Smoke oil recipe
09-12-2005, 06:37 PM
#1
Smoke oil recipe
Ok, I need some good smoke oil recipes! 
I built a smoke system like the one in an article in my FREE issue of Jet-Power magazine but I need some good smoke oil to go with it. I tried a few things tonight with not much success but strangely enough brake fluid gave the best result. LOL!
Any ideas?
Thanks
Myles
I built a smoke system like the one in an article in my FREE issue of Jet-Power magazine but I need some good smoke oil to go with it. I tried a few things tonight with not much success but strangely enough brake fluid gave the best result. LOL!
Any ideas?
Thanks
Myles
09-13-2005, 03:17 AM
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RE: Smoke oil recipe
Hi all,
From a lot of testing we found that the best (and cheapest!) smoke fuel is Bio-diesel (biological diesel), which is available in quite a lot of filling staions in Europe, especially Germany, for the last 2 or 3 years. You will find that some 'public transport' companies in ecologically 'green' countries also use this even when not generally available to the public, so try a friend who works at the local bus station!
It's made from plants (rape seed oil plants I think) and gives tons of VERY VERY dense white smoke against blue sky. Nice thing is that if you are flying a demo on an 'overcast' day with lots of cloud you can still see it well, but it shows a little bit brown in colour. It is much better, and cheaper!, than Brake fluid .
Just remember not to stand behind the plane during takeoff - as it is really easy to lose sight of it, and I've nearly lost my Hotspot like this on a couple of occasions....
One other advantage - it smells of the cooking oil they use for making french fries, rather than anything really nasty like normal diesel - but we get some strange comments when the public smell the planes! Actualy someone did tell me that, in an emergency, you can use cooking oil - but get a thinnish one as the thick ones are difficult to pump thru' the system due to the higher viscosity.
later,
Mike Cherry
From a lot of testing we found that the best (and cheapest!) smoke fuel is Bio-diesel (biological diesel), which is available in quite a lot of filling staions in Europe, especially Germany, for the last 2 or 3 years. You will find that some 'public transport' companies in ecologically 'green' countries also use this even when not generally available to the public, so try a friend who works at the local bus station!
It's made from plants (rape seed oil plants I think) and gives tons of VERY VERY dense white smoke against blue sky. Nice thing is that if you are flying a demo on an 'overcast' day with lots of cloud you can still see it well, but it shows a little bit brown in colour. It is much better, and cheaper!, than Brake fluid .
Just remember not to stand behind the plane during takeoff - as it is really easy to lose sight of it, and I've nearly lost my Hotspot like this on a couple of occasions....
One other advantage - it smells of the cooking oil they use for making french fries, rather than anything really nasty like normal diesel - but we get some strange comments when the public smell the planes! Actualy someone did tell me that, in an emergency, you can use cooking oil - but get a thinnish one as the thick ones are difficult to pump thru' the system due to the higher viscosity.
later,
Mike Cherry
09-13-2005, 05:52 AM
#8
RE: Smoke oil recipe
I have tried transmission fluid and diesel 1:1 proportion. There sure is smoke but its not thick. It dissipates almost immediately. How do you get a thick fog like smoke...that will leave a trail for a few minutes?
09-13-2005, 08:04 AM
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RE: Smoke oil recipe
Watched Biggin Hill Airshow on the tv and they interviewed a display pilot
when asked what he used for smoke he replied a commercial version of baby oil
totally harmless and it also smells nice.
Anyone know a supplier!!!!
Brian
when asked what he used for smoke he replied a commercial version of baby oil
totally harmless and it also smells nice.
Anyone know a supplier!!!!
Brian
09-13-2005, 11:07 AM
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RE: Smoke oil recipe
http://www.biodieselfillingstations.co.uk/outlets.htm
...Bio-Diesel outlets in the UK
Cheers,
Dick
England
...Bio-Diesel outlets in the UK
Cheers,
Dick
England
09-13-2005, 12:13 PM
#11
RE: Smoke oil recipe
Brian,
What your looking for is white mineral oil >> http://www.steoil.com/catalog.asp?productgroup=200fg
Also Chevron Superla White Mineral Oil No. 10 >> http://www.worldmarketsupply.com/pg-foodmachineoil.html
What your looking for is white mineral oil >> http://www.steoil.com/catalog.asp?productgroup=200fg
Also Chevron Superla White Mineral Oil No. 10 >> http://www.worldmarketsupply.com/pg-foodmachineoil.html
09-13-2005, 02:46 PM
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RE: Smoke oil recipe
I would not use brake fluid as it will eat the paint off from anything that it touches. I have tried many different mixes over the years, from mineral oil, baby oil and Wesson cooking oil. And yes, everytime you would hit the switch you wanted to go to MacDonalds as it does smell like french fries. By far the best I have found is Super Dry and Bennetts, thickest, last the longest, non toxic. I mention toxic as I just ordered some chemicals to make colored smoke. I ordered red and yellow. When I got them the MSDS sheets said do not get it on your skin, so I had to were Nitrile gloves. Also said not to inhale the smoke. I mixed it with Bennetts smoke oil and it did indeed turn blood red. Looked like it was going to work. Filled the tank in my Hotspot, ran her up, hit the switch and she smoked for a 10th of a second and then nothing. Well upon looking inside she had now blown off the pressure line of the pump and there was red oil everywhere. Took me 2 days of soaking it up and cleaning with laquer thinner. Now everything has a pinkish hue to it inside. |Had to gut her and redo everything. I also had to replace the smoke pump as the chemicals attacked the Tygon lines and the o rings in the pump. The moral of the story is, be careful with what you use.
