Brake Fluid - Alternative Use?

The metalworking content is that I bought two old cans of brake fluid for the metal cans. One will be used for Ed's Red - the acetone evaporates through plastic, so for longer term storage you need a metal can. I may modify the cap of the other one to become a dispenser.
Before I discard the old brake fluid, is it useful for anything around the shop? BTW, what's in brake fluid?
RWL
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RWL writes:
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Various glycols and glycol ethers. You want incompressibility for hydraulic performance, low vapor pressure to avoid evaporation losses, high boiling point to handle hot brake systems, miscibility with water to disperse water contamination instead of separating it where it could freeze or boil, non-corrosive to metal, inert to elastomers, low flammability.

It makes a great paint remover. Just spill some on the car. Does work as a decent solvent. Respectfully, Ron Moore
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On Sun, 09 Oct 2005 23:11:02 -0400, RWL <GeoLane_NOSPAM_
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You can always mix it with swimming pool powdered clorine..in the yard of someone you dont like...really intensely dont like....
I believe that brake fluid is polyethylene glycol
Gunner
Confronting Liberals with the facts of reality is very much akin to clubbing baby seals. It gets boring after a while, but because Liberals are so stupid it is easy work." Steven M. Barry

what'll happen?
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It's a delayed incindiary. Starts fires. Fire departments know all about this arsonist's technique.

snip----
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From my young years (early 50's), I was taught that it was made from alcohol and castor oil. You can smell the alcohol----not sure about the castor oil, but it makes sense.
Harold

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Not any more (if ever). It's stuff like this:
http://www.chemicalland21.com/arokorhi/petrochemical/DEG.htm

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Thanks for the link! Nice to hear it from the horse's mouth.:-)
Harold

Actually, if you were to smell the Girling brake fluid, you would distinctly smell the castor oil.
Years ago, when I serviced a large number of older European and British cars, we had to keep Girling fluid in stock for the British iron.
You cannot mix the two due to differing compositions of the brake system rubber parts between the European and British cars.
Put the wrong fluid in either system, and you were headed for trouble.

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Thanks for confirming what I had remembered. Brake fluid, indeed, used to be made of alcohol and castor oil.
OK----I admit it-------I'm old. <g>
Harold

back on Mon, 10 Oct 2005 01:05:46 -0700 in rec.crafts.metalworking :
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    Back in those days ...
    "Why, when I was a boy, we had brake fluid made from real brakes!"

Dear Pyotr, In the days before I built 5" gauge live steam ,I played with HO railways. If I remember correctly Brake fluid was used to strip the paint off commercial plastic locomotive body shells prior to re-painting in a different livery. the plastic was left undamaged Regards Ian In article <1330l1dta2h4n3cfptj5
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On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 09:43:40 +0100, "Ian R.Weeks"
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I have a small jar of brake fluid in which I soak rattle can nozzles for a couple days, then blow them clean with compressed air. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 17:09:01 -0400, with neither quill nor qualm,
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Good tip, Gerry, if you'll pardon my double entendre. ;)
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Makes a good weed killer...
On Sun, 09 Oct 2005 23:11:02 -0400, RWL <GeoLane_NOSPAM_
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X-No-Archive
Greetings,
PMBI, but I've been wondering how to get rid of some brake fluid (DOT 4), and this seemed like a great opportunity to ask.
I change the brake fluid in by bike (Honda, not Schwinn :-) every year, and the stuff is starting to accumulate (a bit more than one quart so far). Is it safe to flush, or does it require some sort of special disposal? I asked at my local gas station, and they had no idea what to do with used brake fluid!
Thanks in advance for the assistance!
Cordially, Richard Kanarek
P.S. Having been stored out doors, in sealed, but probably not hermitically sealed, bottles, I doubt it's still good for anything now. Still, if there is someone in NYC who's keen on having used brake fluid, feel free to reply! My e-mail address is obfuscated, but I think you can figure it out!

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Dump it in with your "used" when you do an oil change, then drop it off at the recyclers.

Thanks for the reply.
AFAIK, contaminated motor oil is not only non-recyclable, but it makes the oil it's mixed with non-recyclable, too. By non-recyclable, I don't mean to suggest that it might be refused at the filling station (although there was one guy at a Jiffy Lube who would sniff used oil before accepting it, may he rest in peace <g>), but that it will just muck-(no pun)-up things up later.
Of course, I'm not saying that brake fluid tainted used motor oil is "contaminated" -- perhaps brake fluid is a swell and recyclable additive? -- but I'd prefer not to take the chance.
Cordially, Richard Kanarek
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I agree. Motor oil, in order to be properly recycled, should not be contaminated with ANYTHING------especially gasoline or solvents. I keep thinking of the hazards of using used oil for a furnace that has been so contaminated. Could prove interesting!
Harold