Re: MtMan-List: Parafin oil

[luannmason1@juno.com]

On Thu, 04 Jun 1998 19:25:27 -0700 Carpenter Family
<kcarpenter@bigbear.net> writes:
>Hello the list:
>We found, in my grandfathers garage, some parafin oil  My grandfather 
>was born in 1903 and died about 5 years ago.  I know he did many 
>things 
>the old ways, because he was brought up that way, on the farm, in 
>Nebraska.  I have never heard of parafin oil.  Does anyone have info 
>on 
>this?

Wow!  A question I can actually answer, as we just finished a discussion
of paraffin oil on another list I'm on.  :-)

Paraffin oil is an early name for kerosene AKA lamp oil.

> Was it used by old timers for waterproofing?  I doubt this 
>material dates back to the fur trade days, but I believe it to be old. 
> 
>I don't think parafin was around in the 1830's.  Is this related to 
>what 
>we know as parafin, today, or not?

Not really.  As I said, it's an early name for lamp oil or kerosene.  Do
NOT attempt to use it for waterproofing as you would essentially make a
huge, solvent soaked torch just begging for a stray spark to come
visiting.  I think the general consensus reached on the other list was
that this "paraffin oil" dates at the EARLIEST to the mid 1850's. 

Hope this has been of some help.

LuAnn
>
>Thanks - Carp
>
>

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