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What to use for measuring fuel? - 4/16/2003 8:05:46 AM   
CAP232CM



Posts: 488
Joined: 4/21/2002
From: Parkville, MO, USA
Status: offline 		Ok I have my methanol and my Klotz KL100. I know how many ounces of each. My question is what kind of measuring device do you use or where can one be bought for measuring in ounces up to 128? Can I just poor in the amount of oil in a empty jug then fill the rest with methanol? The later of the two doesn't seem like it would be very accurate. What's the best way? Thanks!
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Graduated Cylinder - 4/16/2003 10:58:05 PM   
NitroWoman



Posts: 327
Joined: 6/30/2002
From: Venus, USA
Status: offline 		This is what I use to measure. I mix 1000ml (about a quart) at a time and use 1000 ml bottles to store my fuel in. I haven't found any good measuring devices for making gallons at a time. Using the 1000 ml cylinder makes figuring the percentages really easy.
http://www.labsafety.com/store/product_group.asp?dept_id=10091&parent_id=570
I use the #47315.

_____________________________

Nitromethane...My Testosterone Substitute.
If you can read, Thank a Teacher. If you can read English, Thank a Veteran.

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What to use for measuring fuel? - 4/17/2003 3:15:56 AM   
downunder-RCU



Posts: 1125
Joined: 12/27/2001
From: Adelaide, South Australia
Status: offline 		Metrics makes things too easy LG
However, 3 litres makes up near enough 0.8 US gallons which leaves a nice bit of room to shake and mix.

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mixing vessels - 4/17/2003 6:36:10 PM   
Fuel Dinosaur


 

Posts: 83
Joined: 6/25/2002
From: Warrenton, GA, USA
Status: offline 		If you get yourself either a 1000 ml (just over a quart) and/or a 4,000 ml graduate cylinder (just over a gallon), made of Nalgene or polypropylene, you can measure up just about any quantity of fuel. It is always easier to measure in ml instead of ounces. There are more markings on a 4000 ml graduate cylinder. Besides, how can you meaure 2.79 ounces of something? Not very well? A graduate cylinder is just a tall cylinder with markings on the outside of it. Some people use the 1000 ml glass Pyrex measuring cup available in many supermarkets, but the graduate cylinder is more accurate and a better long term solution to measuring out your fuel ingredients. If you mix it right and have a good formulation, it will work the same way every time. Use good clean ingredients and good quality oil and castor. Happy mixing.

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What to use for measuring fuel? - 4/17/2003 10:14:30 PM   
CAP232CM



Posts: 488
Joined: 4/21/2002
From: Parkville, MO, USA
Status: offline 		Thanks for the replys! Looks like I need to get me a couple of those graduated cylinders in ml. I was wondering how I was going to come up with 25.6 oz for my mix. I will have to convert to ml but that should be fairly easy. Thanks!

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Conversions - 4/17/2003 11:39:18 PM   
Fuel Dinosaur


 

Posts: 83
Joined: 6/25/2002
From: Warrenton, GA, USA
Status: offline 		Conversions are really unnecessary if you follow the example below.

As an example, if you make up a fuel containing 18% oil, 15% nitromethane and the rest (67%) methanol and you want to make up 3000 ml of it, you use:

0.18 x 3000 ml of oil, or 540 ml of oil in this example

0.67 x 3000 ml of methanol, or 2010 ml of methanol this example

mix the oil and the methanol

0.15 x 3000 ml of nitromethane, or 450 ml in this example

add nitromethane, remix well and pour up and tightly cap your bottle, store at room temp in the dark if possible.

You can do this with any fuel you want to make, all the ingredients are added in simple volumes, based on the final volume that you want to make up. Hope this makes sense to you.
It IS easier to use metric, but we got used to a length based on the length of the foot of a king, so what do you expect? :-) We have POUNDS instead of nice grams and kilograms. So even into the 21st century, we keep inching along. Pun intended. Enjoy your mixing, it seems to be one of the very few ways we can actually know any more what is in our fuel!

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What to use for measuring fuel? - 4/18/2003 8:11:58 AM   
downunder-RCU



Posts: 1125
Joined: 12/27/2001
From: Adelaide, South Australia
Status: offline 		Here's a link to download an extremely good program for converting any quantity to another. Not just volumes but lengths, pressures, areas...anything you could ever need.
http://www.joshmadison.com/software/convert/

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What to use for measuring fuel? - 4/19/2003 5:49:15 AM   
CAP232CM



Posts: 488
Joined: 4/21/2002
From: Parkville, MO, USA
Status: offline 		Thanks for the link downunder.

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What to use for measuring fuel? - 4/20/2003 4:11:55 AM   
CAP232CM



Posts: 488
Joined: 4/21/2002
From: Parkville, MO, USA
Status: offline 		Well this fuel mixing thing is not starting out so good. First off I can't find any one in my area that sells these graduated cylinders or HDPE jugs. I also can't decide if I need to add acetone or not either.

