Maybe make this a sticky,I don't know but I've been looking around not really found crap to help me out.

Alright,what I'm speaking of is biodiesel. I've owned a few 1st gen Cummins,sold due to different things and miss them. My gasser 1/2 ton truck is KILLING me in gas,so is my dad's. He has a 91.5 D350 sitting in the shop that needs paint then it'll be ready for the road. Ok with fuel prices in general on the rise and no end in sight it's time to say to hell with the goverment and all there crap! I'm wanting to learn about biodiesel and what can be done because I'm looking for another Cummins rig and if I do then it's going to be my daily driver and hopefully the D350 of my dad's will be his. If we could make our own biodiesel to run in these rigs then we would be good to go!

Ok I'll just quickly give my info of what I know and if anybody makes this stuff,has made it,knows how or anything PLEASE let's hear your input because I'd like to have a base set up so everybody can know how to make it so we won't have a million and half posts just like this one here I've seen the FuelFreeAmerica crap,a small system is approx. 3grand plus a few other expensive items. Being a good old country boy I know that's bull and it can be made MUCH MUCH cheaper(heard in the $200-300 range) From what I understand,we take waste oil from fryers and such in restraunts and then make a system that will filter and seperate off what we need,then the by product is the main ingredient in the making of soap.

I can build and make things so I'm VERY willing to listen and want to know what can be done. I'm soon to be going to local community college,me and a buddy and we'll be commuting about 50 miles a day so with these stupid fuel prices it would be $100-150 a week just to go back and forth to school! I'm going to have a hard enough time paying for school! Sorry for ranting but I'm very interested in this but can't make heads or tails out of many of the posts I searched though and maybe we could get this stuff together and organized where everyone can learn from others that have already done this. Thanks

 

http://www.coloradobiodiesel.com/

search appleseed processor in google

There's a lot of info out there you need to do your own research. It can be done like you said there are some drawbacks with say cold weather. Just research.

They say you can make it for %.70 per gallon but thats if you don't count your time.

 

http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html Everything you want to Know and more.

 

www.localb100.com

 

http://forums.biodieselnow.com/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=47

My guess is that you can be creative and build a high quality (i,e, not plastic ) processor for ~$1000

It will be useful to have a friend who salvages Stainless Steel food processing equip.

Feedstock is likely going to be a challenge, the Utah BioD coop has a good plan (becoming a 'non-profit, 501-C3, and offering 'deductable contributions' for oil donors)
http://www.utahbiodiesel.org/

 

All good links above, but the real thing you want is to do the search for appleseed processor. Mark Oliveria (spelling?) has a nifty little pamphlet that she sells for about $5 that will get you making useable biodiesel for less than $300 if you are lucky and know where to find used hot water heaters, etc.

It takes time, and you have to be able to measure & weigh things accurately and have some patience. I figure it would take about two weeks of pretty concerted effort to build your processor and get so that you can make batches.

You need to figure out where you will buy your methanol and lye.

You also need to be able to get rid of methanol contaminated glycerin (best use I know of is for concrete form release) and wash water with methanol and glycerin in it.

I have a friend who is starting a coop production facility -- but it has just been too much of a hassle for me to set up my own reactor. Also, biodiesel gels at about 40 degrees -- it got that cold at my house night before last. In the witner I get -40, and most anti-gels don't work with biodiesel. For you, though, it should not be a big problem.

Good luck!

 

Alec: if the same woman ur talking about is the one I'm thinking about, here screen name a girl mark?? she is usually all over the localb100 board. See takes tours evey now and then and makes bio on the road. pretty cool. I haven't seen a pamphlet of hers, any links to it??

 

I've been reading and reading more for the last few days trying to take all this in. There is a TON of stuff to remember and look into. I think it can be done pretty easily,I figure if I got everything figured out and built and had my places to get my WVO,methanol and lye then it would be absolutely no problem. The only thing is that methanol and lye are also two of the main ingredients in this drug..meth I think it what they call it. Wal-Mart and places like that really crack down on you buying things that they are using to make that crap. I live out in the boonies so making the biodiesel wouldn't be a problem with the city or anything.

For the appleseed reactor,my buddy Trent sent me this link that is EXTREMELY helpful: http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/appleseedprocessor/

Also biodieselcommunity.org in general has awesome info on it. I'm trying to read up on it all and hopefully within a few weeks I can understand it all and make my first small batch and if I like it then start gathering for my reactor!

I figure with my pops and me doing it all right it would take a month or two to get into a rountine of making it and having the formula and everything down just right.

If anybody has anymore info or people I could contact and talk to is still a great help. Hopefully we can get our three CTD's running off this stuff soon

 

Yeah, girl Mark is the woman. A friend of mine got the pamphlet from her in person when she was up in NH picking up a diesel Mercedes van. I think they built a quick processor in the back of the van and took off for CA . . .

The link posted above has all of the same info in the pamhplet, but with better diagrams and pictures -- so I wouldn't worry about trying to track down her pamhlet, just read through that site.

If you can find an industrial supply place, you should be able to buy a 55 gallon drum of Methanol for decent money and without too much hassle. It would be worth the effort to find it that way if you are serious and sure you can get the vegetable oil.

PM me if you get going, and I can get you in touch with my friend.

 

Ain't even thought bout buying it in 55 gal. drum. I'm trying to locate to tell me what kind of ratios it takes to make (insert how many gals. here) of biodiesel. I'm about positive I can get the oil.I'd just have to get from a few other places. Country cafe right down the road gets rid of about a gallon a day of it and he said I'm more than welcome to it. I know of two other places in town that would probably give me WVO. I slept through most all my science classes so I'll definately need to read up before I start making this stuff I'm either going to get a CTD and run biodiesel or get me a cheap Toyota truck and drive,would like to do both(CTD tow rig/Toyota play toy) but the Yota would need a 4bt CTD in it

Any help with location of site that tells ratios of mixture to make bio would be great I know I'll find it cause I'm slowly just reading everything I see. Thanks yall!

 

As far as ratios: No help but I stubled across some guesstimates reading all that stuff! So its in there somewhere! Sorry, I haven't been keeping up on Bio in a while got some other things, gotta start gathering parts soon.