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Post by pauls on Jan 8, 2015 5:15:30 GMT -5
I just had a look at the MSDS for Transmission oil, transformer oil and mineral oil.
There's nothing in or added to transmission oil that is different to transformer oil as far as toxicity go, no Zinc. Both MSDS are really very similar. You need to be careful of panicking when looking at MSDS, some pretty ordinary things look horrendous if you see their MSD sheet. Mineral oil certainly looks fairly benign and the best for our purpose.
Like James I used Kero until a few years ago, then someone suggested deisel they both are awful stinky and not good on your hands.
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Post by Peruano on Jan 8, 2015 11:32:37 GMT -5
Oil threads always generate more opinions than anything other than major league baseball. Makes no diff whether its motorcycles, vintage cars, or rock saws, everyone has a definite but varied perspective. But cost, safety, and efficiency are things I'm using to select my oil for the slab saw. I'll concentrate on cost. I can rationalize any cost in terms of tradeoffs.
The cheapest mineral oil I know about is the Walmart human laxative variety (safe in moderate doses) and it works out to about $12.50 per gallon. My saw takes 3 gallons but I recover more than 60% everytime I drain and filter it, which I do about twice a year. So, I'm using about a gallon every 6 months or the equivalent of about $2 and pennies per month. My giving up one latte at Starbucks, one big mac at you know where, I can afford to use mineral oil in my saw and not worry about smell, toxicity, or anything other than soft hands and loose bowels.
Mineral oil does not mist badly (not with the No Smoke additives), does not allow things to rust, and lubricates both the saw and the cutting surface adequately.
I won't tell you how a rationalize weekly trips to collect rocks on my small motorcycle.
It gets 85 mpg, its a 40 mile plus trip to my favorite rock hounding spot, so its about one half of a gallon of gas to come back with two saddlebags full of rocks. Just about as much fun as you can have with a half of gallon of gasoline.
Did I mention how Oil Dri (looks like cat litter) works to get rid of the mineral oil off of slabs. Just as much fun as you can have when you get to dig around in the cat litter and find a beautiful rock. Priceless Tom
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Post by johnjsgems on Jan 8, 2015 11:45:31 GMT -5
I used to drive home by a PetsMart store when I worked. Back in the Kitty Litter section they always had taped up torn bags of their cheapest litter marked way down. I could always find a bag or two relatively full bags. The cheap stuff didn't have any additives and was a great oil absorbent. Had to keep in a closed tub when we had a cat though.
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Post by pauls on Jan 9, 2015 1:42:49 GMT -5
The Diatomaceous earth cat litter is the one you want to absorb oil, be careful of cat litter it can be all sorts of things not all of them much use for anything other than cat ****.
I keep a bag of it in my workshop for oil spills and just the other week had to use quite a lot of it when I was draining my saw and cleaning up at the same time, I knocked the drain hose out of the bucket and didn't notice until I had a river of oil spreading across the floor. Hence the reason for the thread.
Here in Oz the horse mineral oil is about $55 for 5 litres (about a gallon) $180 for 20 litres.
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Post by Peruano on Jan 9, 2015 8:06:51 GMT -5
Wow that is a big difference and a justification for looking for an alternative. Good look. And actually I use an Oil Dri substance that looks like cat litter, but its probably a similar clay like substance and does a great job. Tom
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723 
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 9, 2015 11:49:43 GMT -5
Well,I'm thinking I will be making a run to our local WalMart to grab a few gallons of mineral oil..........I have to start storing this stuff,like I do my trk oil.....
Always have it on hand..
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 9, 2015 14:41:50 GMT -5
Just bought all their oil at WalMart...Only 10 pints though.....I'll be back-LOL
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Post by johnjsgems on Jan 9, 2015 15:49:32 GMT -5
New transmission oil has to be pretty pure. It is replaced because it becomes contaminated or overheats to the point it won't function properly. I don't think you can compare MSDS for new any kind of oil with used. The stuff I've drained out of transmissions certainly doesn't look like the new I replace it with.
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Post by Peruano on Jan 9, 2015 17:18:24 GMT -5
Fossilman, Yes, you have to buy it whenever you are in the store to get the quantities we need, but they restock nightly. And you have to suffer the empathy of the checkout person who thinks you are a consummate laxative addict. I think the Walmart human stuff is slightly higher viscosity than the horse stuff from vet supply or Tractor Supply but the difference is not enough to effect our application. I sometimes end up mixing the two vaieties. Plus you get all those little bottles to use as scoops for the saw clean out. Cheers. Tom
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Post by radio on Jan 9, 2015 17:22:55 GMT -5
I have used both transmission fluid and transformer oil, with the transformer oil being my favorite. I scored 10 gallons of new, unused oil one time, but had to give it away before our big move from Ca.
