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Shop fragrances

Jackfre

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Dec 26, 2010
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4,406
Location
N CA
Had a nice big new bottle of Hoppes No 9, gun cleaning solvent. That isn’t to be confused with Love Potion #9, but I remember liking the fragrance when I was a kid & my father used to clean the shotgun. Anyway, I had a large fresh bottle that has been in the cabinet for a few years. Took it out and dropped it on the workbench where it shattered and flew all over the place. Have to say that if your shop isn’t smelling to good, pour a bottle of Hoppes #9 on it. Pretty good!
 
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Meursault74

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Apr 1, 2019
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Southern California
I'm not familiar with product.

Adding to the discussion, whenever I use spray Tri-Flow, that smell always reminds me of bicycle shops and bike maintenance.
 

zmotorsports

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Oct 20, 2009
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Northern Utah
My last shop had a large volume of racing fuel burnt in it as well as sulfur based machining oil consumed on the lathe and mill. I LOVED the smell of my last shop and wish I could have bottled it and brought it to the new place. I doubt I'll ever have race fuel burnt in this shop but so far have been getting a nice machining smell going. Hell it took about a year for the fresh paint smell to dissipate.🤮
 

Lassen Forge

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Apr 26, 2014
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The romantic hills of central Umbria, Italy,
I have a bottle of Hoppes #9 from the early 1960's... it is more treasured than a 1920's bottle of Chanel...

There's also the scent that immediately brings me back to school... Kroil.

And the scent of progress... DDT has a certain scent that invokes safety...

If I only knew to save a gallon jar of 1950's gasoline... My granddad's and uncle's garages had the fine smell of "roasted" castor oil... if you know, you know.
 

consti2tion

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Nov 30, 2010
Messages
509
Location
East Texas
I have a bottle of Hoppes #9 from the early 1960's... it is more treasured than a 1920's bottle of Chanel...

There's also the scent that immediately brings me back to school... Kroil.

And the scent of progress... DDT has a certain scent that invokes safety...

If I only knew to save a gallon jar of 1950's gasoline... My granddad's and uncle's garages had the fine smell of "roasted" castor oil... if you know, you know.
Kroil is one of my favorite " parfum " my wife even likes the smell.

Currently my shop smells like stale fuel.
 

Lassen Forge

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Apr 26, 2014
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The romantic hills of central Umbria, Italy,
My Godmother was on the school board years ago and her "spiel" when she'd talk to potential investors or board members was "Do you remember the smell of elementary schools?"... she said it was the wax... but those of us initiates who know Kroil... know the secret elixer of education...
 

MoonRise

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Nov 5, 2010
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4,028
Location
NJ
Kroil.

WD40 smells ok too.

Hoppes #9. The 'old' formula smelled different (and 'better' IMNSHO) than the new. I think it was the nitro in it IIRC.

BreakFree CLP smells pretty good.

But NOT gear lube. Phew! :lol:

Partially burnt smokeless powder. Slight sweet smell to it. Unless that was the lead oxides that were what was giving the sweet smell. :lol:

A slight breeze on a summer day when a thunderstorm is about to roll in. And then the smell when the first raindrops land.

Fresh baking bread.

Chocolate chip cookies baking.

Hey, the kitchen is often right next to the garage where we're working, so the smells from one can get to the other. :D
 

Leaflessshadetree

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Aug 1, 2013
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Don't ask.
I drained a mixture of stale/stagnent water and gear lube from an outboard motor then spilled it. Took a while for the smell to go away.
As long as my garage doesn't smell like that I'm happy.
 

fsae0607

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Aug 15, 2011
Messages
2,290
Location
San Fernando Valley, CA
Kroil.

WD40 smells ok too.

Hoppes #9. The 'old' formula smelled different (and 'better' IMNSHO) than the new. I think it was the nitro in it IIRC.

BreakFree CLP smells pretty good.

But NOT gear lube. Phew! :lol:

Partially burnt smokeless powder. Slight sweet smell to it. Unless that was the lead oxides that were what was giving the sweet smell. :lol:

A slight breeze on a summer day when a thunderstorm is about to roll in. And then the smell when the first raindrops land.

Fresh baking bread.

Chocolate chip cookies baking.

Hey, the kitchen is often right next to the garage where we're working, so the smells from one can get to the other. :D

I've read we like that smell, because rain meant water to drink, back in prehistoric times when drinking water was hard to find.
 

Bogie1632

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Feb 18, 2018
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Location
Southeastern Wisconsin
I'm in the Hoppes and WD40 camp. That's what the garage usually smells like.

