kenh3497

I lurk here from time to time. I'm thinking out loud here a bit.....

Would a sticky thread be of use that details supplies used to mix fuel. I guess I'm thinking not so much like "Go to Joes' Oil supply" to buy oil, but more like which brands and specific formulas can be used, general "where do I find this?" etc. For instance I know that methanol is available from most petroleum suppliers and from some on line sources. Personally for me it seems the synthetic oils are the most problematic finding/knowing what to use. Followed by caster and then any of the "additives" to make it all work or "improve" the formula. There is no reason the list cannot include model diesel fuel and also gasoline. Yes I know gas is pretty much a no brainer but there are some oils that should not be used and for some of the above reasons.

I would like to see the first post list supplies, links to web sites etc. It would take a bit of work to keep the thread cleaned up so maybe a PM to the OP with new links, products etc. Maybe even locking the thread so it doesn't get mucked up with useless banter that this is better than that.

With all of the above said I've never mixed fuel so at least at this point don't feel qualified to take on this endeavor.

Thanks for reading and commenting!

Ken

1QwkSport2.5r

There really isn't much of a point because there aren't they many people mixing their own fuel. I've been mixing my own for a few years and only get 1-2 PMs a year asking where to get nitro. That is the hardest chemical to source. If you search Amazon of eBay for nitro you will find it. $55/gal on average. Some guys buy oil from local go kart shops, some buy it online. SIG Manufacturing, and Fox Manufacturing both sell oil. SIG is cheaper by a few dollars. I use mostly castor and a little Klotz Techniplate. The synthetics are twice the cost of castor so that's part of way I use so much of it.

So here's my list of sources:
Nitromethane - Torco Fuels through Amazon or eBay. $55/gal. www.Amazon.com or www.eBay.com
Castor and Klotz - SIG Manufacturing - $23/gal and $39/gal respectively www.sigmfg.com
Castor - Fox Manufacturing - $25/gal. www.foxmanufacturing.com
Methanol I source locally for $2.50-$2.75/gal.

Premixed ex off the shelf fuel is $32-$40/gal around here so I can make my own for 1/3-1/2 the cost of premix.

kenh3497

I can see why you mix fuel. I guess I'm lucky here. I can pickup 10% to 15% Sig fuel in Des Moines for around $16ish dollars a gallon. Our club has a long time Sig dealer and he charges about $13 a gallon. At those prices you quoted, I can't afford to mix my own. I'm thinking I could afford to buy fuel here and make the 120 mile trip north and sell you a case of fuel or two!

Ken

1QwkSport2.5r

Problem is I mix 5 different blends depending on the engine type. My ringed SuperTigres get 5% nitro 20% castor. My Enya 4-strokes get 10% nitro 20% castor. Lapped iron/steel and Bushing engines get 5% nitro 25% castor. My Jett gets 15% nitro 20% oil (50/50 blend castor/Klotz). Lastly my RC car engines get either 20% or 30% nitro and 8-10% oil (50/50 oil blend) depending on my mood. I am very particular with my fuels, I'm not one of those one-trick ponies that uses one fuel for all [aircraft] engines. I really dislike synthetic oil so I only use it in my engines that really rev. So getting 4-5 different kinds specially mixed by a fuel company would be a pain, especially when it's as far to Montezuma as it is. But now that I've been doing it for a few years, I won't go back to buying premixed fuel even if the price was halved because I want certain mixes for certain engines. If I get to a point where I cannot source nitro online, I'll find it elsewhere. A gallon of nitro will get me about 2 seasons and that's making a gallon each of the fuel mixes I listed above.

kenh3497

Well.... It was a good idea while it lasted. LOL

1QwkSport2.5r

Indeed! I'm a picky cuss. LoL.