A use for old engine oil ???

dnme

Just serviced my car. Rather than taking the old oil to my recycling centre, I got to thinking.....

I have a trailer made from hollow steel beam. I went about waxoyl'ing it before but nearly stopped breathing when I discovered the price of waxoyl. So I'm wondering could I mix something in with the old engine oil to thicken it to ...perhaps a paste consistency then then pour / inject / brush that into the beam cavities?

What to mix with it though? I'd be weary of using anything organic such as flour.

dougie-lampkin

I've had success with mixing used engine oil with bitumastic paint. It's a fair bit cheaper than waxoyl to start with, and if you mix enough engine oil in, it'll be liquid enough to get into hard to reach places.

Failing that, if you can get a hold of an air compressor and spray gun, body schutz is the job Not much use for your engine oil though...

dnme

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

I've had success with mixing used engine oil with bitumastic paint. It's a fair bit cheaper than waxoyl to start with, and if you mix enough engine oil in, it'll be liquid enough to get into hard to reach places.

Failing that, if you can get a hold of an air compressor and spray gun, body schutz is the job Not much use for your engine oil though...

Bitumen paint wont thicken it much though. I'd like to thicken it. What with?

Stinicker

Back in the day my father would mix used motor oil with sawdust and turf-dust and burn it in the range, it was also used to treat rust. Far better than pouring it down the drain in either case.

colm_mcm

You can use it on fences too

Pique

did you know...

dnme

Pique wrote: »

did you know...

I'd like to see some solid info on this. Never heard of it before. I thought pouring oil onto the ground was a no no.

Aka Ishur

Pique wrote: »

did you know...

I saw fight club too....;)

jsd1004

Can you filter it and pour it in to your home oil heating tank at say a ratio of 100 to 1?

dnme

jsd1004 wrote: »

Can you filter it and pour it in to your home oil heating tank at say a ratio of 100 to 1?

really, is this safe?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

dnme wrote: »

I'd like to see some solid info on this. Never heard of it before. I thought pouring oil onto the ground was a no no.

True. It's illegal.

jsd1004

dnme wrote: »

really, is this safe?

Cant see why not. A lot of internal combustion engines burn oil with little effect. I used to have a car that burned more oil than petrol :-). IC engines are a lot more complicated than a diesel burner

Dilbert75

If you want paint, buy paint. If you want to recycle oil, recycle oil.

Paint is meant to stick to stuff - oil is meant to stop stuff sticking together. Last thing you want is ground water contamination that forces you and your neighbours to live off bottled water for years.

RandomAccess

jsd1004 wrote: »

Cant see why not. A lot of internal combustion engines burn oil with little effect. I used to have a car that burned more oil than petrol :-). IC engines are a lot more complicated than a diesel burner

God that is some really awful advice.
For one thing, when your car was burning oil it was probably coming into the cylinder via worn piston rings. It was definitely not coming through the fuel injection assembly.

If you added engine oil to a home heating oil tank you could clog the fuel filter or damage the nozzle.

All about burner nozzles (pdf) - they are tuned to expect a particular grade of fuel oil, so don't throw engine oil into the mix!

brendansmith

dnme wrote: »

I'd like to see some solid info on this. Never heard of it before. I thought pouring oil onto the ground was a no no.

HA!

msg11

Don't pour it down the drain either ! Dosen't anyone care about the environment any more.

As for uses, you could use it for oiling stuff, bike chains, hinges etc..

Too be honest, just throw it out.

johnos1984

We used to paint the old farm machinery with it every year to keep rust at bay.

Worked a treat. We also used it as a wood preserver for stakes on the farm and it worked well on the bits buried under the ground

dnme

There's a lot of crap being spoken here. I'd never just throw it out, or pour it on the ground. I already have a use for it....I want to pour it in a thickened state, into the cavities of my steel beam trailer.

The question was...AND IS! . . .What to use to thicken it?

headmaster

Another thing we used it for years ago, was painting it onto ringworm on calves. It worked and no reactions.

Whatever you do guys, do not just dispose of used oil, especially if it's going to get into the ground, or watercourse. If it's ever traced back to you, you're in really serious trouble, with a massive fine and the clean up bill, plus an EPS survey of the surrounding ground area. I am not joking, please believe me.

RandomAccess

People used to brush it on horses hooves to toughen them up.
But that is probably not common anymore.

Engine oil can be recycled, Civic Amenity sites will take it but I believe there is a charge, the answer is just a phone call/email away.
Personally I think it should be accepted for free at civic amenity sites as it is quite nasty stuff and a known carcinogenic.

