lumber & used motor oil

[nfp]

has anyone used  motor oil to preserve wood?   thanks nfp

[Tom]

Burned motor oil has been used here for wood preservation for years.  Fence boards are painted with it, posts are soaked in it, trailer floors are soaked in it and I don't think it helps much against rot.  Perhaps some good comes of it. I don't think insects care for it too much but neither does the EPA and I'm told it is quite carcinogenic.  

[Jeff]

We use it on new white oak trailer decks. Seems to work. I cant see where I would want to use it anywhere else. Not enviromentally friendly to use it in ground contact or water.

[L. Wakefield]

   In the 'bad old days' (it was about '72) I actually saw it used to cut down on the dust of a dirt track at a rural airport in Oshkosh for the EAA meeting. Never had seen that before or since. it did work, but the EPA would've had a bird, alright.  lw

[Corley5]

We use it on hay wagon racks and trailer decks. We put it on with a mop after they have sat out in the sun for a while and are good and dry.  The wood soaks it right up and we let them them sit our a few more days for the sun to work on it more.  Doesn't do any harm if it doesn't do any good and it's a good way to get rid of used oil.  On I occasion I still see where some one has poured oil on to a dirt road in front of their house.  Makes me cringe.  I have heard of people getting ticketed for it.

[Jeff]

I used to see a sawmill who will remain unmentioned use it to keep the dust down in the mill yard, and not all that many years ago. They even had a tank and spray arms rigged just for that. Not a good thing.

[L. Wakefield]

We use it on hay wagon racks and trailer decks. We put it on with a mop after they have sat out in the sun for a while and are good and dry.  The wood soaks it right up and we let them them sit our a few more days for the sun to work on it more.

 

  Does that get 'slippery when wet', or does it soak in well enough that that's not a problem? Granted that this is a moot point- anyone working in an empty hay wagon when it's raining has to be asking themselves 'why am I here??    lw

[hawby]

I once read where, 1 quart of used oil can contaminate 1 MILLION gallons of water.

The county used to spray a oil / chloride solution on our dirt roads... Course that was back in the 60s and 70s when we were immortal.

[woodmills1]

UNCLE LARRYS WALNUT STAIN

10 gallons of diesel fuel
1 gallon of linseed oil
1 gallon of roofing tar

try to get the tar with out the fibers in it and used boiled linseed. roll it on all surfaces before you install the wood looks just like fancy walnut stain.  I used it on the board and batten on the barn and it looks good after 8 years.

[Haytrader]

What is the difference of pouring used oil on your road and the citys, countys, and states oiling roads? And how can used oil contaminate water when they don't mix?  Inquiring minds want to know.

[Larry]

I guess another inquiring mind would like to know also.  Our county is covering all of our gravel roads with chips and oil so we won't have to breathe the cancer causing dust from the limestone rock on our roads.  It's not to big of deal anyhow as most of our groundwater is already unsafe to drink from #1 nitrates and #2 atrazine.  
Larry

[hawby]

Haytrader,

Can't say as I know the total scientific answer to that question... :-/  However, I have gotten oil in my mouth....yuck!   and I am sure that if oil got into a water table, it could make all the water taste bad.

Used oil has trace amounts (some not so trace) of metals which the body cannot metabolize. These would  accumulate in organs and bodyfat, which would eventually cause untold havoc  

I am sure the Greenies over on "that" board would have some, "answers", however, I already have a headache  

All I know is that I make every effort to keep my used oil corraled. I have several gallons that I need to find a safe way to dispose of. We used to have several places to take it for recycling, but for some reason they have disappeared. Maybe there was no market or use for it???

I am looking forward to someone else having some of these answers. I too, have an inquiring mind.....

klh

[Mark M]

Are you sure they are using oil on the roads? That’s been illegal for a long time. Most places use a chloride solution that draws moisture out of the ground to keep the road damp. Even notice how your sidewalk looks damp after using salt, even though it’s dry? – it’s the same thing.

