Making Biodiesel

farmerdoug · March 15, 2006, 11:40:04 PM

Has anyone here made their own biodiesel?

My Brother and me are going to try making it soon. I have pinned the main two ingredients to 70 cents/ gal. We are going to use WVO and maybe even try new vegatable oil. I would like to hear if anyone has tried it.

Farmerdoug

Tom · March 15, 2006, 11:42:18 PM

Use the forum search. There are several threads. We have experts.

farmerdoug · March 15, 2006, 11:48:11 PM

Tom,

I tried the search and came up short. I know that we talked about the subject and a few people said they were thinking about making it but no confirmations. Also there was talk about buying it to use by Bibbyman.

Farmerdoug

farmerdoug · March 16, 2006, 12:01:18 AM

I think Buzz or Quartlow or someone from their area mentioned making biodisel but I could not find it in the search but it may be the pain killers I am on too. I will try the search again in the morning. Thanks for the look, Tom.

Farmerdoug

Tom · March 16, 2006, 12:02:00 AM

here's a start.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=12309.msg171805#msg171805

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=14187.msg204964#msg204964

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=13018.msg181477#msg181477

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=13837.0

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=14391.0

Radar67 · March 16, 2006, 12:05:28 AM

FarmerDoug,
If you are running a diesel engine, you can run straight vegetable oil in most cases. The Detroit Diesel is better suited. In colder climates, a pre-heater is required and it is reccomended that you run two tanks, one for diesel and one for VO. You start and stop the engine on diesel and switch over to VO after warm up. If using WVO, it has to be filtered to a certian micron content. I have a website somewhere that covers the whole thing if you are interested.

Stew

farmerdoug · March 16, 2006, 12:14:08 AM

Stew,

I have looked in to that option already but I am a Ford owner and the injector pumps in Ford diesels die on veggie oil so that is out. :(

Thanks anyways,

Farmerdoug

thedeeredude · March 16, 2006, 09:49:31 AM

www.dieselsecret.com

I've never used this stuff before, but it might be worth a try on an old junk engine or something. For straight veggie oil, www.greasel.com

Have fun.

TexasTimbers · March 16, 2006, 10:13:18 AM

Yep I thought Buzz would've chimed in by now. He is the, or one of the, resident experts.
I picked his brain a little bit back when this was on one of my front burners. It's been bumped way down the list for now so I can't really offer anything intelligent to say except - don't fall for that "Diesel Secret Energy - ¢0.46 a gallon magic concentrate" crapola. Nope I don't know this from experience. But 20 years ago I was the type to stand in line for the latest greatest snake oil. ;D

Onthesauk · March 16, 2006, 01:41:52 PM

Link to an organization here in the NW:

long link

Have a nephew who has been involved for several years now.

Tim · March 16, 2006, 02:45:36 PM

I had been thinking about taking a swing at this bio-diesel thing since I was shown an article in the morther earth news. The stroy was about a peanut farm that was about to go nipples north and how they did it.

Seeing as there isn't a great deal of peanuts in this particular area, I'm curious as to the oil yield out of corn, potatoes, soy or other plants grown in this part of the great white north. Secondly, who would buy the glycerine that makes up the other 50% of vegatable oil?

I say this while ancle deep in sawdust...

Don_Papenburg · March 17, 2006, 10:24:38 PM

Tim , Canola is far better suited for biodiesel . And it is grown in the great white north.

Quartlow · March 19, 2006, 09:59:49 PM

Yeah I had my nose stuck in it for a while, actually my cousin here on the farm is the one working on it and I'm sittting on the sidelines waiting for him to figure it out ;D Then I'll get involved and actually buy diesel to run it.

Bill · March 20, 2006, 10:15:43 PM

Farmerdoug

FWIW
Been dancing around the idea for awhile. I happened across a website that said if you make more than 400 gallons per calendar quarter that you owe Uncle Sam something like $ 0.244/gallon and if you had been from the left coast they'd want something like $ 0.18 / gallon period.

If you weren't so far away I'd be tempted to team up with you on a sample batch.

Good Luck

Tim · March 21, 2006, 09:19:11 AM

Any idea what the oil yeild is per ton of canola Don?

I've heard that there could be some nasty health problems involved with canola. Canola is a genetically modified rape seed. If not GM then its selective breed for northern climates... (I'm into cutting up plants not, breeding them...) Folks running things in Europe had banned rape seed for human consumption.

I'm thinking I'd be a little more partial to making some energy out of the sawdust pile.

Buzz-sawyer · March 21, 2006, 06:22:29 PM

If youare interested , here is the secret list of the liquid gold formula
This is a fun experiment if youwant to see what it takes to make the stuff....my last vollum batch estimate was about .70 a gallon...with free grease ;)

1 some old disgusting fryer grease from the local burger joint

2 some methanol (HEET)

3some lye drain cleaner

4 a coke 2 litre bottle

The particulars are also available................ :D :D :D

Dana · March 21, 2006, 08:56:59 PM

"the particulars are also available" What do we do to get them?

ScottAR · March 22, 2006, 02:44:42 AM

All the particulars are available in link form from www.thedieselstop.com/

Probably just as well the poster shoulder the liablity from there.

"Combine some *meow* with some *Moo* with *woof* and you get gun cotton"
-Mythbusters

OneWithWood · March 22, 2006, 11:17:46 AM

I have been actively investigating making bio-diesel and running a dual fuel outdoor boiler with straight WVO for some time now. Do a google search on Girl_Mark and buy her book. It doesn't get any clearer than she relates it and there are valuable links in the book.
I will be brewing as soon as I finish the saw barn and kiln. (who knows that could be yet this century :D)

shopteacher · March 22, 2006, 11:22:26 AM

I called two places here that sell it commerically and it runs 3.70 a gallon. Guess I'll have to stay with heating oil for a while longer.

mometal77 · March 22, 2006, 04:06:00 PM

Hey Stew would love that link. I was watching tv last week. This governor of montana has this process over there. He says to refine this diesel is only $1 a gallon if sold. No smell to it and looked like water on tv. There is technology I have heard of where tires never go bald. For other info google the oil fields in alberta. Oil above ground up there. They say there is 4 trillion barrels.

Bill · March 23, 2006, 02:04:18 AM

Alberta - a friend was telling me they heard that China struck up a gigantic long term deal with Canada for a pipeline and that Alberta oil.

Time will tell I suppose.