Is there a way to mix used motor oil with a thinner to produce a cheap wood stain? I slab my own wood for free and now have to pay over $50.00 a gallon for wood stain. Thank you, Joe Lallande Alpena, MI.
Diesel fuel would be a cheap and compatible with oil thinner.
uncle larrry's walnut stain
5 gal diesel
1/2 gallon boiled linseed oil
1/2 gal non fibered roofing tar
the tar gives the color and the diesel evaporates away
Used motor oil (gas engine) has a TON of heavy metals and other toxic contaminants from all the fuel burned and such. Perhaps diesel used oil would be better. I used to undercoat my cars w/ used until I was enlightened by a friend.
Ironwood
back in the 40s the school i attended would use motor oil to treat the wood floods they would put it on when school let out in the spring and by fall it would be soaked in , i use it to treat my wood wagon and trailer floors , also used transmission fluid is good to treat wood flooring it to will leave a light black stain :) :) please dont mention to uncle sam ,he would rather see me pay 20 dollars a gallon at local box store to help the ecomy :-X :-X :-X :)
I have treated the deck boards on my trailer with used motor oil many times. And used hydraulic oil too.
But not really on purpose. ::)
:D :D
I have also seen new pine trated with new motor oil, it looked all nice and shiny yellow
I've wondered about treating wood with used motor oil mixed with a bit of gas to help it penetrate, this would be just for rot resistance, (nothing like a deck, just posts, bridge etc...) because I'm having a hard time finding pressure treated trees to mill. Maybe I'll try a 2X6 and see how it works.
:D
pressure treated trees....
We always called it Maine stain.Most of the commercial stains are mineral spirits and coloring, can't get the good stuff anymore.It work but better if not close to folks, children and pets.You can even get fancy and add coloring and thin a little with diesel.Frank C.
around here we call it "Detroit black" stain.
Since you already mentioned a thinner, just mix non-fibered roofing tar with the thinner to get the desired tint. I used to use this on craft projects and it worked really well. Stat with a small amount of roofing and continue to add until it gets to where you like it.
just dont add any matches or open flames :)
works well on trailer decks as long as it aint raining/snowing when ya try to walk on it...
Mark
Sprayed a building of mine once with a motorized back spray mist blower, mixed burnt motor oil and kerosine. It was in the hot summer months the boards soaked it up like a sponge. Looked good and the carpenter bees stayed away. Didn't take very long with a mist blower. I guess a garden spray could be used. Splitter
I have done uncle larrys mix with a hand pressure garden sprayer
I'll have to try that, woodmills1. The house is in need of another coat of Uncle Larry's stain. It was easy when the siding was lying on sawhorses, and I could just roll it on with a paint roller ;) Problem is, it's so thin that it wouldn't work too well now that it's vertical.
For those that haven't seen it before....my white pine siding with Uncle Larry's:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10370/house.jpg)
I think you will find that any waste motor oil is considered carcinogenic. Contact with exposed skin etc. should be minimized. I know a guy who used salvaged transformer oil to stain some locally milled pine for a feature wall in his living room, about 25 or 30 years ago. We used to spray bar it on roads and work yards for dust control. Who knew?
The only way to put on any type of stain is with the "garden type sprayer" and a brush to back brush the sprayed on stain. I can do the whole cabin on an hour with someone moving the ladder for me. I use a car wash brush which is nice and soft, the best type of sprayer so far is one with a brass tip on the end of the wand.
arojay
I think waste motor oil and what used to be transformer oil are two completely different hazards.
I think the transformer oil had PCB problems.
These various home-brewed stains and preservatives- do they help resist termites and rot, or are they just for looks? Here in the Deep South, the termites will walk off with anything short of iron.
Indeed, there is a difference between transformer and waste motor oils, but both have their distinct health risks
Quote from: scgargoyle on June 04, 2009, 03:52:18 PM
These various home-brewed stains and preservatives- do they help resist termites and rot, or are they just for looks? Here in the Deep South, the termites will walk off with anything short of iron.
It only took about a year before the carpenter bees started in on the 3-1/2" thick window casing :( The window sills are already starting to look a little tired. I don't really want to, but I may need to cover them with aluminum :-\
don't know about southern termites, but no bugs so far here and my boards are close to dirt.
Evening all. With any of the mentioned stains, would it start to smell like an old service garage from the 50/60's? The diesel mix should have. I have bought on occasion fresh crude and sprayed with a garden sprayer on barns and fences. It doesn't stink and you can darken with extra coats. The barn is 25 years old (white pine) and still looks good. Does well on my red oak trailer floors.
no smell, as the deisel evaporates
Yes, the smell fades quickly, only to return once in a while on a wicked hot day.
We did like some of the above, 5 gallon diesel fuel and 2 gallon drive way sealer. Make sure it don't have sand as filler, hard on paint sprayers. :o
it is getting hard to find either roof coating or driveway stuff that does not have something added to it.
Back home in eastern Ohio one fella got Pa. crude oil (high parafin) and sprayed it on his home, beautiful and actually smelled nice. Did it for 20+ years, nice patina, and did NOT have all the really bad stuff the used oil came with.
Ironwood
Yes, the used motor oil imparts good rot and insect resistance. I made some footer forms out of regular el cheapo plywood when I was building my small hay barn and I brushed them with used motor oil to keep the concrete from sticking. I left them sitting outside and after 3 years they still didn't have any rot. After that, I tried it on board fence and trailer decks and it does work. The color depends on what it came out of. You get a nice brown with newer car gas engine oil and a very nice black with old diesel engine oil.