Nope. Castrol type R oil was made from castor oil and had this distinctive smell (and laxative effect from breathing it), but not the usual Castrol oils. Unless you're into old racing motorbikes, I doubt very much if you've smelt the castor-based Castrols.
Well I'm not into old racing motobikes, but Castrol-R was also used in aircraft and model aircraft. So I've certainly had the pleasure of smelling it.
How long does it take the oil to dry before you can use the boots?
Dave
Actually Kate is right Castrol engine was was made with Castor Oil, in fact the name Castrol is a contraction of Castor Oil.
As well as Castrol R there are a number of Castrol products that still use it
Castrol A747 2 stroke is made using Castor Oil
as is Castrol B353 SAE40 engine oil, Castrol M Competition oil and Castrol R40. I'm not sure if their Classic range is still Castor based without looking.
No outdoors DIY there then?
Castrol R. Reminds me of Speedway.
You will also have waterproofed your feet, and certainly your socks, so can probably discard the boots...
Old bikes (RAF fly-boys tend to like things like that), vintage aircraft (some of which were not so vintage when Pa was flying them), prehistoric cars... All lying around in half built or half dismembered states in the garages and hangers of my childhood!
There's nothing like the smell of a hot vintage aircraft engine to wake you up on a cold autumn morning! Except possibly half burnt av-pin from a Vulcan taking off 200 yards from your bedroom window!
Few days... Depends on the leather and how dry it was when you put the oil in, I suppose. I never timed it. We just did it when there was a few weeks break in the walking.
You had a window after one of those took off?
I worked in the aerospace fast jet industry for well over 20 years and I never came across av pin. Avtur, avcat and avtag were the ones I knew.
Dave
before you do that ensure the midsole/ insole is not of a fibre composite material that is quite common on cheaper boots and is likely to be damaged by soaking in oil. Most modern outdoors type boots have a waterproof interlayer Gortex Sympatex TPU etc which requires no treatment and having spent years out on the moors ( not all at once ;-) ) I am glad they have -coatings and treatments do work but constant abrasion compromises them quite quickly. Derek
Thanks for that.
The reason I asked is that I wanted to take up walking again in 1999. The boots I bought were very stiff, so I applied the oil on the outside to make the leather more supple. It didn't work :-(
Dave
Memory is going :-(
I remember what avpin is now. It was the fuel that was used in the starter systems.
Dave
Starter motor fuel. Possibly pre-dates you. ;)
Dad flew Vulcans at Waddington in the late 50's. We lived in a prefab hut type house, about 200 yards from rotation point. The end wall fell out of the padre's house one morning, and they came along with some 6" nails, a large hammer, and some tar-paper 'selotape' and stuck it back up. It was very funny seeing into his living room like a 3D picture.
Dad later flew Canberra PR9's in Malta, went on to Phantoms (228 OCU at Conningsby, then squadrons there and Germany), back to Canberras during a supposed ground tour (did as much flying then as he did on his last Canberra flying tour), and has, unfortunately, been fertilizing a rose garden for the last 25 years.
Dig them out, clean off any remaining old treatment with saddle soap, and try the Castor oil.
... Castrol 'R' still is.
... and cars.
I was getting wafts of it on Sunday at the sprint I was competing in at Debden Aerodrome.
Is beeswax any good?
Regards
Great for furniture... But darkens over time, which is why so much ancient oak furniture (rather than dark stained 19thC and later stuff) goes black. Not so sure about boots!
So is there anything special about castor oil or would olive oil do?
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