Valvoline recycled engine oil

johnos1984

headmaster wrote: »

Another thing we used it for years ago, was painting it onto ringworm on calves. It worked and no reactions.

As did we.

We mixed it with bluestone and butter to make a paste......OP that may be what your looking for.

jsd1004

RandomAccess wrote: »

God that is some really awful advice.
For one thing, when your car was burning oil it was probably coming into the cylinder via worn piston rings. It was definitely not coming through the fuel injection assembly.

If you added engine oil to a home heating oil tank you could clog the fuel filter or damage the nozzle.

All about burner nozzles (pdf) - they are tuned to expect a particular grade of fuel oil, so don't throw engine oil into the mix!

There was a Q mark...I like the opinion of experts.Not an expert but is diesel not an oil that is injected? I said a ratio of 100-1. Used engine oil and diesel are both oils. I somehow doubt a 1% dilution would even be noticed. I would imagine adding cooking oil (used or new)would not have an adverse effect either..Could you back up your facts with when a 1% dilution with an other oil would clog a fuel filter or damage an injector. I will quote

2. Metering A nozzle is so designed and dimensioned that it
will deliver a fixed amount of atomized fuel to the
combustion chamber…within approximately plus or minus
5% of rated capacity

corktina

isnt it5 supposed to be a carcenagen?

Outkast_IRE

jsd1004 wrote: »

There was a Q mark...I like the opinion of experts.Not an expert but is diesel not an oil that is injected? I said a ratio of 100-1. Used engine oil and diesel are both oils. I somehow doubt a 1% dilution would even be noticed. I would imagine adding cooking oil (used or new)would not have an adverse effect either..Could you back up your facts with when a 1% dilution with an other oil would clog a fuel filter or damage an injector. I will quote

2. Metering A nozzle is so designed and dimensioned that it
will deliver a fixed amount of atomized fuel to the
combustion chamber…within approximately plus or minus
5% of rated capacity

wouldnt the two oils just seperate in the tank , as in the lighter one will float or whatever then it wont be a mix?

Stinicker

headmaster wrote: »

Another thing we used it for years ago, was painting it onto ringworm on calves. It worked and no reactions

When I was younger we had a terrier dog who used to suffer terribly from various skin irritations and a homemade remedy was to paint the effected area with a mixture of burnt oil and sulphur (available from the chemist) another remedy was Benzen Benzoate for scabies in humans. Eventually the vet diagnosed her with Demodectic Meange which she caught from other dogs but there was nothing that could be done really. The poor little dog lived away and died aged 15 human years. I hadn't thought of that now for years until you mentioned painting calves. I miss my little dog now

_Conrad_

dnme wrote: »

There's a lot of crap being spoken here. I'd never just throw it out, or pour it on the ground. I already have a use for it....I want to pour it in a thickened state, into the cavities of my steel beam trailer.

The question was...AND IS! . . .What to use to thicken it?

There's not been much by way of suitable answers because to be honest it's a pretty stupid and awkward idea. As has already been said, motor oil is designed not to be thick or sticky, and to remain an effective lubricant under conditions of intense heat and friction. You could expend a lot of thought, time and effort trying to somehoe thicken this waste oil and using it for a purpose to which it's not suited and still end up with a result that's not even half arsed more like quarter arsed.


The best thing that's been said so far is the bit about "painting" it on regularly as often used to be done with old machinery/ metal gates etc

dnme

_Conrad_ wrote: »

There's not been much by way of suitable answers because to be honest it's a pretty stupid and awkward idea.

As has already been said, motor oil is designed not to be thick or sticky, and to remain an effective lubricant under conditions of intense heat and friction. You could expend a lot of thought, time and effort trying to somehoe thicken this waste oil and using it for a purpose to which it's not suited and still end up with a result that's not even half arsed more like quarter arsed.

Oil is designed to lubricate, protect and cling to metal. I wish to use it for the latter two, and simply thicken it a bit so that it clings better to the steel. I also like the idea of recycling and reuse. That's all! Simple as! But thank you for your kindness and consideration.

_Conrad_

dnme wrote: »

Oil is designed to lubricate, protect and cling to metal. I wish to use it for the latter two, and simply thicken it a bit so that it clings better to the steel. I also like the idea of recycling and reuse. That's all! Simple as! But thank you for your kindness and consideration.

Of course it protects metal, and stays on the surface of it, but it still has to be thin and light enough not to cause too much resistance or fail to circulate around the engine.

