Not DIY as such but...

[conny]

I am in the process of repairing a 415v 9 stage variac transformer which is oil cooled. I'd taken the 'guts' out of the tank of oil, (approx 6'x2'x2' and had removed the 2 defective coils ready to install the new ones. The tank had to be emptied and fresh clean oil put in so I gets everything set up on the crane with 2x45gallon drums for the old stuff. Release the drain plug but keep it in place and by a slight tilt of the plug was able to direct the flow into drum no1. 2/3rd full and I sneezed!

POP! plug flies out and lands in drum of used oil. Press hand over drain outlet like the little Dutch boy with his finger in the dyke. Pressure is too great and I can't hold it. Used oil spurts out like a fountain covering me from head to toe and all over the workshop floor. The other guys are standing around laughing while I get an oil bath!

Calculated at the end that I had got covered by approximately 20 gallons of the stuff and believe me, IT STUNK!!

Overalls, boots, shirt, jeans, underpants, socks a total write off and dumped in the bin! Had to cycle home after a 'sort of wash' and change into spare clothes I have in my locker.
3 showers later and I still smelt!

Next time an apprentice is going to do it!!

 

[Adam_151]

approx 6'x2'x2'

2x45gallon drums for the old stuff.

Call me a sad git, but by my calculations you'd need an extra drum and still have ~15 gals to put on the floor

 

[conny]

Sad git!

Actually after allowing for displacement when the tranny is inside I calculated it at 85gallons.

So you can be another sad git, the actual dimensions were as follows;

Tank height= 1600cms (A)
Tank width= 570cms (B)
Tank depth= 450cms (C)

Therefore AxBxC = Total Volume of Tank.

However, after taking out the coil assembly we had a free air space of the following dimensions;

Height=250cms (D)
Width= 570cms (E)
Depth= 450cms (F)

DxExF= Free air volume.

Maths were never my strong point so let me know what you get it to.

We will of course contact the manufacturer for the correct amount and grade after I have done the repairs but it will be interesting to know what figures you get.
Let me know,

 

[Wontdothatagain]

About a year ago we were working in a pig farm at a large slurry pit installing a new motor on the slurry pump. As the young one, i got to do all the work as the 2 old people "supervised". Nearly finished when a farm worker decides to pump about 100 gallons into the pit, splashs all over me, my face covered in pig s**t and i start falling over and end falling in to pit. Dragged out by farmer. Old people cant move as they are on floor laughing so much. Does not end there though. As you can imagine, i smell a bit so strip of in middle of farmers yard and he is spraying me with a high pressure washer when group of ramblers come by on adjacent footpath, all stop and watch. To cap it all i was not allowed in the front of the van on the way back as i still stank. Had to sit in the back listening to the 2 worn out old people laughing for 20 miles and then the jokes from all others at work/college/pub/family/friends.

 

[conny]

Done exactly the same thing many years ago but it wasn't a pig farm, it was a paper mill. Not bad, you may think. Only thing was it was a cesspit for HUMAN WASTE! I had to crawl across a beam to the centre where the motor was and drag a length of swa cable with me. Everything going alright but the further out I got the heavier the cable became and it was begining to dip into the s**t. Just got to the middle and was lifting the cable end into place when my boot found a nice slippy bit of turd to step on!

SPLAT!

I ended up 3' lower on the base of the pit in about 9" of s**t and p**s! Had to walk about 1/2 mile back to the plant and just stood under one of the emergency showers for about 1/2 an hour freezing my b**ls off!
Just binned all my work gear and went home in a borrowed pair of jeans, t shirt and boots. None of which fitted me at all! Can't remember who wired the motor up but it weren't me!

 

[FDJ]

The other guys are standing around laughing while I get an oil bath!

Calculated at the end that I had got covered by approximately 20 gallons of the stuff and believe me, IT STUNK!!

Overalls, boots, shirt, jeans, underpants, socks a total write off and dumped in the bin! Had to cycle home after a 'sort of wash' and change into spare clothes I have in my locker.
3 showers later and I still smelt!

Next time an apprentice is going to do it!!

Transformer oil is supposed to be good for the complexion

Next time?? Use a barrel pump from the top of the tank.

Frank

 

[conny]

No fun with a barrel pump, even though they have now bought one.

Much better to get an appo to have a go!