[biofuel] Making bio on the cheap
Hello all, Thought I'd add my 2 cents worth. Been making our own fuel for about a year and a half. Here's our story. I made my own processor out of a 55 ga metal drum. (People will GIVE these to you or you can buy them cheaply) Used the removable lid as the botton and cut out half of the old bottom to be the new top. Welded up a stand out of 2x2 angle and made a small lean towards the drain I installed in the bottom. I also welded in a piece I got at the local home center that allows me to screw in a 110volt H2O heater element. I make 40 gallonas at a time. I mix the Red devil lye in the meth in 5 gallon buckets and just pour it in. STIR OUT IN THE OPEN or wear a good resperator. I mix the batches up using a 1/3 HP sump pump that I just lower down in the soup. After mixing, I pull it out and set it on top of the uncut old bottom that is now the top. Then it drains right back into the mix. GETTING OIL: I have made contacts with some small restaurants. Some call mke and I pick up the 35lb containers from them and I have left 55 gal drums with some of the others. I bought a Honda 4 hp engine with a 1:6 reduction gear and it drives a gear pump. All mounted on a angle steel frame. (Ther IS no life without a mig welder) I bought some gas station hose at Grainger. So, when my people with the 55 galopon drums call, I just run over in the most beat-up discusting diesel vanagon with a barrel in it and pump the good stuff from their drum to mine. RAW OIL: I get cruddy soil oil and cruddy Canola oils. They both make great fuel, but titrate out VERY differently, so I save each until I have 40 gallons then either make a Canola batch or a soy batch. The soy fuel is light gold in color, the Canola fuel turns out darker. TEST BATCHES: I tried the blender method and found it to ba a BIG pain in the ass, so I use the diet coke method. I do my titration and then add a litre of raw to the diet coke bottle followed by 22 ml of metanol with the appropriate amount of lye mixed in. Shake well (put the cap back on first...) Let it set a few hours. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS make test batches! Best to screw up a litre versus 40 gallons!! FILTERS: I looked at the cost of the diesel fuel filters and about chocked!! So, I use water sedimant filters that fit in this neato $19 plastic container with inlet and outlet ports on it. The filters last a long time and get EVERYTHING out of the finished fuel. They cost about 2-3 a piece and I find a LOT of them sat yard sales. I use a tallow pump which is a gear drive pump for emptying fryers. (perfect) It is 110 volt and I use it to move the fuel to storasge containers etc. I use metal 5 gallojn fuel cans to fill the Wittle Wellow Wabbit and the discusting Vanagon, a 99 Golf and a soon to be ready to go to the beach diesel Vanagon Westy. I was priviledged to be asked to do a presentation at the Sol Fest here in Scottsdale last April. Giving up a nice Real Estste career to go back to school to get my teaching certificate. REALLY want to end up teaching alt energy and environmental issues to kids.. So if you have not ytried making any bio yet, GET TO IT!! Don't wait for the Government to fix the energy problem with their tax incentives etc. This is OUR country and WE have to save it. I feel the whole energy thing is a major crisis. RIDE YOR BIKE everywhere you can and then drive your bio car when you NEED it.You run into a nice class of people on the bike lanes PEACE, Kitch in Az Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Yahoo! Domains - Claim yours for only $14.70 http://us.click.yahoo.com/Z1wmxD/DREIAA/yQLSAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] My Biodiesel experience so far.....
