Maybe OT: Making your own Bio-diesel

[halac]

With high diesel fuel prices, I've been considering purchasing one of those kits where you make your own bio-diesel.

What research I've done so far it seems initial investment will be somewheres in the neighborhood of about $1500 to $2000 USD.

Have any of you all out there had any experience with one of these kits or with bio-diesel itself?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

[level head]

i watched a show ( truckes ) on biodesiel they used a kit from Freedom Fuel America really neat , it only cost them 12 cents for 1 gallon .With the free fat from cooking ,all you have to purchase is lye chemical and racing fuel...

[SGW]

My take on it is that it's more work than I have the ttime for, but you may have a different take on it than I do. I expect if you got a routine going it might be manageable.

I suppose you know about www.biodiesel.org

[jdunmyer]

Have you checked out this website?

http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_aleksnew.html

I don't really think that I'd spend that kind of $$$ to build a fuel processor, I probably have enough junk, er.. "material" in stock.

[halac]

Have you checked out this website?

http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_aleksnew.html

I don't really think that I'd spend that kind of $$$ to build a fuel processor, I probably have enough junk, er.. "material" in stock.

Thanks for the link. That site gives me some more info to work with. I'm not the greatest of "plumbers", so I may opt for one of the pre-made set-ups. The ones I've been considering make about 35 gallons a batch. That would be enough to give me a fill up on my F-350.

[halac]

My take on it is that it's more work than I have the time for, but you may have a different take on it than I do. I expect if you got a routine going it might be manageable.

I suppose you know about www.biodiesel.org

According to several of the vendors who sell these systems to process about 35 gallons of bio-diesel you need to invest about 1.5 hours of time. I know this is probably a sales pitch, but I look at saving about $1.50 per gallon worth the extra time.

[sid pileski]

bio

A friend of mine makes bio from cooking oil. It has been very good for him.
He uses it in is Dodge and his wife's Jetta. Two years now. No problems.
You'll find a lot of nay-sayers, but the bottom line is, it works and we had better find a way to do more of this for our Country.

Sid

[SJorgensen]

Obviously with low octane gasoline at $3 in the United States, and without having our health-care system being financed by fuel sales like it is in the UK, this is a VERY high price by comparison. People will find more economical solutions. Once people find a way to get "off the grid" they will never again be subject to the effective "usury" that we are subject to by the current system.
I am encouraged by every effort.

I hope that someone can find a way to convert lawn clippings into fuel. I don't suggest this glibly. We in the United States produce more lawn clippings than any other cultivated product produced by man. There is an enormous amount of solar energy in those clippings.

All sources of energy are important. We must undermine, if only incrementally, the oil culture of Bush, Cheney, and Condolesa Rice.

[lugnut]

IF your time is worth nothing and you don't mind smelling like french frys, go for it! But you are going to have to use a bunch to recover the cost of setting up and ????????????????

Mel

[Doc Nickel]

The first thing you need to do is find out if you can even GET that low-cost used fry oil. There's lots of places where demand is rapidly outstripping supply, and I've started to hear stories of the restraunts starting to charge for their used oil.

Keep in mind that if a given area increases demand for fuel, more is trucked in. But if there's an increase in demand for used fry oil, what are they going to do, build more fast-food joints? Add more french-fry vats? McDonalds isn't going to cycle their oil through any faster just for you diesel guys, because that would cost them money. They start doing that and they'll start charging you for the oil.

For the moment, it's a clever little "feel good" trick, but it's not sustainable. Making crops directly into diesel has the potential of offsetting a small measure of petroleum use, but it's a long way out yet, and likely will never be able to replace even as much as just 10% of diesel use. We start running into limits of arable land to grow the crops on, as well as soil depletion and erosion.

Doc.

[John Stevenson]

Why not drive something a bit more conservative than a space shuttle transporter and not waste what resources we have.

.

[John Williams]

Good info on the bio stuff at http://forums.thedieselstop.com/ubbt...oard=biodiesel

[Rustybolt]

How much does it cost to produce a gallon of cooking oil anyway?

[A.K. Boomer]

I believe what Docs saying is true, its maybe only capable of taking care of .001% of the populous, but still its good to see its not being wasted, supply and demand will take care of itself with this one, To me john hit the nail on the head, get more efficient, if you dont need it dont use it and that esp. includes BIG vehicles, I still see people commuting in thier ford duelies and excursions, i know this is not a popular thing to say in this country but this is wrong,,, my little tercel gets close to 40mpg and im still trying to figure a way of squeezing a little more out of her...
I will never forget Cheneys comment about conservation not being any viable part of a sound energy policy and americans need not worry about changing thier ways,,,,,,,,,,, just one more pork rind outa do it --- ****....

I really believe thier will be a little I.C/E.C. hybrid engine that may be capable of harnessing enuf waste heat to make it worth building, I also believe good things will come out of this even as late in the game as it is...

[A.K. Boomer]

Hey, I was just trying to say his name and it got etched out,,, maybe i should have said "richard"