"James Sweet" wrote in message
news:rO5zj.14035$e_.10443@trnddc03...

Don't you have a oil wholesaler or transformer shop in your area?
Sometimes a call to your electric company can get you a quart or two
from the bottom of a 55 gallon drum for free. They have to top off and
change the oil in large transformers from time to time and buy it in
bulk. The last time I needed some, I got it from the R&D lab at a local
Steel mill, in Ohio.



That's another thought. There's probably one out in downtown Seattle
somewhere, most of those sort of places are only open during the 9-5
period I'm at work so it's probably easier to just mail order it unless I
can find something suitable at a hardware store or something else local
that's open evenings or weekends.

If I wasn't going to the trouble to find transformer oil, which is mineral
oil based with a high flashpoint, my 2nd choice would be mineral oil as
somebody else stated, 3rd choice would be automatic transmission fluid
before using motor oil. The detergent properties of motor oil which keeps
contaminants in suspension could compromise it's insulating qualities.