How do u dispose of turps after use?

[inferno6688]

Hey guys,

I am just curious as to how everyone gets rid of there turps after using it to clean brushes etc. I am currently painting some enamel so all the turps is full of paint!

:cool:

[Barry_White]

Hey guys,

I am just curious as to how everyone gets rid of there turps after using it to clean brushes etc. I am currently painting some enamel so all the turps is full of paint!

:cool:

I don't know about Sydney, but out here in the bush we tip all our waste products down the centre of the nearest strainer fence post e.g. Sump oil, turps, paint and any other waste product.

Helps to preserve the post and kill off any white ants that may be lurking about.

[DJ’s Timber]

I just leave the turps in a open container and let it evaporate and then throw the solids left behind in the bin

[ozwinner]

There is no friendly way to get rid of this stuff, either it goes into the ground via the rubbish bin/strainer post or it evaporates,.

Even if you use it to light a fire its the same, it all ends up in our enviroment.

I would do what you feel best about in the way of disposal.

Al :( :o

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I seperate the solids out by the simple expedient of leaving a good brush in the jar for a week or two. Not planned that way, but tihS happens. :(

I pour off the turps into plastic 4L containers (as used for engine oil, etc.), clearly marked USED TURPS in BIG letters with Texta and stack 'em by the kerb on hard garbage days. Like my old 'puta parts, they've usually disappeared before the next armful leaves the shed.

Guess it must be worth something to someone. Either that or they collect 4L containers. :confused:

[Waldo]

G'day Inferno6688,

I generally pour the turps over weeds in the garden, others might pour it onto snails or ants and light them up but I'm not into that anymore. :D

Ever tried salt on the back of a cane toad? :eek:

[BobL]

From the Australian Paint Manufacturers Association website.
"PAINT THINNERS, turpentine, mineral spirits and solvents should never be poured down a drain or the storm sewer. With the following simple steps, you can reuse these types of products. Let used turpentine or brush cleaners sit in a closed container until the paint particles settle out. Then pour off the clear liquid which can be reused. Add an absorbent (e.g. cat litter) to the remaining residue until it becomes completely dry.

Then see this thread for the pro's'n'cons on this and more.

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?p=313352#post313352

[inferno6688]

i have tried salt on slugs!!! WOW!!

Yeah i have been pouring into the garden, but i thought imight look for othweways to aviod contaminating the soil.

Evaporation doesn't sound too bad.

I guess its the same story of getting rid of motor oil :( It just so hard to correctly get rid of these liquids

[echnidna]

I just keep the old stuff in a 4 litre can, after a week or so most of the paint pigments settle to the bottom so clean turps can be poured off the top.

I clean brushes with dirty turps first then rinse in clean turps.

[Salty]

see http://www.esc.nsw.gov.au/Waste/solvent.pdf#search=%22solvent%20disposal%22
In our area the local water board have collection points for safe disposal
(they put it down the drain???:eek:)
In my experience local councils will NOT collect any liquid waste - be it paint, oil, solvent or old garden products to go into landfill.

[silentC]

I just keep the old stuff in a 4 litre can, after a week or so most of the paint pigments settle to the bottom so clean turps can be poured off the top.

I clean brushes with dirty turps first then rinse in clean turps.
ditto

[AlexS]

Ditto again.


Ever tried salt on the back of a cane toad? :eek:
Does it improve the flavour?:rolleyes:

[jacko]

Just a variation on a theme. I minimise my use of turps by having 4 four litre bottles with progressively cleaner turps in them. First wash with the first bottle, second wash with the second, dispose into first, third with third bottle, dispose into second---well you get the picture. Cuts use to absolute minimum. Only final rinse off is "used". When finally bottle 1 is to full/dirty, I use the council service for "dangerous materials". Using thios concept, they come around just often enough.
jacko

[soundman]

In the past I have had several methods but these days.

the dirty turps bottle is first port of call ...... re use.
If the turps is a bit thick or uggly it now goes into the "Sludge bucket" along with waste thinners ( which if you are cleaning spray guns is generated in volume) and any styrofoam packaging that may come my way ( that comes in volume with sound gear ).
The "sludge" is then used as "end seal".

I used to make end seal using clean solvent untill I realised that is a total waste.
Basicaly the slovent evaporates...... but isn't that what solvent does anyway.

cheers

[Grunt]

I filter it with my kidneys.

[abrogard]

My problem isn't the turps, it is the turps-soaked rags. Especially after a spill such as today - half a can of paint swabbed up with rags soaked in turps to help lift the paint.

Should we burn such rags or put them in the garbage disposal?

Or what?

[Sturdee]

Should we burn such rags or put them in the garbage disposal?

Or what?