The new transmission fluid misted really badly in my old lortone, so I added a couple quarts of cheap 30 weight motor oil to it and got good results. I have the expensive Lortone oil in the saw now, but am running low and need to get a few gallons of something stashed back
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 9, 2015 18:38:05 GMT -5
Fossilman, Yes, you have to buy it whenever you are in the store to get the quantities we need, but they restock nightly. And you have to suffer the empathy of the checkout person who thinks you are a consummate laxative addict. I think the Walmart human stuff is slightly higher viscosity than the horse stuff from vet supply or Tractor Supply but the difference is not enough to effect our application. I sometimes end up mixing the two vaieties. Plus you get all those little bottles to use as scoops for the saw clean out. Cheers. Tom Yuppers,that's what I did this go around,mixed it with the gallon of recycled mineral oil....LMAO,the gal at the store was wonder why I was buying so much.."I told her a drink a bottle a day"!!! She gave me a look,so I just snickers and laughed.. Told her what it was for... I can buy the horse stuff next week,about a gallon of it should do... |
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Post by woodman on Jan 11, 2015 22:39:40 GMT -5
That light mineral oil costs an arm and a leg here, I thought I was on to something. is still the best source of mineral oil we've found. It's down to $12 per gallon if you buy four and I think still free shipping over $50 order. With the free shipping, sounds like a good deal. I just ordered 8 gallons. I need to clean out my 18" saw. |
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Post by woodman on Jan 12, 2015 14:02:19 GMT -5
I stopped by a local ag store this morning and priced their mineral oil, 21 bucks a gallon. Checked at shell distributor and their saw oil is 68.75 for 5 gallons and 607.04 for 55 gallons.
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Post by Rockoonz on Jan 12, 2015 21:47:43 GMT -5
11 bucks a gallon by the drum is a decent price, is that for Shell Diala Ax?
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Post by woodman on Jan 12, 2015 21:58:58 GMT -5
11 bucks a gallon by the drum is a decent price, is that for Shell Diala Ax? I think that is what the gal was saying but I am so dam hard of hearing over a cell phone, it is sold for rock cutting oil. |
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Post by woodman on Jan 12, 2015 22:09:04 GMT -5
11 bucks a gallon by the drum is a decent price, is that for Shell Diala Ax? The dealer I called is in Tillamook. sheldon oil co. 503 842 2172. Not all that far from where you are. They have a station in Banks also where it could be picked up. |
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Post by woodman on Jan 15, 2015 18:04:09 GMT -5
That light mineral oil costs an arm and a leg here, I thought I was on to something. is still the best source of mineral oil we've found. It's down to $12 per gallon if you buy four and I think still free shipping over $50 order. I ordered 8 gallons from them lst week. It came fedex today. 96 bucks for 8 gallons free shipping!  |
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Tommy
Administrator 
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Post by Tommy on Jan 15, 2015 18:32:09 GMT -5
Awesome! I need to do that too.
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Fossilman
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Member since January 2009
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 15, 2015 21:41:54 GMT -5
Santa Cruz Biotechnology is still the best source of mineral oil we've found. It's down to $12 per gallon if you buy four and I think still free shipping over $50 order. With the free shipping, sounds like a good deal. I just ordered 8 gallons. I need to clean out my 18" saw. Me too,stocking up,with prices like that....That is cheaper than Walmart! |
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rocpup
spending too much on rocks
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Member since March 2011
Posts: 465
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Post by rocpup on Jan 20, 2015 7:46:16 GMT -5
I just had a look at the MSDS for Transmission oil, transformer oil and mineral oil. There's nothing in or added to transmission oil that is different to transformer oil as far as toxicity go, no Zinc. Both MSDS are really very similar. You need to be careful of panicking when looking at MSDS, some pretty ordinary things look horrendous if you see their MSD sheet. Mineral oil certainly looks fairly benign and the best for our purpose. Like James I used Kero until a few years ago, then someone suggested deisel they both are awful stinky and not good on your hands. I brought this to the forum about a year ago and was chastised by a couple of uninformed members. I also looked at the MSDS sheets and found no zinc and the same warning labels for both products. I have been using AT oil for years and recommend it if the saw is in open air as ALL oil saws should. If you are concerned buy and use mineral oil it easy to find for $20 a gallon. |
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