mineral oil removal/ DIY wax embedding?

[Jim Horton]

On 10/16/19 2:38 PM, Bert Hickman wrote:

Sounds like it worked!

Paraffin (if that's what you used) tends to shrink considerably as it
hardens. This is likely why you got the depression in the wax. However,
it also continues to shrink if you get it cold and also becomes brittle.
If shrinkage or later cold-cracking causes any air gaps in high E-field
areas, the air in the gaps will ionize, potentially lead to ozone/UV
damage and carbon tracking of insulation.

Oops, now this is causing concern. The until will be in virtually
non-climate controlled storage with varying temperatures.

Old-timers used to mix 1:1 beeswax and rosin when they impregnated mica
capacitors or HV transformer windings. The material shrinks less,
remains relatively soft and tacky, and tends not to pull away from the
embedded objects. The rosin also increases the melting temperature
(beeswax alone melts at just 147 F).

Where might I obtain rosin? I may remelt everything and try this in the
Spring. Can I continue using the candle paraffin and mix with rosin?

Any thought on glue sticks also welcomed. I just came across some
threads where folks mixed glue sticks and wax to make a tougher potting
result.

Good luck and play safely!

 

[Lasse Langwadt Christense]

onsdag den 16. oktober 2019 kl. 20.38.53 UTC+2 skrev Bert Hickman:

Jim Horton wrote:
After letting cool all night in the oven, I pulled out the potted
transformer this morning.  I was surprised that some of the wax settled
in the center of the junction box, about 1.5" depression in an area
roughly 1.5" or so wide.  It wasn't enough to expose anything, but a
surprise.  I was tempted to melt and add more wax to this area today,
but since nothing was exposed, just covered it over with the junction
box cover and was done.  Although I could still feel a bit of warmth
coming from the box, I did a quick test after hooking up the driving
circuitry.  Sparking is what it should be, just as before with the
mineral oil.

I know others have mentioned doing something like this under vacuum, but
for a budget limited hobbyist like myself, it's pretty much out of the
question.  I'm also not sure how I would go about it with hot wax.  I do
have a small chamber and single stage pump handy, but those are for
insect drying and nothing the size of this transformer box.

Sounds like it worked!

Paraffin (if that's what you used) tends to shrink considerably as it
hardens. This is likely why you got the depression in the wax. However,
it also continues to shrink if you get it cold and also becomes brittle.
If shrinkage or later cold-cracking causes any air gaps in high E-field
areas, the air in the gaps will ionize, potentially lead to ozone/UV
damage and carbon tracking of insulation.

Old-timers used to mix 1:1 beeswax and rosin when they impregnated mica
capacitors or HV transformer windings. The material shrinks less,
remains relatively soft and tacky, and tends not to pull away from the
embedded objects. The rosin also increases the melting temperature
(beeswax alone melts at just 147 F).

Good luck and play safely!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wax_thermostatic_element

 

[Hul Tytus]

When the parafin is molten you should, hopefully, find the oil and
the parafin to be soluble with each other. Again hopefully, the
room temperature consistancy would be a solid, though a softer one.

Hul

Jim Horton <jhorton@nospam.net> wrote:

Hi. I have an old project that had high voltage components under
mineral oil, the container of which I discovered today was leaking.
Since paraffin was originally recommended, I am in the process of
draining out the oil with the intention of wax embedding later.
However, I am left with mineral oil residue, not only on the high
voltage components, but on the screw driver, floor, etc, a mess really.
What's something I can use that will remove the oil?

Also, as I have never wax potted anything, I would appreciate any
advice. I was going to try doing this in the oven and allow the molten
wax plenty of time to air out, etc, but I'm not sure I can do it in my
oven as it only gets down to 175 F. The components would be in the oven
in a plastic container, most likely similar to an electronic pvc
junction box.

This was a strictly DIY project to begin with so no commercial or safety
elements. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Bert Hickman]

Jim Horton wrote:

On 10/16/19 2:38 PM, Bert Hickman wrote:


Sounds like it worked!

Paraffin (if that's what you used) tends to shrink considerably as it
hardens. This is likely why you got the depression in the wax.
However, it also continues to shrink if you get it cold and also
becomes brittle. If shrinkage or later cold-cracking causes any air
gaps in high E-field areas, the air in the gaps will ionize,
potentially lead to ozone/UV damage and carbon tracking of insulation.

