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Biodiesel--anyone made their own

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2008-12-01          158254

I went on line to investigate making smal batches of biodiesel. The information is overwhelming. Has anyone made their own and have info to share?

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Biodiesel--anyone made their own

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auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2168 West of Toronto
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2008-12-01          158259

I think the concerns are good filtration (so it won't overload the machine's filter) and not gelling in cold temps. ....

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Biodiesel--anyone made their own

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2008-12-01          158260

We looked into it, but never went past the feasibility study stage.

It's like anything else, to compete against large volume producers you need basically free labour.

I guess if you had a lot of time off during the winter or something and had nothing better to do you could conceivably do it for not much $$ labour-wise, but you still have to build your 'still' and so on before you make a drop of burnable fuel.

In our case it wasn't going to be practical.

Besides, up here there's commercial bio-diesel vendors already.

Best of luck.

....

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Biodiesel--anyone made their own

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2008-12-01          158264

I haven't made any myself, but a friend made some out of a used cooking oil/diesel fuel concoction containing other ingredients, like so many ounces of fuel stabilizer, some Power Service, and other things that I can't remember for sure now. He only made one batch, the mess was more than he wanted to deal with besides not being sure what it might do the the insides of his new Power Stroke. ....

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Biodiesel--anyone made their own

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AnnBrush
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 463 Troy OH
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2008-12-02          158284

Good luck finding a reliable supplier of used oil - you will be battling other users who are paying restaurants etc for those products. My company is paying top dollar for animal and vegetable fats as prices are high. ....

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Biodiesel--anyone made their own

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2008-12-02          158285

Ann what does your company do?

My biodiesel journey has just begun. I'm more of the experimentation stage with an eye toward making enough for my own use. Road diesel is at $2.59 today.

My feeling is while fuel costs are low that will give me time to develop my craft and cultivate sources. Just the other day on Craigslist I found and picked up (15) 4- gallon pails with donut oil for free. His wifey says they had to go.

And if this gets to a grand scale (who knows) I have connections to the largest potato chip mfg. in Michigan. They process something like 10,000 lb. of potatoes a day. And another buddy has a restaurant.

But Ann I know what you're saying. Here today--gone tomorrow to the highest bidder. ....

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AnnBrush
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 463 Troy OH
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2008-12-02          158292

We are a nutrition company making and blending complete feeds, premixes and basemixes for all kinds of livestock. We have national recognition but dont do retail. We buy a LOT of feed ingredients from all over the world. ....

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Biodiesel--anyone made their own

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2008-12-02          158293

Ann, since you are answering questions about what you do and such and this one probably is answered already and missed it:

The two bolts, what kind of application were they in? How did they end up so damaged? Is that normal? Realize the last two may be answered by a question before it. Know that each time I see them I wonder and just how close something was of failing and how close someone may been to not being happy. Thanks kt ....

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Biodiesel--anyone made their own

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
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2008-12-03          158315

Jeff, before you get too excited you need to look at all the angles.

Most sources of 'free' oil will want you to take all or none, they can't stock pile until you are ready to take some. You will also need tanks for both raw and treated oil, and storage and disposal of the waste products.

Also, don't forget about the taxes, you can add about $0.40 a gallon to whatever your cost of production is to give to Uncle Sam and the State.

Best of luck. ....

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Biodiesel--anyone made their own

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AnnBrush
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2008-12-03          158335

KT - no problem
The two were grade 5 (I think) bolts used to attach a post hole auger to the post hole gear drive. At the time they were used the auger struck the underside of a concrete slab and ended up damaging the PTO clutch inside the tractor when a single grade 2 bolt would have sufficed for the job and would have sheared right off protecting the clutch. Its unfortunate the two bolts held as long as they did. ....

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Biodiesel--anyone made their own

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kthompson
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2008-12-05          158400

Thanks for the info on the bolts. Sad to say many people don't understand the importance or difference between grades. Then they don't realize nuts come in different grades. Know that has been discussed here before.
kt
....

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Biodiesel--anyone made their own

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2008-12-05          158407

Quote:
Originally Posted by kthompson | view 158400
Sad to say many people don't understand the importance or difference between grades. Then they don't realize nuts come in different grades.


Kenny, back when I was running a fabricating shop I had a guy come in to inquire if I would weld up a trailer for him if he bought & cut all the steel himself. I pointed out to him that since I bought the steel wholesale and in bulk instead of small amounts and for retail $$ it would be cheaper for us to do the whole job.

He insisted that he had a 'connection' and could get the steel cheaper. So be it.

When I stated the charge by the hour and the time involved, and therefore the price, he nearly fell over.

He left mumbling something about doing it all himself.

A few months later he was back and asked me to make him a trailer.

I was a little curious so I asked.

He had bolted the entire thing together with Grade 2 bolts from the hardware store.

Going down the highway at 65mph several bolts let go and his and his buddy's 4 wheelers (top drawer stuff too) had become bowling balls.

So much for saving a few hundred bucks.

Best of luck.

....

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Biodiesel--anyone made their own

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2008-12-05          158408

Kenny, not only do nuts and bolts come in grades but washers do too.

BTW, nuts coming in different grades...an' you saw this coming...what's your grade? tehehehe ....

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Biodiesel--anyone made their own

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PGBiodiesel
Join Date: Nov 2008
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2008-12-05          158421

All you need is some vegtable oil(cooking oil), methanol(yellow bottle of HEET), and some lye(like your grandmother used to make soap), and some heat to speed things up.

The best site to find out about everything is the Biodiesel & SVO Discussion Forums at http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x?a=cfrm&s=44760951

When searching, the JTF site comes up most often, but it's info is either outdated or simply incorrect.

Mixing a bunch of other ingredients does not produce BioDiesel.
It might burn in your engine, but it is not legally recognized as a fuel. It won't pollute less. I wouldn't trust it to not damage any of my engines.

You can process gallons batchs of BioDiesel by hand and use it for an lubrication improving additive. 2-5% does wonders with this ULSD crap we have to use now in everything that wasn't designed for it.

I could go on for hours, weeks.

Goodluck
....

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