Oil absorbent pads

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Mark.Wilme
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Oil absorbent pads

Post by Mark.Wilme »

Has anyone seen the prices of these 3M pads at your high street marine retailer ??? OUTRAGOUS.

So first - has anyone found a cheaper source for small quantities.

Secondly, if I buy a large pack (say 100 or 200) does anyone want to split them with me, I figure a few years, two boats - I need about 40-50 ?

Maybe I'll just buy them in bulk and sell them off in packs of 10

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Robert The Gray
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Post by Robert The Gray »

Our marina provides them for free, but if you use to many they get antsy about fuel leaks.

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Post by sailman »

Depending on how many you go through MSC has good prices in bulk:

http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PM ... O=16183771
Mark.Wilme
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Post by Mark.Wilme »

I saw those prices yes - I was contemplating buying a pack of 200 and splitting them into bundles of 10 or 25 for anyone that's interested.

It's not the pure dollars that peeves me, it's the huge mark up that's so obvious. When I can get them for 40c each (and there is a manufacturer and a distributor profit in that price) and then the high street marine retailer sells them at 3x that price and you know they are buying them by the million.
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Curmudgeon
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Post by Curmudgeon »

It was once suggested to me to use..... ahem..... feminine sanitary pads. They're inexpensive and work well. Only trouble is having to go into a store and buy them - I was a deep crimson by the time I reached the checkout.
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Tim
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Post by Tim »

Curmudgeon wrote:It was once suggested to me to use..... ahem..... feminine sanitary pads. They're inexpensive and work well. Only trouble is having to go into a store and buy them - I was a deep crimson by the time I reached the checkout.
I think I'd rather pay inflated marine prices than go through that!
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Post by dasein668 »

Curmudgeon wrote:It was once suggested to me to use..... ahem..... feminine sanitary pads. They're inexpensive and work well. Only trouble is having to go into a store and buy them - I was a deep crimson by the time I reached the checkout.
Ha! I sliced the tip of my thumb mostly off with a chef's knife a few years back and had to go to the emergency room with a sani-pad over the end of my thumb. The ER nurses were all very impressed!
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Post by hesper »

I don't know if still in effect but couple of years ago the Comm of Massachusetts gave a few boxes of absorbant "tubes" to our harbormaster's office. I liberated a good quantity. Could probably get a few more. You should check with your local H-master or the state. You might come up with some freebies.
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Mark.Wilme
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Post by Mark.Wilme »

I used to run a scout troop in a prior life and we used to carry sani pads in the first aid kit :

1. Because they are really good at soaking up blood

2. Because the scout troop (10-15 years old) in the UK has been co-ed for the last 15 years.
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Peter
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Post by Peter »

I wonder how much oil a baby diaper would absorb? ....

Of course, you'd have to use a marine diaper ;-)
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Mark.Wilme
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Post by Mark.Wilme »

The 3M pads absorb just the oil, the water passes right on through.

I think the point of the baby diaper is that it does absorb the water. I could have 5 gallons of water and 4 fl oz of oil in the bilge and the 3M pad would only soak up the oil, not the water.

I have never tested to that extreme but I have pulled one out of a west bilge before and it has somehow pulled all the oil out of the water. There must be some science in there somewhere. I am uncertain how they work, but I know that they do work. Note you can get them as a pillow (sausage) too to just throw in the bilge and prevent your bilge pump pumping oil overboard.
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Post by hesper »

Mark-
"sausage" was the word I couldn't find. I confess, I had a minor oil leak and those sausages were my best friends for a summer. They really do work!
here's an old story, might give you a lead on freebies
http://www.enviro-bond.com/buzzardsbay.html
good luck
jim
Mark.Wilme
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Post by Mark.Wilme »

OK - I bought a bulk pack, a couple of you have private messaged me and first come first served. If you want any of these at cost to me (34c per sheet) plus shipping to your address from 01581 (you can calculate the shipping to be fair), then let me know (propose no packs of less than 20).

I'll also post a message in the classifieds. When they are gone they are gone.

Mark
Mark.
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