I hang all oil used rags, including turps, outside and well away from anything combustible until they are dry. Doesn't matter if it takes a while and then I put it in the rubbish bin.

Stops the possibility of a fire happening.


Peter.

[bluegum30]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Waldo
Ever tried salt on the back of a cane toad? :eek:




posted by Alexs
Does it improve the flavour?

Was wondering how long before someone pulled hard on the humor oar.:D

[robgran]

In Melbourne, there is a waste chemical collection once/year. Used turps+ sludge will be accepted at the appointed venue e.g. council depot. This is usually advertised in the local newspaper. There is no charge for this service.

If used turps is kept in a sealed container and reused as described above, the yearly collection is often enough for me.

[Geoff Dean]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Waldo
Ever tried salt on the back of a cane toad? :eek:




posted by Alexs
Does it improve the flavour?

Was wondering how long before someone pulled hard on the humor oar.:D

About 5 years ago if you check the post dates. :rolleyes:

[Grandad-5]

Ok, I have to ask. Can't help myself.
Call me stupid.
Gotta know.
What DOES happen when you put salt on a canetoad?????

[Waldo]

The salt pretty much dries out the cane toad really, really fast and the thing dies. :rip:

[Grandad-5]

Thank you !

[Oddjob1]

Hi all,

turps is natural resin derived from trees through the distillation of mainly pine wood so thinking it is a bad thing is not correct, probably every thing they add to it to make paint may be bad but then I don't know.
Anyway what interests me is the fact that we worry about what to do with contaminated turps, old oil etc but hey! When you have painted your home and are standing back to look at it with appreciation with all the paint going about the business of drying, do you wonder, where is all the turps going out of the solids I have just placed on my building? I don't think so, but there it goes up into the atmosphere but not harmfully me thinks as it is a natural thing. But I have a question!
Where does all the rubber go of our tyres every day everywhere around the world?:rolleyes:

Just a thought. Cheers Oddjob1

[Grandad-5]

turps is natural resin derived from trees through the distillation of mainly pine wood

I always thought it had something to do with sugar. Can't remember where I heard that.

[rustynail]

Just put it in a xxxx can. You'll not notice the difference.

[carlow]

i have a bucket full of saw dust from my dust collector under my work bench any left over turps or other solvents go into the bucket which absorbs the liquid and every once in awhile i just empty it in the garbage bin

[BobL]

i have a bucket full of saw dust from my dust collector under my work bench any left over turps or other solvents go into the bucket which absorbs the liquid and every once in awhile i just empty it in the garbage bin

I like it! :2tsup:

[abrogard]

Thanks guys. I think I'll dry them out and burn a sample to see if they seem to create a lot of smoke or not, leave a lot of ash or not, and then either burn or put in the rubbish bin for the council to collect.

I like the idea of the sawdust under the bench.

In my shed it'd be a handy place to collect the sparks from the angle grinding and the welder, too...

Warm me up in the winter.....

:)

[thebicyclist]

Hi all,

turps is natural resin derived from trees through the distillation of mainly pine wood so thinking it is a bad thing is not correct, probably every thing they add to it to make paint may be bad but then I don't know.



Natural does not equal good! (Think of Oleander, Deadly Nightshade, and Cane Toads!)

Gum Turpentine is really nasty stuff and causes a number of illnesses when adsorbed through the skin.

http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/chem_background/exsumpdf/turpentine.pdf (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/chem_background/exsumpdf/turpentine.pdf)

A quote from the toxicological review of Turpentine linked above


Chronic Effects
Chronic effects associated with occupational exposures to turpentine include cerebral atrophy,
behavioral changes, anemia and bone marrow damage, glomerulonephritis, and dermatitis. Urinary
disturbances, albuminuria, and urinary casts were observed in workers exposed to paints and varnishes.
However, renal damage associated with occupational exposures to turpentine was transient and
reversible.


Cheers

Joel

[abrogard]

Mineral Turps is what most of us would be using in Aus. I think. It is what I use.

Apparently not exactly a foodstuff but still not too nasty:

http://www.enerquip.com.au/brochures/shell/Shell%20PDFs/MINERAL%20TURPENTINE.pdf

Pertinent part of that, perhaps:

11. TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Basis for Assessment : Information given is based on data on the components and the toxicology of similar products.
Acute Oral Toxicity : Expected to be of low toxicity: LD50 >2000 mg/kg , Rat
Aspiration into the lungs when swallowed or vomited may
cause chemical pneumonitis which can be fatal.
Acute Dermal Toxicity : Expected to be of low toxicity: LD50 >2000 mg/kg , Rat
Acute Inhalation Toxicity : Expected to be of low toxicity: LC50 greater than nearsaturated vapour concentration. /


and this bit is quite heartening:

Persistence/degradability : Readily biodegradable.
Oxidises rapidly by photo-chemical reactions in air.

but this bit is no quite so:

Bioaccumulation : Has the potential to bioaccumulate.