Oops, now this is causing concern.  The until will be in virtually
non-climate controlled storage with varying temperatures.


Old-timers used to mix 1:1 beeswax and rosin when they impregnated
mica capacitors or HV transformer windings. The material shrinks less,
remains relatively soft and tacky, and tends not to pull away from the
embedded objects. The rosin also increases the melting temperature
(beeswax alone melts at just 147 F).

Where might I obtain rosin?  I may remelt everything and try this in the
Spring.  Can I continue using the candle paraffin and mix with rosin?

Paraffin has a high coefficient of thermal expansion (up to 600
ppm/degree C) which accounts for its pronounced shrinkage. Beeswax has
significantly lower shrinkage and better adhesion. You can order rosin
and beeswax on Amazon or eBay, as well as most craft supply stores.
Rosin is available in small chunks and powdered forms. For example:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=372353727885

I'd recommend using filtered and refined cosmetic-grade white or yellow
beeswax (also available via Amazon or eBay). Beeswax melts at about 65 C
while rosin melts at 100 - 150C, so you may need to experiment to find a
low melting temperature rosin that will melt in a double-boiler.

Any thought on glue sticks also welcomed.  I just came across some
threads where folks mixed glue sticks and wax to make a tougher potting
result.

Melted low-temperature ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer glue
sticks might work even better than beeswax-rosin. Low-temperature EVA
(with 25 - 28% vinyl acetate) has a relatively low melting temperature
(~65 - 70 C), about the same as beeswax. It has a high dielectric
strength (~20 kV/mm), and a relative dielectric constant of about 2.9.
It should work well if blended with beeswax.

Some experimenting on small samples should hopefully result in an
inexpensive blend that will easily melt and meet your HV embedding
needs. I've successfully melted and encapsulated small-bodied HV diodes
(that were made to be operated under oil) in EVA instead in order to
operate them in air.

 

[Jim Horton]

On 10/16/19 7:09 PM, Bert Hickman wrote:

Jim Horton wrote:
On 10/16/19 2:38 PM, Bert Hickman wrote:


Paraffin has a high coefficient of thermal expansion (up to 600
ppm/degree C) which accounts for its pronounced shrinkage. Beeswax has
significantly lower shrinkage and better adhesion. You can order rosin
and beeswax on Amazon or eBay, as well as most craft supply stores.
Rosin is available in small chunks and powdered forms. For example:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=372353727885


I'd recommend using filtered and refined cosmetic-grade white or yellow
beeswax (also available via Amazon or eBay). Beeswax melts at about 65 C
while rosin melts at 100 - 150C, so you may need to experiment to find a
low melting temperature rosin that will melt in a double-boiler.

Thanks, at this moment, I'm trying to melt the junction box containing
the 6.5 lbs of paraffin. I have it in the stove and the temp set at 200
F. This is going to take a LONG time unless there's a quicker way I
don't know about. I also *did* notice even more shrinkage when I
removed the cover from the junction box to check the wax. Not good.
Even the "well" I spoke about before was slightly deeper.

I'm looking into the beeswax/ rosin alternatives you kindly shared,
Bert, but first thing I have to do is put the transformers into a
smaller container. Otherwise, it's going to be far too expensive. I
could use a smaller junction box within the larger, or just pick up a
plastic container locally. There's no need for the larger size I don't
think. The melting and working with the wax will be far easier too.

Any thought on glue sticks also welcomed.  I just came across some
threads where folks mixed glue sticks and wax to make a tougher
potting result.


Melted low-temperature ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer glue
sticks might work even better than beeswax-rosin. Low-temperature EVA
(with 25 - 28% vinyl acetate) has a relatively low melting temperature
(~65 - 70 C), about the same as beeswax. It has a high dielectric
strength (~20 kV/mm), and a relative dielectric constant of about 2.9.
It should work well if blended with beeswax.

Hmmm, I'm having a hard time finding these. Most of the manufacturers
don't indicate what type of sticks they use, let alone the lowest
melting temperatures. Just hoping maybe one of the brands Walmart
carries might do the trick, if I can find out more info.

