Thread: With what do you oil your wick?

What's the difference between paraffin oil and kerosene?

Toby

World English Dictionary
paraffin or ( less commonly ) paraffine (ˈpærəfɪn, ˈpærəˌfiːn)

— n
1. paraffin oil , Also called: kerosene a liquid mixture consisting mainly of alkane hydrocarbons with boiling points in the range 150°--300°C, used as an aircraft fuel, in domestic heaters, and as a solvent

They are both derived from crude oil, just different fractions. Bit like petrol and diesel are both derived from crude oil.

In its' refined form paraffin oil (mineral oil) is used as a laxative, ie taken internally.

Don't know how much Bunnings charges for Diggers Paraffin Oil, but Coles sell Baby Oil (Mineral Oil) for about $2.50 for 500ml.

There are a couple of useful articles on Paraffin and Mineral Oil in Wkipedia.

English dictionary you quote is the UK term for kerosene.

I used to have a paraffin wax candle which hung on the wall from a length of elastic cord that came with a pair of boots and which I tied to the wick. Every so often I would grab the candle and draw a continuous zig-zag down a plane sole.

I still use a candle, but it resides on a little shelf above the bench.

Originally Posted by Big Shed

Don't know how much Bunnings charges for Diggers Paraffin Oil, but Coles sell Baby Oil (Mineral Oil) for about $2.50 for 500ml.

@ $5.00 per litre, that is a fraction of what I paid at bunnings!

Just went looking for the receipt.....$17.70 for the litre bottle. I was just happy to have found it. What a bludi stitch up!


Thanks,
Peter

In my days it was a rolled up felt formed into a pad and soaked in light mineral oil placed in a fish paste tin which was always located handy in reach on the work bench, mainly for use on metal planes.
When on site then there was always the fall mobile back oil pad that is Brilcream, this ways on hand, this was just a matter of wiping ones hand through your crop of Brilcreamed hair and then a quick wipe over the plane sole, worked a treat.
I wonder how many carpenters would run the odd 2 or 3" nail through their hair to lubricate before driving a nail through a lump of Jarrah, or am I letting on to a trade secrets????
Cheers. Malcolm Eaton

Originally Posted by Malcolm Eaton

In my days [...] this was just a matter of wiping ones hand through your crop of Brilcreamed hair and then a quick wipe over the plane sole...

Isn't that what slicked-up apprentices were for in the good ol' days? "Boy! Come 'ere"!

I use lamp oil and kerosene interchangeably in kerosene lamps, lamp oil claims to be pure liquid paraffin. I wouldn't use mineral oil (baby oil or machine oil) in a lamp. Kerosene and liquid paraffin don't smell or feel the same, and mineral oil is thicker than either of them and doesn't smell like either of them. I think mineral oil would be the best on planes, kerosene and liquid paraffin don't lubricate very well. Kerosene and liquid paraffin will evaporate completely away (I use them to clean metal and wood, the same way you would use mineral spirits) but mineral oil will not evaporate away.

Toby

P.S. I wouldn't use any of them on planes myself, paraffin works better.

Whatever floats your boat Toby, perhaps next time you are in Coles have a look at the ingredients of Baby Oil (mineral oil and essence).

I know that baby oil is mineral oil, I don't think that liquid paraffin is mineral oil. You can't use it to lubricate motor bearings. (or bushings)

Toby

Originally Posted by TobyC

I know that baby oil is mineral oil, I don't think that liquid paraffin is mineral oil. You can't use it to lubricate motor bearings. (or bushings)

Toby

Paraffin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Read paragraph headed Mineral Oil

"PARAFFIN is kerosene - American 'paraffin' is paraffin wax or white wax"

I think there is a US/UK english clash.
I think that it is a UK usage where paraffin = kerosene.
So maybe "liquid paraffin" in the US means kerosene.

I suspect this might stem from the trademark origin of "kerosene" ???

Paul

Kerosene is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros (κηρός wax). The word "Kerosene" was registered as a trademark by Abraham Gesner in 1854, and for several years, only the North American Gas Light Company and the Downer Company (to which Gesner had granted the right) were allowed to call their lamp oil "Kerosene" in the United States of America.[1] It eventually became a genericized trademark. It is sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage.[2] The term "kerosene" is usual in much of Canada, the United States, Australia (where it can be referred to colloquially as "kero") and New Zealand.[3]

Kerosene is usually called paraffin in the UK, Southeast Asia and South Africa. A more viscous paraffin oil is used as a laxative. A waxy solid extracted from petroleum is also called paraffin. Kerosene is widely used to power jet engines of aircraft (jet fuel) and some rocket engines, but is also commonly used as a cooking and lighting fuel and for fire toys such as poi. In parts of Asia, where the price of kerosene is subsidized, it fuels outboard motors on small fishing boats.[4]

Originally Posted by TobyC

Hey Ian,
I've seen candles and blocks of paraffin on workbenches that were full of grit and dirt too. Whatever you use should be covered until you use it. (In my humble opinion)

Toby

True, Toby - my blocks occasionally take a trip to the floor & can pick up grit & grot, but I just give them a shave with the edge of a chisel if they look dirty, and all is well.

I guess one of the main reasons I favour paraffin wax is because I obtained a lifetime's supply (or maybe more!) for nothing, from my old workplace.

Cheers,

Originally Posted by pmcgee

I think there is a US/UK english clash.

I was thinking that too. I use what we call liquid paraffin as a cleaner/solvent, and I use mineral oil to lubricate shafts and bushings. If I put liquid paraffin on one end of a saw blade, and mineral oil on the other, the liquid paraffin will evaporate away, but the mineral oil will stay there until you clean it off. And what I would use to clean it off would be liquid paraffin. If I tried to use liquid paraffin to lubricate a shaft, not only would it not lubricate, but it would wash out whatever oil was there to start with.

Toby

Yep. Kerosene here looks just like petrol, and mineral oil would be (about) the same as baby oil. So I'm guessing your liquid paraffin = our kerosene.

I know there is paraffin wax which would kinda be candle wax, but I think there is also paraffin oil - which Peter talked about getting from one of our big hardware chains - that I'm sure I have seen but not particularly noted. I guess it is close to mineral oil??

Btw - on the subject of vernacular confusion - it knocks me out that you guys call petrol "gas". Over here we have petrol and gas (LPG) ... and diesel ... for vehicles. What do you guys call Liquid Petroleum Gas that goes into cars?
Is it Propane? I think I've seen US tv shows referring to getting propane for bbq gas.

Ah the English and the Americans ... two peoples divided by a common language.


Paul