Do You Have To Heat Up The Gun To Apply Froglube Effectively

First off, I have used a wide range of gun cleaning products over the past 30 + years that I have been shooting.

Many work great, some not so much.

One thing I have found that I do not like about the majority of the cleaning products out there is that they are all petroleum based and contain toxic, hazardous and highly flammable components.

As a trained chemist and lab tech, I know safety is paramount but unfortunately I find it very difficult to work on cleaning my firearms when I have to wear gloves. It is very difficult for me to find ones that fit properly since I have small hands that fall between Small and Medium sized products.

Also the need for ventilation to extract fumes and vapors was another issue I did not want to deal with, especially during the winter months when I am unable to have windows open due to the cold wet weather here in the Pacific Northwest.

Outside of my personal comfort, the cold poses another problem with most cleaning products in that it either reduces their effectiveness or slows down their reaction times with contaminants such as carbon buildup and old lubricants (especially when they become glazed).

For obvious reasons, the application of heat is extremely tricky with many of these products since they have low flash points (which are not disclosed or published on the packaging).

The last problem is disposal.

Because I am very environmentally conscious, I want to avoid using products that should be handled and disposed of like toxic waste (which most are) to avoid further contamination of our local environment.

After researching various products I chose to go with FrogLube over M-Pro which I had used briefly in the past.

So after reading the instructions from FrogLube and much experimentation, I have found a way that allows this product to work to its best potential and use the following items from them:

FrogLube Solvent
FrogLube CLP (Liquid)
FrogLube CLP (Paste)

**PLEASE NOTE THAT READERS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION IF THEY CHOOSE TO USE MY TECHNIQUE AND THAT I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE OR INJURY CAUSED BY THESE PROCEDURES – THIS IS A METHOD OF USE THAT I HAVE WILLING CHOSE TO USE PERSONALLY**

The steps are as follow (for new parts):

Liberally coat new parts using the solvent and then place them in a disposable aluminum baking pan or sheet (will switch to non-disposable aluminum or stainless steel shortly). The solvent is very thin like water, so a generous application is helpful.
Place in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes on a Warm setting (180 degrees or less), watch for signs of smoking to avoid any possibly combustion of any petroleum based oils or grease coating the pieces. If signs of smoking occur, remove the parts, reduce the heat and then place them back in the oven
After the allotted time, I remove the tray and allow the parts to cool until they can be handled safely. Additional solvent is sprayed on while the parts are still warm to make sure any remaining oils or grease have been treated. You should see brown fluids run out or off your pieces very quickly.
I then clean the parts using paper towel (Bounty or other thick paper is recommended) to wipe off as much of the solvent and dissolved oils and greases from the part as possible.
Next, I raise the temperature of the oven up to 200 degrees, liberally coat the parts with the CLP spray making sure to wipe and spread it onto all surfaces evenly.
The parts are then placed back in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until I see signs of discoloration in the CLP that is running off the parts as well as when the metal surfaces appear to be sweating.
Remove the parts and allow to cool until safe to handle at which time I wipe them down again and inspect for any remaining oils or grease. Surfaces that have phosphate, nitride or other coatings should be buffed until they no longer appear to be "wet" yet feel as though they have a slight slippery finish to the touch. IMPORTANT NOTE: if you have parts that are coated with self lubricating coatings such as NiB (Nickel Boron such as Fail Zero's EXO Technology), handle them very carefully because they will be extremely SLIPPERY AND HARD TO HOLD, especially BCG's.
At this point, your parts should be clean, lubricated and ready for reassembly.

As you will note, I have not mentioned using the CLP paste.

I am reserving the paste for application on parts that require grease or heavy lubrication since this product is much like butter at room temperatures making it difficult to apply and work with.

So far I have found that in the course of using my AR's that as they warm up, they begin to show signs of become wet as the CLP heats up and begins to seep from the metal surfaces.

I like this feature about FrogLube because it does not attract or retain dirt, sand or other grit unlike oils and grease (including other CLP's), basically if applied properly, it acts like a dry film lubricant until it is heated.

So far I am finding that cleaning up parts after shooting is very quick and easy, I usually just wipe the parts, spray more CLP and bake them again (usually 10 or 15 min).

I have not found any problems with using CLP on plastics or polymers so far, but these are the only parts I do not bake. If heat is required I use a blow dryer, but so part I have been able to spray and wipe.

In using FrogLube, I have noticed the following things in regards to using it on my AR's (which are all DI at this time):

FL does not "cook off" easily or glaze even after heavy shooting sessions where parts heat up
Carbon buildup (especially on bolts) still sticks, but rather than scraping, using a generous application of CLP and some heat allows it to come off much easier
If applied excessively, the CLP can begin to ooze or run from parts as the gun heats up which is why it should be used sparingly around trigger parts
Gloves are no longer necessary, washes off easily with warm water and dish soap
No noxious fumes or odors, just has a minty smell which is also noticeable when your gun heat up during use

In the near future, I plan to test FrogLube using an ultrasonic cleaner to see how the solvent and CLP work. My hope is that by having the parts immersed in either product with the application of heat and the vibrations created from the cleaning unit that disassembly of some new parts will no longer be necessary and that cleaning times will be reduced.

Because I plan to purchase a unit that is large enough to fit an AR barrel and upper receiver into, I would also like to see if this combination will eliminate or reduce the need to scrub the inside of my barrels.

Yes, when it comes to doing certain things I can be lazy, but since I am trying to do so many things at the same time that anything that can help me to clean my guns faster with less work is always appreciated.

So look for my testing of this down the road, hope to purchase an ultrasonic cleaner in the coming weeks.

Dirty BCG parts after being soaked & baked in FrogLube CLP