Some experimenting on small samples should hopefully result in an
inexpensive blend that will easily melt and meet your HV embedding
needs. I've successfully melted and encapsulated small-bodied HV diodes
(that were made to be operated under oil) in EVA instead in order to
operate them in air.

 

[Rick C]

On Thursday, October 17, 2019 at 12:28:36 PM UTC-4, Jim Horton wrote:

On 10/16/19 7:09 PM, Bert Hickman wrote:
Jim Horton wrote:
On 10/16/19 2:38 PM, Bert Hickman wrote:


Paraffin has a high coefficient of thermal expansion (up to 600
ppm/degree C) which accounts for its pronounced shrinkage. Beeswax has
significantly lower shrinkage and better adhesion. You can order rosin
and beeswax on Amazon or eBay, as well as most craft supply stores.
Rosin is available in small chunks and powdered forms. For example:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=372353727885


I'd recommend using filtered and refined cosmetic-grade white or yellow
beeswax (also available via Amazon or eBay). Beeswax melts at about 65 C
while rosin melts at 100 - 150C, so you may need to experiment to find a
low melting temperature rosin that will melt in a double-boiler.


Thanks, at this moment, I'm trying to melt the junction box containing
the 6.5 lbs of paraffin. I have it in the stove and the temp set at 200
F. This is going to take a LONG time unless there's a quicker way I
don't know about. I also *did* notice even more shrinkage when I
removed the cover from the junction box to check the wax. Not good.
Even the "well" I spoke about before was slightly deeper.

I'm looking into the beeswax/ rosin alternatives you kindly shared,
Bert, but first thing I have to do is put the transformers into a
smaller container. Otherwise, it's going to be far too expensive. I
could use a smaller junction box within the larger, or just pick up a
plastic container locally. There's no need for the larger size I don't
think. The melting and working with the wax will be far easier too.

Why do you need to fill the enclosure? Can't you just paint the wax on? In the old days they would dip candles and build up a thickness to whatever they needed. In this case you could just paint it on making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies (which shouldn't be there along the critical paths really). Be sure to use a brush that won't leave hairs behind. A nice coarse brush will let you see loose bristles before the wax hardens.

Any thought on glue sticks also welcomed.  I just came across some
threads where folks mixed glue sticks and wax to make a tougher
potting result.


Melted low-temperature ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer glue
sticks might work even better than beeswax-rosin. Low-temperature EVA
(with 25 - 28% vinyl acetate) has a relatively low melting temperature
(~65 - 70 C), about the same as beeswax. It has a high dielectric
strength (~20 kV/mm), and a relative dielectric constant of about 2.9.
It should work well if blended with beeswax.

Hmmm, I'm having a hard time finding these. Most of the manufacturers
don't indicate what type of sticks they use, let alone the lowest
melting temperatures. Just hoping maybe one of the brands Walmart
carries might do the trick, if I can find out more info.

When it comes to info Walmart is not your friend. You will probably need to consult the manufacturers. Find a manufacturer and he can tell you where they can be bought.

--

Rick C.

- Get 2,000 miles of free Supercharging
- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[Jim Horton]

On 10/17/19 4:12 PM, Robert Baer wrote:

  A "half-assed" vacuum can be made by using a bicycle pump backwards.
  Vacuum level depends on how good the flap valve is, and then the
construction.
  One of those rotary roller fish-tank air pumps are excellent - no
extra seals to mess with.
  "Limited budget" my ass.

I do have a cheap, single stage pump, but when I checked it out a week
ago, it was leaking... probably about half of the oil leaked out into
its storage container. Had only used it half a dozen times over two
years and even then for no more than a min or two each time. I drained
out the remaining oil and cleaned up the pump's outside and the storage
container. I'm going to try using silicone on the oil chamber gasket
and see if that fixes it. I have some leftover Permatex high
temperature red, but I don't think that resists oil. So, for the
moment, it's out of commission unless I wanted to add oil for this
purpose and then drain out again.