Well, I have finished my second 45 gallon batch of fuel and all is well. The Vanagon just LOVES the stuff and actually seems to run smoother. Power seems the same, all smoking is GONE and the exhaust smells LOT better. The used oil I have been using is what I call Carney Grease - It's the stuff I have been collecting all winter from the food vendors at the fairs held all winter here in Az. This stuff is CRAP and runs from Canola oil, peanut oil, soy oil and only God knows what else. It is INCREDABLY filthy and I have even found cigarette butts in it. I don't filter it before dumping it in my processor, but rather two to three time as I transfer it from the processor tank to the second stage settling tank to the final storage tank. The chemical reaction seems to work just fine with the food bits in there and most of that stuff ends up in the glycerine layer. I have a 55 galloon drum in my Vanagon with a top spout. If a Carney Vendor just drains his stuff into a bucket, we pour ir theough a funnel with three layers of window screen. (gets the cigarette butts!!) I have a drain on the bottom to empty it for processing. Most of the time we just pick the oil up in the original containers. EQUIPMENT = My main processor tank is a steel drum with a removable top secured with a big steel cinch ring. The removable top is actually the bottom and has a drain in the small threaded hole and a 110 volt water heater element threaded into a water heater element base that I welded into the top (now bottom). I cut a semi circle out of the bottom (now the top) and use that to lower my pump and pour all the goodies in. This whole rig sits on top of a roll around frame that I made from 2x2 angle and that also allows me room to get a bucket under it to drain the discusting gylcerine. I find that my mixing pump labors a lot less if I heat the crud a bit, and the whole mixture kicks quicker if you warm it too. I PREMIX all the oil before I titrate, as it comes from all over and has all kinds of stuff cooked in it. I premix for an hour then Titrate. MIXING pump - I use a 1.6 horse sump pump and it is PERFECT for mixing. SO FAR, the methonal and it seem to get along. Filter. WELL !! The Real diesel fuel filters cost an arm and a leg, so I use the sand and sediment drinking water filters from the Home Depot store. The plastic canister was about 12 bucks and the filters are $7 for two. I am still on the first. I found a GREAT NEW drinking water filter setup at a yard sale for $3. (Ain't America WONDERFUL ???) FUEL TRANSFER. One of the BIG problems is moving all the fuel/oil/crud from tank to tank and eventually to your fuel can and THEN into the damn car. I tried a 12 volt diaphram pump and it was swell until tha methanol ate it. I bit the bullet and bought a Tallow pump from a GREAT local supplier here in Phoenix. Moves crud at the rate of 5 gallons a minute and will suck the chrome off a buick bumper. It is a Cast Iron and brass gear drive pump that's a lot like the one on your Chevy. It's WORTH IT if you're gonna fool with this stuff for for a while.. Titrating - I use some litmus paper that I got at the supply house where I bought the really cool beakers and dishes. TITRATE EVERY TIME and then make a sample in the old blender. I am no chemist, so I amamazed at watching the process happen in the sample batch. METHANOL - I bought a 55 gallon drum for $120 at a local supplier. They said they'd sell me the next drum for $110. Storage barrels - I LOVE those really cool bright blue water barrels. You can look down in them and see you finger on the outside then you can REALLY see how full they are. I use two currently - one as a second stage settling barrel and the second as a final stage storage barrel. So, tomorrow I use up the rest of my Carney Grease and will hit a few places for a regular supply. I can say this IF one can make good clean fuel out of the discusting crap I've been getting, then ANYONE can do it. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS in the From the fryer to the tank, book and you'll be amazed. Finally, I am married to the neatest woman who just happens to be my best friend. She puts up with the Solar Power thing and backs me on making my own fuel. In turn, I go to all the craft shows with her (and make comntact with the food vendors!!) Hope for peace and maybe some day Old Men will stop sending young men to kill and die. (THAT'S ALL for my political crap) Be glad to send pics and info to anyone interested. Bill in Az Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Rent DVDs Online - Over 14,500 titles. No Late Fees Free Shipping. Try Netflix for FREE! http://us.click.yahoo.com/YoVfrB/XP.FAA/uetFAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe,
[biofuel] SUCCESS!!
Well!! Did my first opil test this morning and then made a perfect one litre batch. Will pour that in the good ols Vanagon tomorrow and make the BIGGY - a 45 gallon batch. Will keep you all posted - Have learned a LOT so far. Bill in Az. Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Make Money Online Auctions! Make $500.00 or We Will Give You Thirty Dollars for Trying! http://us.click.yahoo.com/KXUxcA/fNtFAA/uetFAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Premix raw stock ??
Hello all. Hate to get off topic with a Biodiesel question (The group is all politics now), but I get my raw used oil from many craft show venders . They all use the same oil, but use it to cook many different things. As that can really change the PH from one 5 gal batch to another, I am thinking it would be best to filter it THEN mis all the raw stock for a hour or so before taking the first PH reading. Make sense ?? Thanks, Bill in Az. Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Your own Online Store Selling our Overstock. http://us.click.yahoo.com/rZll0B/4ftFAA/46VHAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Bio fuel troubles
Hi Y'all, Say, if you are having bad results, remember these tips: 1. TRY to get the same type of oil from the same source. IF you cannot, then remember to throughly mix the raw waste oil so that you can accuratly measure the PH of the WHOLE batch 2. MAKE SURE your methanol is 99.5 pure 3. BE sure to measure the PH of the test batch and bring it up to 8-8.5 before going further and ALWAYS make a one litre test batch!! NO USE ruining the 55 gal batch. 4. I try to avoid oil that has had beef cooking oil in it. TOO MUCH animal fat can ruind the stew. Keep on trying!! Bill in Az. Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] VW Diesel Warranty exclusions!!
Hello, Went looking at the Golf TDI today and had TWO dealers tell me that the engine warranty wold be VOIDED if I bought one and ran biodiesel. I'm gonna check further intoi it, but thought I'd pass this on. Bill in Az Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Arizona source for methanol
Hello All, Say, does anyone know of a good source for methanol in Az at a good price for a good product ? Thanks, Bill in Az. Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
