't leak nor let it evaporate - that doesn't seem to exist.

 

I've used Ed's Red for a very long time - discovered the recipe from an armory tech years ago. Again, the only issue with storing it is the loss of the solvents and a proper container. I keep plenty of chemical gloves around here for working with the stuff and have had full HAZMAT training for work - I was at one time a trained/certified Hazardous Waste Worker. Working in that industry as well as Nuclear will get you a lot of education in a hurry - have worked in some truly bizarre places during my career. 

 

Out of all of Kano's products I've used, SiliKroil is by far the most useful to me with what I do around here. Seems to penetrate better and prevent rust galling on fasteners, as well as break rusted/frozen parts away from each other. When the gallon of Kroil is gone, I'll replace it with a gallon of SiliKroil on the next round. For the price of chemicals from Kano - one point to keep in mind about the cost is how little it takes to make it do the job, the stuff goes a long, long way. Long enough, in fact, that their spray cans are famous for losing their pressure charge - which, if you're careful, can be fixed. If you want to save on the cost and don't use a lot - there is almost always a special pricing deal on their website for 2 king size cans for around $20.

 

Sarge

[ohiofarmer 3,276]

https://www.ferguson.com/product/motors-armatures-zoom-spout-4-oz-zoom-spout-oiler-mar93240/_/R-504027

 

I would think that this little oiler for less than three dollars might work ok and not let the solvent evaporate. The trouble with aerosol Kroil is that the cans it comes in seem to lose their pressure before the can is empty.  There is an extending tube inside the outer spout that reaches out there about 5 inches, making it a very precise way to put a drop or two where you want it.

 

  I had a can lose pressure and called Kano--they replaced it at no charge. Super nice people

[ohiofarmer 3,276]

   Hard core Kroil people need not listen to this, but i have found that Deep Creep made by Seafoam works about the same for less money. I had some motorcyle fasteners that went through a housing and then threaded into the block a couple of inches away. Steel into aluminum forty years and counting, The risk of twisting them off or buggering the Phillips [actually JIS] head was high.  Put the Kroil or Deep creep on them once a day and hit lightly with an electric impact gun.  Most came right out two days later, but the really long one came right out in four days. Patience pays off

Edited February 8, 2019 by ohiofarmer

[Sarge 3,463]

Sea Foam's Deep Creep is good stuff, but for some reason, most auto places and other outlets around here just don't stock it. I do like that product and try to keep a can around for that exact purpose - soaking dissimilar metal joints. For that application, it does seem to work better than Kroil. I mostly use Kroil for really stubborn items or cutting tools if I'm not already using TD Foamy for cutting. The fact I can buy it bulk sure helps in the cost of the product, never have looked to see if Deep Creep is available by the gallon. 

 

Odd to find someone that knows about JIS fasteners - glad to see that. Have you ever owned or seen the KTC line of premium wood-handled drivers from Japan?

 

Sarge

[pfrederi 17,910]

I have used Kroil for several years.  it works... sometimes, also tried PB Blaster (smells terrible) but it works ..sometimes.  Also bought some BG In-Force.. it also works...sometimes.  Have tried  ATF/acetone works sometimes,  and even candle wax... hardly ever works and when it fails it sort of seals the gaps making it hard to use other stuff.

 

 Bought a Kroil pump oiler a few years ago.  worked for a few years then started leaking badly.

 

All too often wind up using this Ridgid #25....

 

Edited February 8, 2019 by pfrederi

[Sarge 3,463]

The is only one guaranteed way to get things apart the first time and every time, regardless of the level of corrosion - oxy/acetylene torch. One problem with using paraffin wax is the magic point to heat the part - too hot and the stuff just evaporates/burns off, too cold - it won't penetrate the joint. If you get it right, almost always works perfectly. I had to learn the heating point from a machinist - one of his highest skills was extracting broken studs and such out of engines - he never failed once to get one out with paraffin and heat, even on aluminum heads. If paraffin fails - heat it to a higher point and just burn it off if necessary and at that point you've burned most of the rust out as well - so much, that almost any penetrant becomes a lot more effective.

 

I don't honestly believe there is any one magic bullet junk in a can that will always work as expected. It is always a matter of the right circumstances that works for each individual and each product - and you have to keep that in mind. What works for one person never seems to work for someone else. Around here, for what I work on - Kroil is what I use the most followed by paraffin. There are times I can easily see that Deep Creep is better - mostly on stuck bushings/rubber parts that are siezed and must be kept intact and heat is not an option. Around this area there are a lot of people that bring their frozen problems to either myself or the welding shop next door - between the two of us it will always come apart and even be repaired if necessary. The shop owner has 10yrs of age and experience on me - but I've worked on more really oddball parts than he has due to my regular job. So there are times we swap small job work just to get it solved and be done with it. One area I've had a lot more time dealing with frozen parts has been on my Japanese trucks over the years - those will teach you the right and wrong way to get something apart in a hurry in the Rust Belt.

 

Nice old set of pilot extractors - those aren't easy to find. I rarely use any and prefer to drill a hole into a frozen fastener, thread it the opposite direction (left hand, most cases) and use that to remove a broken item or just weld a bolt shank/head onto a broken stud. I own a pretty crazy amount of taps, dies, extractors and seriously expensive carbide drills - all those things have more than paid for themselves by solving other people's problems. Never intended to make a side business, but it has helped to fund tools for me over the years - to the point I just about have no room left to store them all, lol.

 

Sarge

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,319]

Grandpa used Kroil at the farm for years, I can remember as a kid seeing those familiar orange spray cans all around the shop, in the garage at his house, and at least one in every pickup and tractor he had. He has since switched to SeaFoam Deep Creep, probably due to the cheaper price and it being readily available at the farm stores around here. Both products work well. 

 

The best penetrating oil I have ever found is H&B Industries HB-33 NutBuster, had a friend here locally who was a dealer for them, and I used to buy it and several other products from him. Larry passed away a few years back, and I haven't been able to find another dealer since, I'm not even sure if the stuff is even still available or not. The next best thing I've found is Castle Thrust, I buy it at our local parts store, it's pricey but it works