Removing old lube

[RicinYakima]

The wax was completely liqoud, rolling around the metal pan like kool aid or mountain dew would. First match just fizzled out, second match i dropped on a dry spot and when the stick was burning well i rolled the pan around and the wax put it out again. Third stick had same results.
The entire pan was still too hot to touch. And the bulles were to hot to take out by hand.

Liquids are incapable of burning, only vapors. That is why there are carburetors. (retired chemist)

 

[Brad]

There is not enough to melt and there is not enough to turn to vapor. The wax need to be in a vapor phase to burn.
Next time try dumping in some sawdust or wood chips. Then hold the match to them without dunking it into the molten wax.

 

[Brad]

Liquids are incapable of burning, only vapors. That is why there are carburetors. (retired chemist)

Precisely. Worked for only 1 year as a chemist following my chem degree but I do remember a fair bit.

 

[RBHarter]

Vapor density plays a role ...... Drop a lit cigarette in a half a bucket of gasoline it'll go out and drown in the liquid. Bounce it off the rim ......woooof. So I'm told. Around 200°F diesel will woof just like 70°F gasoline. Raise the 0² content to 23-25% from the nominal 19-21% and all sorts of fire protection materials burn . The trusty canary suffocates at 18.5% but a fire will rage down to 15.75% . Do not store your Dot 3 brake fluid in the laundry room or anywhere near the pool supplies........

 

[Monochrome]

can teh chemists explain why i couldnt get it to ignite after mixing in lighter fluid?

 

[Brad]

Lighter fluid may have flashed off fast.
I use a grill lighter to ignite the wax and it works every time. It take just enough time for the heat to vaporize the fuel then ignite the vapor. Throwing in a match doesn’t work because the molten wax extinguishes the match before that can happen.

 

[JonB]

can teh chemists explain why i couldnt get it to ignite after mixing in lighter fluid?

I'm not a chemist, I don't even play one on TV. Vapor burns, liquid doesn't. Obviously there wasn't enough vapors present during your attempt to ignite.

Fun Fact:
Wood doesn't burn, esters of wood (vapor) burns.

 

[fiver]

yep, we had a wood stove that'd get to about 600-F then just roll a little flame around the top of the box.
i tried to splain that to my FIL for 10 years and he simply couldn't comprehend that the stove was working properly.
never mind the fact you couldn't get within 10 foot of the thing without instantly breaking out in a sweat, it wasn't a roaring fire burning through 26 cords of wood a winter.