 

[Robert Baer]

Jim Horton wrote:

After letting cool all night in the oven, I pulled out the potted
transformer this morning.  I was surprised that some of the wax settled
in the center of the junction box, about 1.5" depression in an area
roughly 1.5" or so wide.  It wasn't enough to expose anything, but a
surprise.  I was tempted to melt and add more wax to this area today,
but since nothing was exposed, just covered it over with the junction
box cover and was done.  Although I could still feel a bit of warmth
coming from the box, I did a quick test after hooking up the driving
circuitry.  Sparking is what it should be, just as before with the
mineral oil.

I know others have mentioned doing something like this under vacuum, but
for a budget limited hobbyist like myself, it's pretty much out of the
question.  I'm also not sure how I would go about it with hot wax.  I do
have a small chamber and single stage pump handy, but those are for
insect drying and nothing the size of this transformer box.

A "half-assed" vacuum can be made by using a bicycle pump backwards.
Vacuum level depends on how good the flap valve is, and then the
construction.
One of those rotary roller fish-tank air pumps are excellent - no
extra seals to mess with.
"Limited budget" my ass.

 

[Jim Horton]

On 10/17/19 2:25 PM, Rick C wrote:

On Thursday, October 17, 2019 at 12:28:36 PM UTC-4, Jim Horton wrote:


Why do you need to fill the enclosure? Can't you just paint the wax on? In the old days they would dip candles and build up a thickness to whatever they needed. In this case you could just paint it on making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies (which shouldn't be there along the critical paths really). Be sure to use a brush that won't leave hairs behind. A nice coarse brush will let you see loose bristles before the wax hardens.

I wouldn't trust doing it that way. When the HEI coils were under oil,
working out of phase, they were able to produce up to 5" sparks. It
would be really easy for sparking to occur in unwanted places unless
fully insulated. Because the rewaxing job using the beeswax/ rosin is
going to be too expensive for the size container, if it ever melts, I'm
going to rehouse the transformers in a much smaller container and then
go with either my original paraffin wax/ hot glue method, beeswax/ hot
glue method, or beeswax/ rosin method, depending on cost and what
information I can find out about low temperature hot glue. So far, not
having much luck with hot glue info.

When it comes to info Walmart is not your friend. You will probably need to consult the manufacturers. Find a manufacturer and he can tell you where they can be bought.

I contacted Adtech directly, since that is what Walmart seems to carry.
Waiting to hear back on the melting temperature and whether or not it's
EVA. Then, it's trying to figure out the mixing ratio needed.

 

[Jim Horton]

On 10/17/19 5:53 PM, tabbypurr@gmail.com wrote:

The 'well' does deepen overnight as it cools fully. SOP is to add more wax - when really depends on the size.

Be slightly wary of things described as 100% beeswax or made with 100% beeswax - often they're just paraffin wax with 5% beeswax or 0% & a hint of beeswax-like perfume.

I'm going to try and stick with online beeswax purchase if I go that
route, but I still wish I knew if the paraffin/ hot glue idea would
work. I just finished freeing the transformers from the paraffin. The
oven heated it up enough to make it slightly pliable, so a little hand
work was all that was needed. So now I have 6.5 lbs of paraffin once
again, a new container for the transformers that will only need 2.5 lbs
of wax, and me trying to get more info on the low temp hot glue/
paraffin method before I invest in anything else.

that has little chance of working. But not filling the whole thing would be a positive move. If you can't re-case it you could fill some of the voids with something.

You can up the oven temp to 212. I'd melt the wax in a /metal/ double boiler on the stove top then pour it in to the oven heated circuit. That's by far the quickest way to melt wax.

That's almost exactly how I did it yesterday. Should be easier with
only 1/3 as much once I figure out the route I'm going to take (that
being either beeswax/ rosin, beeswax/ low temp hot glue, or paraffin/
low temp hot glue).

NT

 

On Thursday, 17 October 2019 20:49:56 UTC+1, Jim Horton wrote:

On 10/17/19 2:25 PM, Rick C wrote:
On Thursday, October 17, 2019 at 12:28:36 PM UTC-4, Jim Horton wrote:


Why do you need to fill the enclosure? Can't you just paint the wax on? In the old days they would dip candles and build up a thickness to whatever they needed. In this case you could just paint it on making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies (which shouldn't be there along the critical paths really). Be sure to use a brush that won't leave hairs behind. A nice coarse brush will let you see loose bristles before the wax hardens.