Consideration?.... well i considered your idea and though it was a pretty bad and impractical one. Wanting to recycle/re-use old motor oil is fine, no problem with that, but trying to make it into waxoil is a waste of time.


If you want to re-use to why not either get a waste oil burner, or adapt an old generator/stationary engine/water pump or similar to run on it?
Or do as others suggested, use to to paint posts, protect the surface of rusty old machines or something.


as for kindness.... there was no unkindness in my post. Sure i wasn't sugary sweet and full of joyful enthusiasm and indicated that i thought it was a stupid idea but you must find it very tough dealing with people if you take someone knocking your idea as being deliberately unkind, that's a bit extreme

brendansmith

dnme wrote: »

The question was...AND IS! . . .What to use to thicken it?

Mix it with vasoline and sugar.

dnme

_Conrad_ wrote: »

Of course it protects metal, and stays on the surface of it, but it still has to be thin and light enough not to cause too much resistance or fail to circulate around the engine.

Consideration?.... well i considered your idea and though it was a pretty bad and impractical one. Wanting to recycle/re-use old motor oil is fine, no problem with that, but trying to make it into waxoil is a waste of time.


If you want to re-use to why not either get a waste oil burner, or adapt an old generator/stationary engine/water pump or similar to run on it?
Or do as others suggested, use to to paint posts, protect the surface of rusty old machines or something.


as for kindness.... there was no unkindness in my post. Sure i wasn't sugary sweet and full of joyful enthusiasm and indicated that i thought it was a stupid idea but you must find it very tough dealing with people if you take someone knocking your idea as being deliberately unkind, that's a bit extreme

neyeaahh! Night now!

conzy

Sell it to RX-8 drivers...

I joke

_Conrad_

dnme wrote: »

neyeaahh! Night now!

Whatever that nonsensical babbling is meant to be, it'd be better if you actually tried to communicate like a human.

mickdw

There are various solidifiers & coagulants that will thicken oil but most would be only available on an industrial scale Im sure. I like the idea of using it in this way but its not worth while unless you can find a diy solution.

gyppo

dnme wrote: »

There's a lot of crap being spoken here. I'd never just throw it out, or pour it on the ground. I already have a use for it....I want to pour it in a thickened state, into the cavities of my steel beam trailer.

The question was...AND IS! . . .What to use to thicken it?

OP, I would try heating a fatty solid such as lard, until it becomes a hot liquid, and then mix with the used oil.
I would image as this mix cools, it should thicken into a jelly-like substance.

If it was me, Id give it a go.

spiggotpaddy

jeez some of the old farm hands are so innovative. re-use re- cycle, old trad secrets.
i just fill a five gallon drum, and then off to the recycling centre with it.

i wonder can you use this re-cyc method with other things, like
what do you do with the annual bath tub water?

beertons

I know two people who use used engine oil to fuel their central heating. They even collect oil off garages, and the garages then don't have to pay to have the oil disposed of. Genius. Although the back smoke that comes out of it is unreal.

Rockery Woman

I mix old engine oil with Creocote (creosote substitute) and paint my fence with it - lovely and black!

I think a lot of stud farms do it too - stops the horses chewing the fence apparently!

dnme

_Conrad_ wrote: »

Whatever that nonsensical babbling is meant to be, it'd be better if you actually tried to communicate like a human.

Righteo, thanks again!

dnme

Ok folks, I reckon it's not worth the hassle. Off to the civic amenity centre as per usual I guess. Still...it was worth askin. Many thanks for the replies, much appreciated.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

dnme wrote: »

... much appreciated.

Never at any point did your replies suggest so!

vetstu

We mix it with the new creosote substitute thats is very watery and use it to paint the sleepers in the garden.

dnme

Mira Full Grommet wrote: »

Never at any point did your replies suggest so!

?
You've lost me.

spiggotpaddy

dnme wrote: »

?
You've lost me.

well? what about that bathwater.

dnme

spiggotpaddy wrote: »

well? what about that bathwater.

?
you too have lost me.

headmaster

dnme wrote: »

?
you too have lost me.

He's telling you that you could do with a good solid kick in the arse. Ok ?;)

dnme

headmaster wrote: »

He's telling you that you could do with a good solid kick in the arse. Ok ?;)

Why?

EPM

Mira Full Grommet wrote: »

Never at any point did your replies suggest so!

headmaster wrote: »

He's telling you that you could do with a good solid kick in the arse. Ok ?;)

Cop on ffs.

dnme wrote: »

Why?

No point fanning the flames.

The OP has got the information they need. Thread closed.