Hi, I can't find anything in the archives on what types of things can be done with used motor oil. My neighbor told me yesterday that I can "paint" the bottoms of my fence posts to "treat" them for rot. Any other ideas out there...or where do I look in the archives?? Thanks in advance!!

-- Iam (titia@canada.com), June 20, 2001

Answers

It can also be spread on gravel roads to keep the dust down, but don't let the EPA know. You'll get fined for sure and have to pay for cleanup and resoration. Used motor oil is classified as hazardous waste and is supposed to be disposed of according to federal and state environmental laws.

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), June 20, 2001.

Just PLEASE!!! Don't bury the damn stuff like some *** did once upon a time and I come a long unknowingly and plant my garden right on top of the darn stuff...it came a thunder buster, and whala..oilfield, totally killed my garden. But, Thank-goodnes that showed me not to buy this place. No tell'en how long this has been here. Lots of Luck getting rid of it. Sorry, I just had to put my 2 cents in how NOT to get rid of it. Surely there's a better way!! Broken Hearted and moving, Debb

-- Debb (fly45@bellsouth.net), June 20, 2001.

Used motor oil is a recycleable product; oil does not "break down", it mearly becomes polluted. You can return it to a recycling operation or you can re-recycle it yourself by putting it in a gravity fed filtering system. An elevated 55 gallon drum, horizonally mounted, equiped with two or more standard screw on filters and approate valves can give you repeated uses of the same oil. Dumping the oil on the dusty road or using it to coat fence posts are polluting the ground water and you should feel free to shoot anybody doing this.

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), June 20, 2001.

If you have an old cream separator try putting some through that. The machines I have seen in ships' engine rooms appear to be identical to the dairy models, but maybe they are not.

But if you do have an old separator why not try it?

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), June 21, 2001.

Please check with your municipality to see if your commuity has a waste oil collection. Here we have a once-a-month collection at the DPW. Please never, never dump or bury oil anywhere. Oil is a hazardous material and will contaminate your soil.

Thanks for reading.

-- Dianne in Mass (dianne.bone@usa.net), June 21, 2001.

in Mich,, all those instant oil change places have to take oil from residents, up tp 5gal at a time. You could call them and ask.

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), June 21, 2001.

An oldtimer years ago told me about a way farmers use to recyle oil.

They used a small drum on a bench or stand with a piece of hemp rope that is in the oil, (like a wick) then goes over the side of the tank to another one below, the oil wicks down and comes out clean. the rope has to be held off the rim of the top tank/drum, with a spring or it will drip down the side of the top drum. I read about this same system in a book from Australia published during WWII wiht a lot of oththe good ideas for farmers/homesteaders.

I use old motor oil for firing up my brush piles in the winter and I also use it to coat my fence posts, (above ground) even tho I use T- posts my corners and braces are treated posts. the last fence we built I used steel post for the corners and braces, the same posts they use for chain link fencing.

-- Hendo (redgate@echoweb.net), June 21, 2001.

Run it through some old stockings to get any "bits" out and recycle it as chainsaw lubricating oil.

Eric

-- Eric J Methven (e_methven@btinternet.com), June 22, 2001.