:)

[robgran]

Oddjob 1, since you asked the question.....

The rubber that wears off our tyres everyday is lodged in the road surface until it is washed away by rain. The fastest wear happens during braking and cornering, so a lot of rubber is deposited at intersections, along with the odd drop of oil etc. This is why intersections are noticeably slippery in the first rain after a dry spell.

Some of these rubber particles are probably washed into drains and soil along the roadside. There is a lot more rubber left in the worn-out carcass than is worn off on the road. Tyres are made from a combination of natural and synthetic rubbers, oil, carbon black, steel, synthetic fibre and chemicals, and much of this is recyclable, if the latest technology is available.

Rob

[thebicyclist]

Mineral Turps is what most of us would be using in Aus. I think. It is what I use.

Apparently not exactly a foodstuff but still not too nasty:
:)


I'm up with that. I was sort of responding to a pet peeve of mine "It must be better/healthy/good for you it's natural" which is often not the case.

Cheers

Joel

[UglyDan]

I like the bucket of sawdust under the bench idea. If its readily biodegradable then throwing it into landfill really isnt that bad.

[Oddjob1]

G'day all,

funny how a post that spans as long as this one can have new life, one wishes that some of the older musso's out there that go on tour could in fact produce new material instead of going over the old stuff they knocked out when we where kids again and again hey! Remember every other week we would be waiting for their new album?
I like to work with turps and Diesel especially on those cold winter mornings as they are warm to the hands, not like that nasty freezing petrol! And LPG is even colder:rolleyes:Thank goodness they got rid of the Lead out of the petrol cause that will go to your brain you know,:doh: not like the rubber that goes down the drain Hmmm? Oh the bucket of flammable sawdust under the bench is quite a good idea for fire lighters and that but I wouldn't be using an anglegrinder in the same room as it!

:D Oddjob1

[Pagie]

And natural things like asbestos, oil, alcohol and latex are all natural too..

[widowmaker]

I just throw used oils ,diesel ,Fuel ,kero ,turps etc etc into 44 gal drums. I soak fence posts in it ,and poor it around concrete slabs and around farm out buildings for termite protection ,also use it to paint outdoor timber for waterproofing :D

[powderpost]

And natural things like asbestos, oil, alcohol and latex are all natural too..
And don't forget the stuff that a taipan, king brown and tiger snakes leave behind when they bite, that stuff is natural also....
Jim

[Avery]

[QUOTE=Oddjob1;1391884]Hi all,

turps is natural resin derived from trees through the distillation of mainly pine wood so thinking it is a bad thing is not correct, probably every thing they add to it to make paint may be bad but then I don't know.





No.

Turpentine was once derived from tree resins, but the stuff we now buy - mineral turpentine, is an organic solvent derived from the distillation of crude oil. It is kind of a lightweight diesel.

I very much doubt that you could find tree resin turpentine anywhere.

[Grandad-5]

This may sound a totally odd question, but does turps now, or at any time in history had anything at all to do with sugar?
My reason for asking is many many moons ago, none of the hardware stores had any turps. One salesman told us it was because of the sugar strike.
Neither the older gentleman I was with or myself had any idea what connection there was between the two, but we sort of acted like we understood so as not to appear foolish.
But to this day, I've thought turps must be made from sugar or sugar was used in some way in its manufacture. Maybe this is a chance to clear this little mystery up.
Any takers?

[thebicyclist]

[

I very much doubt that you could find tree resin turpentine anywhere.

Gum Turpentine is pretty easy to buy Bunnings and some larger hardware stores have it. You can also source it from a good artists suppliers

Cheers

Joel

[abrogard]

Grandad - have you considered the works and workers involved? It could perhaps be that with the sugar mills shut down the turpentine mill workers struck in sympathy - was there a turpentine mill in that locality?

A bit of googling showed me that the two often coexisted, at least in the past.

And railways. Could perhaps the two mills have used the same railway - perhaps belonging to the Sugar Mill and closed down by their strikers and therefore not available to the turpentine mill?

just a thought....

:)

[Grandad-5]

All of those are quite possible. The sugar strike was widespread. Australia wide. Well, at least the shortage was felt Australia wide. From memory....we're going back to the late 70's here I think.....the sugar strike was to do with the canefield workers in Qld.
You know, I hadn't thought of this until reading this thread. When people started talking about how turps is made, my brain....or what's left of it...sent up a red flag. "Hang on...isn't it made from sugar?
Obviously not.