As for oil in water it’s very hard to clean up ground water contamination. Even though they don't mix you can simulate what happens by putting a little use oil in a glass of water (used oil is oxidized and more polar than new oil and is even worse). Dump it out and then refill the glass and take a drink (ick!). Now if you lined the glass with a sponge and did the same thing you would see what happens when the oil gets into earth surrounding the water. No matter how many times you rinse it you can’t get ride of the oil.

As for the Walnut stain, I’ve been using something very similar on my house with rough pine for years. The only difference is I mix 1 cup pine tar (or un-fibered roofing or foundation tar) to 1 gallon of kerosene. Slop this mix on and let it set for a couple of days. Follow up with a coat of 50:50 kerosene and boiled linseed oil. Every couple of years the finish will get dark so I clean it with 50:50 household bleach and water applied with a garden sprayer. After about a week we apply a coat of the kerosene linseed oil mix. I did a lot of experimenting and found I liked the color better if the oil is applied as a separate coat. The beauty of this finish is it’s cheap and you can just slop it on without worrying about streaks. I was going to try using a garden sprayer the next time. One last thing, people used to stop and ask what finish we used because it looks so good.

Mark

[DextorDee]

A few years back I was looking for something to put on decks and outside buildings . I went to the Forestry School here on campus and found a guy who was doing research on outside finishes . This has been 10 years ago, maybe longer...Anywho he give me this recipe and said" it was as good as anything being sold at that time.    I still use it, the only difference is I can't find the Copper Naphthenate    I use waterseal in its place.. I think the Copper Naph would be better
Oh, ok, the recipe   luv them smileys  ..........

3 gal. motor oil burned or new
1 gal mineral spirits the cheap one will do  
1 gal copper nap if ya have it, if not waterseal.
1 pound of paraffin melted of course  

I use a garden sprayer to put it on . Its pretty messy
Some of you guys may be able to improve on this concoction

[Frank_Pender]

Hawby, I have resorted to installing a used oil furnace in one of the buildings here on the farm.  I can get all I want for nothing.   I simply have to go and pick it up and leave an empty barrel or two.   In the two years of running the unit we have burned about 16, 55 gal. barrels.  It is really cheap fuel.  Each of the places that I get the used oil, usually have to pay $0.20 a gal to have it hauled off.  I even thought of charging half that but, I have to sleep at night.

[DanG]

Frank, how does your furnace clean up it's exhaust? Is it using a catalytic converter, or what?

[Frank_Pender]

Yep on the converter, I believe.  I will try and look atthe handbook tomorrow and find out.   But just remember I do have those Senior moments more often since I am re-tired and all.  

[WV_hillbilly]

 Hawby

  Do you have an  auto parts store around called Advance Auto Parts . Down here they take used motor oil for free. I do buy my oil and filters from them so I sleep at night knowing they were gettin oil back that they sold .Just a thought.

[johncinquo]

I decided I would conduct an informal experiment to see where I could get rid of my oil.  Since the gas station that had the recycling dump behind it changed hands, there is no longer any place that I can find to dump it.  I now have 35 gallons in containers behind my house, so it was time to get rid of the stuff.  I randomly called several of the nearest parts places and fluid suppliers around me, as proximity would help.  results:  Napa, No.  Pep Boys, Yes. All of the quick, jiffy, express, pennzoil places, no.  My local back-water parts provider, kinda if you know them and buy stuff there.  The recycling center, surprisingly no.  Any of the garages that do work around me, no. Even the one that has a burner for heat.  Seems if has water or tranny fluid in it it creates a big problem.  After some discussion they might take it.  With the crud that is working its way into our water system, I think someone really needs to come up with a solid program for this disposal.  All of the back yard mechanics out there have to be generating some huge amounts of waste.  In the process to look into this, someone offered me a used oil burner.  I simply have to take a hour drive and fetch it out of their attic at the farm.  So hopefully my problem has been solved, and I get a little free heat out in the barage.  Anybody got any more good ideas for this disposal?   JB