I wouldn't trust doing it that way. When the HEI coils were under oil,
working out of phase, they were able to produce up to 5" sparks. It
would be really easy for sparking to occur in unwanted places unless
fully insulated. Because the rewaxing job using the beeswax/ rosin is
going to be too expensive for the size container, if it ever melts, I'm
going to rehouse the transformers in a much smaller container and then
go with either my original paraffin wax/ hot glue method, beeswax/ hot
glue method, or beeswax/ rosin method, depending on cost and what
information I can find out about low temperature hot glue. So far, not
having much luck with hot glue info.



When it comes to info Walmart is not your friend. You will probably need to consult the manufacturers. Find a manufacturer and he can tell you where they can be bought.


I contacted Adtech directly, since that is what Walmart seems to carry.
Waiting to hear back on the melting temperature and whether or not it's
EVA. Then, it's trying to figure out the mixing ratio needed.

Quicker to use rosin I'd think. To get some, stick (untreated) coniferous wood into the oven. Resin oozes out. Drive off the volatiles & you have rosin.


NT

 

On Thursday, 17 October 2019 19:25:50 UTC+1, Rick C wrote:

On Thursday, October 17, 2019 at 12:28:36 PM UTC-4, Jim Horton wrote:
On 10/16/19 7:09 PM, Bert Hickman wrote:
Jim Horton wrote:
On 10/16/19 2:38 PM, Bert Hickman wrote:


Paraffin has a high coefficient of thermal expansion (up to 600
ppm/degree C) which accounts for its pronounced shrinkage. Beeswax has
significantly lower shrinkage and better adhesion. You can order rosin
and beeswax on Amazon or eBay, as well as most craft supply stores.
Rosin is available in small chunks and powdered forms. For example:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=372353727885


I'd recommend using filtered and refined cosmetic-grade white or yellow
beeswax (also available via Amazon or eBay). Beeswax melts at about 65 C
while rosin melts at 100 - 150C, so you may need to experiment to find a
low melting temperature rosin that will melt in a double-boiler.


Thanks, at this moment, I'm trying to melt the junction box containing
the 6.5 lbs of paraffin. I have it in the stove and the temp set at 200
F. This is going to take a LONG time unless there's a quicker way I
don't know about. I also *did* notice even more shrinkage when I
removed the cover from the junction box to check the wax. Not good.
Even the "well" I spoke about before was slightly deeper.

I'm looking into the beeswax/ rosin alternatives you kindly shared,
Bert, but first thing I have to do is put the transformers into a
smaller container. Otherwise, it's going to be far too expensive. I
could use a smaller junction box within the larger, or just pick up a
plastic container locally. There's no need for the larger size I don't
think. The melting and working with the wax will be far easier too.

The 'well' does deepen overnight as it cools fully. SOP is to add more wax - when really depends on the size.

Be slightly wary of things described as 100% beeswax or made with 100% beeswax - often they're just paraffin wax with 5% beeswax or 0% & a hint of beeswax-like perfume.


> Why do you need to fill the enclosure? Can't you just paint the wax on? In the old days they would dip candles and build up a thickness to whatever they needed. In this case you could just paint it on making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies (which shouldn't be there along the critical paths really). Be sure to use a brush that won't leave hairs behind. A nice coarse brush will let you see loose bristles before the wax hardens.

that has little chance of working. But not filling the whole thing would be a positive move. If you can't re-case it you could fill some of the voids with something.

You can up the oven temp to 212. I'd melt the wax in a /metal/ double boiler on the stove top then pour it in to the oven heated circuit. That's by far the quickest way to melt wax.


NT

 

[Sylvia Else]

On 16/10/2019 2:32 am, Jim Horton wrote:

I am left with mineral oil residue, not only on the high voltage
components, but on the screw driver, floor, etc, a mess really. What's
something I can use that will remove the oil?

If it's anything like the stuff sold as household lubrication oil, it's
soluble in organic solvents like acetone, white sprite (but not
methylated spirit). Even dish-washing liquid and water reduces it to a
thin suspension.

The problem is that it soaks into porous surfaces such as concrete,
unsealed tiles, and such, and it needs to be persuaded to unsoak.

