How can I make my own fuel?  
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All Forums >> Glow Engines, Gas Engines, Fuel & Mfg Support Forums >> RC Fuels >> How can I make my own fuel?
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How can I make my own fuel? - 2/9/2008 4:57:14 AM   
yukonpete


 

Posts: 17
Joined: 1/30/2008
From: Whitehorse, YT, CANADA
Status: offline 		I want to make my own 10-15% fuel to run an OS .46 AX. Anyone know how and got directions?
       Post #: 1

RE: How can I make my own fuel? - 2/9/2008 5:54:42 AM   
XJet


 

Posts: 2984
Joined: 3/31/2003
From: Tokoroa, NEW ZEALAND
Status: online 		It's pretty easy.

First you'll need to obtain the necessary ingredients:

Methanol
Nitromethane
Castor oil
Synthetic oil

You *could* use just synthetic oil but it's widely accepted that ABC/ABN engines will last longer and are less likely to suffer damage on a lean run if there is at least a small amount of castor oil in the fuel.

In this part of the world it's pretty easy to find suppliers for all these ingredients. Nitromethane comes from the auto-racing suppliers, methanol comes from industrial chemical suppliers and the oils can be had from karting shops or imported directly from Europe or the USA.

Next you need some way of measuring the amounts you'll be mixing, I just bought some plastic jugs from the local department store that are marked in 100ml increments.

Does Canada use imperial or metric -- if you use metric then it's dead easy to work out the correct amounts of each ingredient.

I normally mix up my fuel in 1 us-gal or 4 liter lots.

Assuming 4 liters you'll simply take the percentages of the components you want in your blend and multiply by 4 to get the actual amount to use (in tens of milliliters).

So for example, if you want to run 15% nitro then you'll need 150ml x 4 = 600ml of that component.

If you're using an oil like Klotz Super Techniplate or Morgan's castor/synth blend then you'll probably want to have at least 17% which means a total of 170ml x 4 = 680ml of oil.

The balance (2,720ml (2.7liters) will be methanol.

If you're using a more advanced oil (perhaps one of the European synthetics like Aerosave, Aerosynth or Motul Micro 2000 or maybe even Coopers Plus C from the USA) then you can quite safely use just 12% by volume and enjoy the benefits that comes from having more methanol in your fuel.

Once you've poured all the ingredients into a suitably sized container then screw on the cap and shake the snot out of it for at least 30 seconds.

Then you're done!

Some folks take the added step of filtering their ingredients but I just make sure my funnels, measuring bowls and containers are all clean before I start and use quality ingredients so filtering is unnecessary.

You can also dye your fuel if you want. This can serve two purposes -- firstly, if you're making different fuels (with different oils or nitro percentages) it makes them easier to tell apart and secondly, if you're flying helis or profile plane where the tank can be easily seen, it makes it much simpler to tell how much fuel is left.

A good food coloring is all you need for this and I find the colors green, blue and red are the most visible.

If you're really keen you can also add a fuel-scent. That's kind of nice sometimes, especially since some of the synthetic oils do smell a bit manky.

_____________________________

When I'm not here, I'm at RCModelReviews

(in reply to yukonpete)
       Post #: 2

RE: How can I make my own fuel? - 2/9/2008 5:56:44 AM   
XJet


 

Posts: 2984
Joined: 3/31/2003
From: Tokoroa, NEW ZEALAND
Status: online 		Just a footnote -- you can't just use *any* oil to make glow-fuel.

Ordinary oils designed for mixing with gasoline usually won't mix with methanol. You need to ensure the oil you use is designed for use with methanol and that will reduce your choices significantly.

if in doubt, try mixing just a few ml or ounces in a cup or small bottle. If it goes cloudy or settles out within a day or so then it's the wrong kind of oil.

_____________________________

When I'm not here, I'm at RCModelReviews

(in reply to XJet)
       Post #: 3

RE: How can I make my own fuel? - 2/9/2008 3:13:46 PM   
JPMacG


 

Posts: 1105
Joined: 1/2/2002
From: Ivyland, PA, USA
Status: offline 		I don't know about Canada but I'm finding that methanol is difficult to obtain in my area of the U.S. It is apparently used in the preparation of illegal drugs, and is quite toxic. Chemical supply houses don't want to sell it to a hobbyist, they want to see a company purchase order or letterhead. There are racing strips where it is used as fuel and can be purchased by ordinary folks but the nearest one I know of is a 2 hour drive.

(in reply to XJet)
       Post #: 4

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