Where to buy glow fuel?
06-23-2020, 08:12 PM
#3
Pretty easy and inexpensive to mix your own.
Hop on over to this page and look around.
https://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-fuels-161/
Hop on over to this page and look around.
https://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-fuels-161/
Last edited by 049flyer; 06-23-2020 at 08:19 PM.
06-24-2020, 03:40 AM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
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I am seriously interested in making my own fuel if I can find the ingredients and it doesn't cost $30 or $40 per gallon.
I have been out of the hobby for a few years and I still had some old fuel to get the engines running. But after seeing the prices now for fuel, I am having second thoughts. Where do you start looking to find Nitromethane and Methanol.
I'm in central Florida.
I have been out of the hobby for a few years and I still had some old fuel to get the engines running. But after seeing the prices now for fuel, I am having second thoughts. Where do you start looking to find Nitromethane and Methanol.
I'm in central Florida.
06-24-2020, 05:19 AM
#5
I order Nitromethane online for about $50 per gallon, it will last for quite awhile depending on the fuel you are making.
Castor oil can be had locally or online, I usually order it online though, it is also about $50 per gallon. I have heard that some varieties of specialty motorcycle oil is really castor oil but I haven’t bought any to try. I have seen castor oil sold at model airplane swap meets as many folks add it to their fuel. In fact glow fuel is often sold at swap swap meets at attractive prices.
Methanol is cheap and easy to find, look for a local hot rod shop or check out VP Fuels and locate one of their dealers. They can order Methanol and maybe castor too. I have also found methanol at a few places that sell propane, some specialize in specialty fuels like kerosene, propane, butane and alcohol.
I can usually mix a gallon of general purpose 10% glow fuel for under $20 and as my focus is smaller planes, .25 and under, a gallon of fuel lasts me a long time.
Don’t be afraid to buy glow fuel that is not exactly what you want/need. If you have all three ingredients on hand it’s easy to add to an existing blend, one of the other components to bring it up to what you need. I have been modifying my way through a gallon of 25% car fuel for a couple of years to make 1/2a fuel. I just add castor and a little alcohol and magically it’s 20% Cox airplane fuel.
Castor oil can be had locally or online, I usually order it online though, it is also about $50 per gallon. I have heard that some varieties of specialty motorcycle oil is really castor oil but I haven’t bought any to try. I have seen castor oil sold at model airplane swap meets as many folks add it to their fuel. In fact glow fuel is often sold at swap swap meets at attractive prices.
Methanol is cheap and easy to find, look for a local hot rod shop or check out VP Fuels and locate one of their dealers. They can order Methanol and maybe castor too. I have also found methanol at a few places that sell propane, some specialize in specialty fuels like kerosene, propane, butane and alcohol.
I can usually mix a gallon of general purpose 10% glow fuel for under $20 and as my focus is smaller planes, .25 and under, a gallon of fuel lasts me a long time.
Don’t be afraid to buy glow fuel that is not exactly what you want/need. If you have all three ingredients on hand it’s easy to add to an existing blend, one of the other components to bring it up to what you need. I have been modifying my way through a gallon of 25% car fuel for a couple of years to make 1/2a fuel. I just add castor and a little alcohol and magically it’s 20% Cox airplane fuel.
06-28-2020, 11:46 AM
#6
My Feedback: (3)
I am seriously interested in making my own fuel if I can find the ingredients and it doesn't cost $30 or $40 per gallon.
I have been out of the hobby for a few years and I still had some old fuel to get the engines running. But after seeing the prices now for fuel, I am having second thoughts. Where do you start looking to find Nitromethane and Methanol.
I'm in central Florida.
I have been out of the hobby for a few years and I still had some old fuel to get the engines running. But after seeing the prices now for fuel, I am having second thoughts. Where do you start looking to find Nitromethane and Methanol.
I'm in central Florida.
09-13-2020, 07:29 AM
#8
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Current prices of mix supplies from Hyperfuels.com
Methanol $9 x 3 gallons = $27 (i pay same from a local chemical house)
Nitromethane 1 gallon = $67
Hazmat and shipping above from Texas to Ohio = $31
add Klotz Techniplate Synthetic oil 1 gallon = $60 shipped.
All combined will make 5 gallons of YS/Saito 20/20, costing $37 per gallon.
AMainHobbies has VP Fuels YS 20/20 for $207 case of 6 gallons, +Hazmat i would guess about the same $~30 comes out to $39 a gallon.
IF you can find a local VP racing fuels dealer, AND they are already getting large shipments for the racing season (spring), you can possibly piggy back a case order of VP model fuel (whatever mix) and pay little or no hazmat or shipping. Thats the only way I have found to get a more reasonable price. Most racing VP dealers wont even know what model fuel is until they look for it on VP site.
I dont like handling /storing pure nitro but have done it for years. Its just not cost effective to mix anymore.
I used to make it for $19 a gallon when methanol was $3 /gal locally, and I picked up Klotz oil ($13 qt) and Nitro ($34/gal) at the Toledo Show cash/carry, no ship, no tax.
Those days are gone.
IF you do choose to buy 5-6 gallons of fuel at once, I recommend NEVER using metal cans for long term storage 2+years.
I cannot count how many gallons get ruined in those damn tin cans that corrode inside (the tin plated steel turns milky white).
Nitro is corrosive, and Methanol will draw humidity /water right through the cap gasket over time.
If its fuel mixed with oil, the metal cans last longer but don't trust them for too long.
Methanol $9 x 3 gallons = $27 (i pay same from a local chemical house)
Nitromethane 1 gallon = $67
Hazmat and shipping above from Texas to Ohio = $31
add Klotz Techniplate Synthetic oil 1 gallon = $60 shipped.
All combined will make 5 gallons of YS/Saito 20/20, costing $37 per gallon.
AMainHobbies has VP Fuels YS 20/20 for $207 case of 6 gallons, +Hazmat i would guess about the same $~30 comes out to $39 a gallon.
IF you can find a local VP racing fuels dealer, AND they are already getting large shipments for the racing season (spring), you can possibly piggy back a case order of VP model fuel (whatever mix) and pay little or no hazmat or shipping. Thats the only way I have found to get a more reasonable price. Most racing VP dealers wont even know what model fuel is until they look for it on VP site.
I dont like handling /storing pure nitro but have done it for years. Its just not cost effective to mix anymore.
I used to make it for $19 a gallon when methanol was $3 /gal locally, and I picked up Klotz oil ($13 qt) and Nitro ($34/gal) at the Toledo Show cash/carry, no ship, no tax.
Those days are gone.
IF you do choose to buy 5-6 gallons of fuel at once, I recommend NEVER using metal cans for long term storage 2+years.
I cannot count how many gallons get ruined in those damn tin cans that corrode inside (the tin plated steel turns milky white).
Nitro is corrosive, and Methanol will draw humidity /water right through the cap gasket over time.
If its fuel mixed with oil, the metal cans last longer but don't trust them for too long.
Last edited by marvintm; 09-13-2020 at 07:37 AM.
