Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Rohloff Internal Hub Gears => Topic started by: greg-the-grey on November 21, 2008, 07:50:07 PM
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I am considering bulk purchasing the Rohloff gear oil and cleaning oil and splitting this to offer to others. I have enquired at SJS what the shelf life of the oil is, and was told this is a minimum of 5 years. So a reasonable spilt seems to be into 8 lots of 2 x 125ml containers. The bulk 1L cans seem to be metallic, however I am concerned that if I transfer these oils into smaller plastic bottles, these may become degraded by the oil, or oil affected by the bottles. So my question to the forum is; can someone tell me what material the existing single oil change 25ml bottles are made of? E.g. PVC. What recycling symbol appears on the bottles? The Website http://www.ebottles.co.uk/showbottlefamilys.asp?type=2&mat=plastic seems to indicate PVC is best for mineral oils.
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The 25ml speedhub oil bottles I have are marked R30, 4902, PE.
The 50ml cleaning oil bottles have 02 inside the triangular recycle symbol.
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I've never bought the small bottles.
When I split large bottles I used PP containers, they have a good chemical resistance and are common and cheap. I used screw top 500ml tumblers from Wilkos 59p each. Four years on there's been no problem. I have some chain oil in Polysu bottle and some motorcycle oil in PVC, so there's a choice.
I never thought to ask if it had a shelf life. I assumed as it's mineral oil that's been in the ground for millions of years it'd last indefinitely. I've had a look at every oil container I've got including Rohloff, none of them mention a best before, or a manufacturing date. I wonder what happens to it after five years. I split mine four ways, so I still have plenty left. A litre is enough for around 70 changes, I'd imagine that's more than many workshops do in a five year period.
One thing to be careful about is mixing the gear oil before splitting it, I don't know the components but they do separate. A shake may not be enough and the small top stops you giving it a stir. I poured mine out and noticed the third one was different to the first. I put them back in, stood it upside down overnight, shook it in the morning and it was OK.
You’d think that Thorn if not Rohloff would recognise the demand for a quantity between 25 and 1,000ml. I’d bet a quarter of a litre sold at half the price of a litre would sell well. Maybe they make too much on the small bottles.
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Hi Greg,
Let us know if you decide to do this. I'd be be interested.
I've just bought oil for one change (my first) £££. Thought hard about a long term investment of buying vastly too much oil, and decided against it this time round!
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Hi Guys,
Great idea. I'd be interested in taking part in such a scheme.
Yours, James
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I am keen to participate in this if its still on, i missed the last split of a bulk purchase.
David
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There's a bluk buy on over at Singletrack world - just 3 lots left at time of writing.
(http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=2039.0[/url)