Sealed heavy mineral oil "go" in time?

B

Bandogge

Joined
Feb 8, 2007
Messages
77
'Ey all...

Question for all you fine folks... I recently put together a little kit to help get me and my knives through the day and included a small (Teensy is more like it.) wet stone surrounded in a foam enclosure ladden with heavy mineral oil.

The entirety rests in a doubled Ziplock.

Question therefore as follows; Should I worry about the heavy mineral oil eventually turning "bad" or otherwise rancid?

Does decay of the type even exist with heavy mineral oil?

Thanxs to all so much in adv. and I look forward to your help.
 
Oils can oxydize to form a varnish so anti-oxidants are often added to various types of oils such as automotive , gun, turbine etc. Cheap oils [3-in1 was notorious for this !!] contain no antioxidants and quickly form a varnish ! I don't know about mineral oil specifically.
 
moving-van.jpg
 
Bandogge said:
'Ey all...

Question therefore as follows; Should I worry about the heavy mineral oil eventually turning "bad" or otherwise rancid?

Does decay of the type even exist with heavy mineral oil?
Click to expand...

I would not expect a pure mineral oil to go bad in and of itself at ambient temperature. A pure parafin oil has no reactive sites to oxidize. Try using the oil that is sold as laxative in the pharmacies. It should be a pure paraffin oil and should be quite stable.

I do not know what 3-in-one has in it. It could have impurities that would cause the condition that mete describes.

But Ziplock bags contain plasticizers that can leach out of the plastic over time and into the oil. I'm not sure what is used, and I'm not sure if it would cause an issue or not, but I think I would find a different container.
 
knarfeng,

Thanks so much for the advise...

I figured as much but was unsure, so I'm more settled to the idea of what I have to carry around.

About ten minutes after my intial post, I found a very small piece of Tupperware that fits the foam and rock perfectly, so the packaging issue seems to have pre-emptively resolved itself.
 
I'm a couple of days late chiming in on this, but I thought I'd jump in and suggest a DMT diamond stone. I carry one every day for touch ups if necessary and I love it. It can be used dry or with water, so you wouldn't have to worry about the oil at all. They make several varieties that can be attached to your key chain or carried in your pocket, and they have one that's about the size of a credit card that can go in your wallet.

If you stick with the oil stone. . . If you're carrying it in an airtight container I would think that you would have little if any trouble with the oxidization issues mentioned above.
 
Well on topic, just to add what Knarfeng already said. Mineral oil doesn't go rancid but it can harden. Especially under heat and UV irradiation. With mineral oil it will take a looong time though.

But I agree with several others. Why an oil stone? Why not a ceramic stone, diamond stone or even a small waterstone. You are likely going to find water anywhere. And you don't have oily fingers afterwards.
 
I just checked my mineral oil from 1981 that has sat near a window for at least 20 years; I can't tell any change in texture, color, viscosity etc. I still use it on stones, equipment parts and blades.

I carry knives and stones daily but never oily stones, always seemed too messy and unnecessary. I use water to lubricate and clean the stone - even stones that have been used with oil. If that didn't work I would go with some of the other ideas mentioned.

You also have the question of cleaning it before you get home, meaning you would need to carry spare oil....nah
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top