09-13-2005, 07:15 PM
#14
RE: Smoke oil recipe
Well, I tried a mix of diesel fuel and baby oil. Wasn't to bad at all. Wish it could have been a little thicker but it should still leave a nice trail in the sky I think. Might have to play around with the ratio of babyoil:diesel.
I have a bottle of mineral oil here at the house, I might have to give that a try too!
Myles
I have a bottle of mineral oil here at the house, I might have to give that a try too!
Myles
09-13-2005, 09:12 PM
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RE: Smoke oil recipe
Here's some info I had saved-- Jack
#1 FAVORITE - Diesel & Concrete Form Release Oil 50:50 (obtained from construction
industry goes under the name of Texaco "Canopus 13" oil [formerly called Corvus Oil],
EXXON Unuius-15, SUNOCO 222, Corbisol.) (Source: the late Ed Izzo from Florida (inventor
of foam construction technique for model wings))
Kerosene Diesel & kerosene 50:50 (Source: unknown)
Diesel and Automatic transmission Fluid 50:50 (Source: unknown)
Smoke Fluid Recipes....
Diesel and small amount of butyl carbitol (used by clothes cleaners) no more than 30% butyl
carbitol (Source: Model Airplane News article.)
Diesel oil No. 2 (Source: unknown)
Lemon oil (used for cleaning) (Source: customer at WRAM show 1997)
EXXON Mentor 28 (Source: Ad Clark, Kalispell, MT)
LAMP OIL by Lamp Light Farms and 40% HAVOLINE 5 OR 10 WEIGHT OIL.
HAVOLINE is a parafin based oil, seems to work best in smaller 2-strokes ( Source JIM
KITSON From: PAGE, ARIZONA)
#1 FAVORITE - Diesel & Concrete Form Release Oil 50:50 (obtained from construction
industry goes under the name of Texaco "Canopus 13" oil [formerly called Corvus Oil],
EXXON Unuius-15, SUNOCO 222, Corbisol.) (Source: the late Ed Izzo from Florida (inventor
of foam construction technique for model wings))
Kerosene Diesel & kerosene 50:50 (Source: unknown)
Diesel and Automatic transmission Fluid 50:50 (Source: unknown)
Smoke Fluid Recipes....
Diesel and small amount of butyl carbitol (used by clothes cleaners) no more than 30% butyl
carbitol (Source: Model Airplane News article.)
Diesel oil No. 2 (Source: unknown)
Lemon oil (used for cleaning) (Source: customer at WRAM show 1997)
EXXON Mentor 28 (Source: Ad Clark, Kalispell, MT)
LAMP OIL by Lamp Light Farms and 40% HAVOLINE 5 OR 10 WEIGHT OIL.
HAVOLINE is a parafin based oil, seems to work best in smaller 2-strokes ( Source JIM
KITSON From: PAGE, ARIZONA)
10-04-2005, 06:09 PM
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RE: Smoke oil recipe
Have a Great Planes 1/4 scale Extra that I am setting up with a smoke system,
I have been told that White oil as in controlling insect pests in the garden can be used, to buy commercial white oil in any volume is expensive, however it can be made by mixing vegetable oil and dish washing liquid.
Has anyone tried this?,
Cheers Greg
I have been told that White oil as in controlling insect pests in the garden can be used, to buy commercial white oil in any volume is expensive, however it can be made by mixing vegetable oil and dish washing liquid.
Has anyone tried this?,
Cheers Greg
10-05-2005, 06:50 AM
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RE: Smoke oil recipe
ECJ [aka Extra Careful Jones] says both transmission oil and brake fluid are bad news for the environment and both are fluids subject to hazardous waste regulations.
In todays, evironmentally aware, world this could put modelling in a bad light if it was made public that we were using these at displays where the public were attending.
But the jetjockey in me says it looks good.
In todays, evironmentally aware, world this could put modelling in a bad light if it was made public that we were using these at displays where the public were attending.
But the jetjockey in me says it looks good.
10-05-2005, 05:01 PM
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RE: Smoke oil recipe
10-05-2005, 05:41 PM
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RE: Smoke oil recipe
Hi All
Used 50% Diesel 50% ATF here just easy for us to get, would like to use Super Dri but its expensive to ship to Hawaii. Seems to work well, would like to try Biodiesel too.
Used 50% Diesel 50% ATF here just easy for us to get, would like to use Super Dri but its expensive to ship to Hawaii. Seems to work well, would like to try Biodiesel too.
10-24-2005, 08:06 PM
#22
RE: Smoke oil recipe
I found a concrete contractor that buy's a product by Unitex they call Q2 Form Release oil. They buy it in 250 gal plastic bottles for about $3.50 a gallon. They gave me a half galon to try said we'd talk about a price later if it works .... Boy does it Work, almost twice the smoke at the same settings I am using with the Hobby shop product (Aviation Smoke Oil) at $13.00 / gal. might be some draw backs such as smell or too thick ect,,, only got to try it for a few minuts on the ground today ( crappy weather here in SE wisconsin and all ) hope to get a couple of flyable days yet this year.