I'm dealing with that at the moment. I seem to be having *some* success
mixing acetone with sodium bicarbonate to make a thick paste, applying
it to the surface to be cleaned, covering it with plastic wrap, putting
something on top to weight it down, and leaving it for 12 hours. But
it's slow going.

Sylvia.

 

[Jim Horton]

On 10/18/19 1:13 AM, Sylvia Else wrote:

On 16/10/2019 2:32 am, Jim Horton wrote:

I am left with mineral oil residue, not only on the high voltage
components, but on the screw driver, floor, etc, a mess really. What's
something I can use that will remove the oil?

If it's anything like the stuff sold as household lubrication oil, it's
soluble in organic solvents like acetone, white sprite (but not
methylated spirit). Even dish-washing liquid and water reduces it to a
thin suspension.

The problem is that it soaks into porous surfaces such as concrete,
unsealed tiles, and such, and it needs to be persuaded to unsoak.

I'm dealing with that at the moment. I seem to be having *some* success
mixing acetone with sodium bicarbonate to make a thick paste, applying
it to the surface to be cleaned, covering it with plastic wrap, putting
something on top to weight it down, and leaving it for 12 hours. But
it's slow going.

Sylvia.

Just to follow up here, I found that the following did an excellent job
not only removing almost all of the oil, but not damaging and surface it
contacted or leaving any residue:

CRC 5103 Quick Dry Electronic Cleaner


It took 3 cans for the amount of oil I had to remove, but it did a great
job. You can find it online, auto stores, or Walmart. I got mine at
Walmart as it was cheapest.

 

[Jasen Betts]

On 2019-10-18, Sylvia Else <sylvia@email.invalid> wrote:

On 16/10/2019 2:32 am, Jim Horton wrote:

I am left with mineral oil residue, not only on the high voltage
components, but on the screw driver, floor, etc, a mess really. What's
something I can use that will remove the oil?

If it's anything like the stuff sold as household lubrication oil, it's
soluble in organic solvents like acetone, white sprite (but not
methylated spirit). Even dish-washing liquid and water reduces it to a
thin suspension.

The problem is that it soaks into porous surfaces such as concrete,
unsealed tiles, and such, and it needs to be persuaded to unsoak.

I'm dealing with that at the moment. I seem to be having *some* success
mixing acetone with sodium bicarbonate to make a thick paste, applying
it to the surface to be cleaned, covering it with plastic wrap, putting
something on top to weight it down, and leaving it for 12 hours. But
it's slow going.

To remove oil from concrete mix wood ash and laundry detergent with
water to make a paste, apply a thick layer to the marked surface and
keep it damp. replace every week until done.

it should de done in a month or so.

Sylvia.

--
When I tried casting out nines I made a hash of it.

 

[Carl]

"Jasen Betts" wrote in message news:qodffl$cfv$3@gonzo.revmaps.no-ip.org...

On 2019-10-18, Sylvia Else <sylvia@email.invalid> wrote:
On 16/10/2019 2:32 am, Jim Horton wrote:

I am left with mineral oil residue, not only on the high voltage
components, but on the screw driver, floor, etc, a mess really. What's
something I can use that will remove the oil?

If it's anything like the stuff sold as household lubrication oil, it's
soluble in organic solvents like acetone, white sprite (but not
methylated spirit). Even dish-washing liquid and water reduces it to a
thin suspension.

The problem is that it soaks into porous surfaces such as concrete,
unsealed tiles, and such, and it needs to be persuaded to unsoak.

I'm dealing with that at the moment. I seem to be having *some* success
mixing acetone with sodium bicarbonate to make a thick paste, applying
it to the surface to be cleaned, covering it with plastic wrap, putting
something on top to weight it down, and leaving it for 12 hours. But
it's slow going.

To remove oil from concrete mix wood ash and laundry detergent with
water to make a paste, apply a thick layer to the marked surface and
keep it damp. replace every week until done.

it should de done in a month or so.

Cover the moist soap with a layer or two of plastic (garbage bags are good)
and weight them down all around the edge to seal the water in as well as you
can. Heat helps mobilize the oil too, so if you can open some window shades
and get some sun on it that would be good. You can also use dry kitty
litter or real "Oil Dri", again under plastic to keep it localized, then
eventually follow that up with soap.

--
Regards,
Carl Ijames