The opposite...as eluded to by MoonRise...gear oil. Specifically the friction modifier. We use to hide rags, more than one and each more cleverly hid, with just the modifier on them in the bosses office. It would reek for weeks until he found them all. A close second is burnt 90W with silicone brake oil mixed in. We used to have a USAF tug with wet brakes and the orings would fail, mix the fluids, and burn. First few brake jobs actually made me nauseous. Glad my garage doesn't linger with either of those smells.

V/R
Bogie
 
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BlakeTheCarGuy

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Oct 10, 2018
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Roanoke Virginia
For some reason I love the smell of PB Blaster. That and freshly washed shop towels fit the shop well. Freshly washed shop towels just have that special scent that smells amazing and makes you not want to use it. Knock’er Loose doesn’t smell too bad either. As long as it’s not gear oil I don’t mind the smell.
 

Glemon

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Aug 29, 2020
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Location
NE
Turn ons: musty old interiors on 60s European cars, diesel or gas (fresh)

Turn Offs: gear oil, gas (stale), antifreeze dripping on a hot exhaust manifold
 
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xjfish

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Feb 22, 2014
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For some reason I love the smell of PB Blaster. That and freshly washed shop towels fit the shop well. Freshly washed shop towels just have that special scent that smells amazing and makes you not want to use it. Knock’er Loose doesn’t smell too bad either. As long as it’s not gear oil I don’t mind the smell.
Pretty sure burnt Knock'er Loose smells like a charcoal BBQ! Hoppes #9 is a basement smell for me.

When my garage smells yucky i usually just open it up and air it out with a fan, perhaps some 2 stroke exhaust as a cover up...
 

consti2tion

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Nov 30, 2010
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509
Location
East Texas
Also fresh saw dust from cedar woods!

and I'll give another vote for gear oil being the worst smell, I despise of the smell of gear oil. It never fails that I get that **** in my hair rolling around on a creeper anytime it is being drained, I cannot wait to install a 2 post.
 

glentre

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May 21, 2016
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909
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Gloucester, Virginia
This is an interesting thread.....something I never thought about. It seems much of the attraction we have to our garages or work shops has to do with the smell. Never realized that.

glen
 

58Yeoman

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Oct 1, 2010
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8,999
Location
Central IL
Right now, mine smells like 91 octane, ethanol free gas exhaust fumes, as I had one of the antiques running for a while yesterday. I hate the smell and it sticks to my clothes. I used some SunnySide paint thinner the other day to clean some parts, and that stuff DOES NOT smell like the regular paint thinner used for cars. Whew! Stinks.
 

BlakeTheCarGuy

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Roanoke Virginia
Pretty sure burnt Knock'er Loose smells like a charcoal BBQ! Hoppes #9 is a basement smell for me.

When my garage smells yucky i usually just open it up and air it out with a fan, perhaps some 2 stroke exhaust as a cover up...
I’ve never heard or seen the Hoppes stuff everyone is talking about lol.
 

rlitman

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Oct 18, 2010
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24,582
Location
Long Island
My Godmother was on the school board years ago and her "spiel" when she'd talk to potential investors or board members was "Do you remember the smell of elementary schools?"... she said it was the wax... but those of us initiates who know Kroil... know the secret elixer of education...
No, the smell of schools was partly from the wax used on the asbestos floors, but more from the "odorless" kerosene used in the mimeograph machine, with a hint of chalk dust.
 

mv213

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Sep 29, 2014
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660
Location
Dallas, OR (the OTHER "Big D")
No, the smell of schools was partly from the wax used on the asbestos floors, but more from the "odorless" kerosene used in the mimeograph machine, with a hint of chalk dust.
I remember that mimeograph fluid….it felt oily and had “that” smell. So that was kerosene based? I can practically smell it just thinking about it.
 

Zrsnopro97

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Jul 26, 2017
Messages
471
Love the smell of VP110 leaded race fuel being burnt. As for the worst smell, can’t stand antifreeze, I’d rather be covered in gear oil than antifreeze I hate the sticky/slickness of it
 

The Tool Tyrant

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Dec 19, 2011
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Bonita, Ca. (San Diego)
'Old school' cleaning solvent and lacquer based paint.
My dad was a mechanic all his life. When I was in school, I used to go with him to work during summer vacations and I loved walking over to the body shop just to smell the fresh paint.

Funny how powerful the sense of smell is with regards to bringing back memories.
 

Stuart in MN

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Sep 8, 2005
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Minneapolis
No, the smell of schools was partly from the wax used on the asbestos floors, but more from the "odorless" kerosene used in the mimeograph machine, with a hint of chalk dust.
Along with a little bit of that awful absorbent sawdust stuff the janitors used to clean up after kids puked in class.
 

niget2002

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Oct 2, 2012
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11,123
Location
Josephine, TX
Used my laser to engrave a project made of maple before I got a vent. The smell of the maple cooking made me hungry.
 
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