Pressurized Machinery Oiler

Pressurized Machinery Oiler FARM SHOP Maintenance 15-1-9 John Sonneveld, Welland, Ontario, used an old 20-lb. barbecue propane tank to make a pressurized "machinery oiler" that helps him keep machinery and parts from rusting. Sonneveld uses an air compressor to pressurize the tank which he fills with a mixture of used oil and diesel fuel. A 50-ft. long air hose equipped with a spray wand is hooked up to the tank. "I use it in the fall before I store my machinery. It makes a mess of paint be-cause bugs and dust stick to it, but it makes the paint look like new," says Sonneveld. "I also use it to fill my planter transmission with oil and to prevent corrosion in fertilizer spreaders. The spray wand also lets me get into tight places for oiling chains and bearings. "I use three parts oil and one part diesel in warm weather, and a 50-50 mix in cold weather. I don't think there's a safety problem because I rinse out the tank with water and only pressurize it to 130 lbs. The tanks are designed to withstand a maximum 220 lbs. of pressure. "There's plenty of old tanks around. I got mine from a friend who had used it in his camper. I spent about $20 on air hose fittings, pipes, and a ball valve." Sonneveld removed the on-off valve from the top of the tank and screwed in a 6-in. long, 3/4-in. dia. fill spout. He drilled a 1/2-in. dia. hole on each side of the top of the tank. In one hole he inserted a length of 1/4-in. dia. pipe down to within an inch of the bottom of the tank. It connects to the 50-ft. air hose. He welded a 1-in. long, 3/8-in. dia. pipe into the other hole and installed a fitting on top of it that allows hookup to an air compressor. To pressurize the tank Sonneveld opens up a ball valve between the fitting and hose. A plug on top of the fill spout prevents air from escaping. "It's important to filter all used oil so lumps can't plug up the spray nozzle," notes Sonneveld, who puts a piece of window screen inside a funnel. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, John Sonneveld, RR 3, Welland, Ontario, Canada L3B 5N6.

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