All of the web sites I've found have a $50.00 min order and I'm not paying $50.00 for four one gallon jugs. The link above for the cylinders is also way more than I want to spend to mix fuel. They want $135.00 for a 4000ml cylinder and about $25.00 for a 1000ml cylinder. So in order to start mixing up 5 gals of fuel it's going to cost well over $200.00. I have been to home improvement stores and wally world and they don't have anything close to what I need for mixing fuel.

The worst thing is the whole reason behind doing this is because my hobby shops in my area suck and they don't carry hardly any fuel nor will they order fuel like I want. So looks like I'm screwed for now and won't be able to fly my Edge or my Extra. The only thing I have to fly is a Giant Stinger but at least I can mix gas for that it takes the same as my weed eater.

So if anyone needs 5 gals of Methanol I have some for sale, pick up only. Thanks!

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What to use for measuring fuel? - 4/20/2003 8:10:13 AM   
downunder-RCU



Posts: 1125
Joined: 12/27/2001
From: Adelaide, South Australia
Status: offline 		Don't give up yet because this is what I do. First, remember it's not rocket science and a couple % MORE oil than what you plan won't affect the power one bit.

My measuring equipment consists of one used plastic bottle of ordinary lawn mower oil or whatever. The one with a clear graduated scale on the side. OK, in Australia it's easy because it's a 1 litre bottle with 100cc graduations and I don't know what they might be marked with in America. If they're graduated in ounces then a quart bottle will be 32 at the full mark and I'd imagine has 4 ounce divisions. Just noticed that you've got a gas engine as well. If you can mix the fuel for that then you can do the same with methanol.

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Prices?? - 4/20/2003 7:19:20 PM   
NitroWoman



Posts: 327
Joined: 6/30/2002
From: Venus, USA
Status: offline 		The graduated cylinder I referenced in the link (1000ml) is $9.70 plus a few bucks for shipping. They have no min. order. Try looking again. Also, Just pull the cast off empty fuel containers out of the trash can at the field, rinse them real good with some of your methanol, and you now have free 1 gal. fuel containers. You can also buy empty 1 gal. cans in the paint dept. of Home Despot or Lowe's pretty cheaply. You are making this way harder than it is.

< Message edited by NitroWoman -- Apr 20 2003 6:24PM >

_____________________________

Nitromethane...My Testosterone Substitute.
If you can read, Thank a Teacher. If you can read English, Thank a Veteran.

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What to use for measuring fuel? - 4/21/2003 2:06:57 AM   
CAP232CM



Posts: 488
Joined: 4/21/2002
From: Parkville, MO, USA
Status: offline 		Yes NitroWomen the link you gave was great. The 1000ml cylinders are pretty cheap like you said but the bigger 4000ml are pretty costly. The three places I checked on the jugs wanted a $50.00 min order.

I never thought about the used fuel jugs at the field, duh stupid me. I saw the empty paint cans at Lowe's but I wasn't sure they would work. What about empty windshield washer fluid jugs, will they work? I know I'm making this too hard I'm just a perfectionist. My wife is tired of me griping about it too. Thanks again!

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Stuff - 4/21/2003 2:51:14 AM   
NitroWoman



Posts: 327
Joined: 6/30/2002
From: Venus, USA
Status: offline 		I don't know about the windshield washer fluid jugs. I never tried them. They probably would work. The cans at my Lowe's look just like gallon size paint thinner cans. Not paint cans. Have fun and don't give up. I take alot of pride in mixing my own fuel. Oh, I have never used acetone and all my engines run great.

_____________________________

Nitromethane...My Testosterone Substitute.
If you can read, Thank a Teacher. If you can read English, Thank a Veteran.

(in reply to CAP232CM)
       Post #: 13

jugs and bottles - 4/21/2003 5:00:50 AM   
Fuel Dinosaur


 

Posts: 83
Joined: 6/25/2002
From: Warrenton, GA, USA
Status: offline 		You may already have some gallon jugs or quart bottles around the house that may be suitable for your fuel. Look underneath on the bottom of the gallon jug and look for the HDPE stamp. That simply means High Density PolyEthylene. If you clean those jugs well and let them totally dry, they may work for you. The hooker is often the cap, but if you look, you will find them. The Klotz black gallon HDPE bottles are okay to store, but a natural bottle is best, white second best and black absorbs a lot of heat at the field in the sun. Industry standard jugs are about 120 mg and are what they call industrial rounds. In bulk, they are under $.50 each, but you might find a club that occasionally orders them in 50s or so and you might get a few new ones from them. Just a few suggestions. I agree, do not get frustrated, just look and ask for what you are trying to find. Hope this helps.

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       Post #: 14

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