Anyone making their own fuel?

[wdcollard]

I have been running vehicles on veggie oil for a number of years now. I have also read that most vehicles built after 2000 will run on E50 (50% Ethanol) with some timing (chip reprogramming) modifications. I was going to start producing larger batches of Biodiesel with some of my vegetable oil but never really did it.

Is anyone else making their own fuel? Especially with rising fuel prices?

[coastie]

I looked into both the veggie oil conversion and biodiesel for my truck about 10 yrs ago. My buddy made biodiesel for several years and quit because he lost his raw material. Hard part now is finding used veggie oil. It used to be easy when restaurants considered it a waste product. Now it seems a number of companies have jumped in and offer regular pickup and free cleaning of grease traps etc. It is a lot more difficult for the garage guys to get the raw material.

[EC1]

Methane + aromatics after I eat beans

[wdcollard]

I agree. It has been getting more difficult to obtain new clients. I have thought about finding someone who grows rapeseed (it is a weed really) and then pressing it into oil. Also it appears you can purchase non food grade oil in bulk ($250 per metric ton or 250 gallons). Also I have found that if you frequent the eatery they are more likely to give you their oil.

[rep308]

Don't forget to pay your road tax:

http://www.calstatela.edu/dept/pol_s...es%20Times.pdf

[wdcollard]

Don't forget to pay your road tax:
http://www.calstatela.edu/dept/pol_s...es%20Times.pdf

In Massachusetts it is called a "Special Fuels License" I have not read of any Federal issues as the Vegetable oil is a waste product.

https://wfb.dor.state.ma.us/dorcommo...els/fuels.aspx

Yes I have that, and report. I would not want to deny Deval his due. As with any Mass laws they are vague and convoluted against regular people. Shoot most NH people do not know that they are required to pay tax on their fuel if they come into Mass!

Technically by the letter of the law, New Hampshire folks and people out of state need to send in their money as well for fuel tax.

Taxation of Fuel and Special Fuels Acquired Outside and Used Within the Commonwealth
Section 3. Any person who, having acquired fuel or special fuels outside the commonwealth, shall use the same for the propulsion of motor vehicles upon or over the highways of the commonwealth, or who has in his possession fuel or special fuels so acquired for such use, including persons who although not residents of the commonwealth shall regularly or habitually use and operate motor vehicles over the highways of the commonwealth, shall be subject to an excise for the privilege of using said highways at the tax per gallon determined by the commissioner under chapter sixty-four A. Any turnpike constructed by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority in accordance with chapter three hundred and fifty-four of the acts of nineteen hundred and fifty-two, as amended, shall not be considered a highway for the purposes of this chapter until such turnpike shall have become a part of the state highway system as provided in section seventeen of said chapter three hundred and fifty-four. Toll receipts given to users of said turnpike or invoices rendered to such users by the said Authority shall be accepted by the commissioner as evidence of the use on said turnpike of fuel or special fuels in the proportion of one gallon for each fifteen miles of indicated travel by passenger cars, ambulances, hearses, motorcycles and light trucks, and in the proportion of one gallon for each five miles of indicated travel by all other trucks and buses.
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to persons who, as transients operate motor carriers into or through this commonwealth, using therein fuel or special fuels acquired outside the commonwealth, provided that such fuel or special fuels are wholly contained within the supply tanks of such vehicle, nor shall it apply to persons who, having acquired fuel or special fuels outside the commonwealth, shall transport the same into this commonwealth in the tank or tanks of a motor vehicle; provided, however, such vehicle is designed and used primarily for the non-commercial transportation of passengers.

[coastie]

I agree. It has been getting more difficult to obtain new clients. I have thought about finding someone who grows rapeseed (it is a weed really) and then pressing it into oil. Also it appears you can purchase non food grade oil in bulk ($250 per metric ton or 250 gallons). Also I have found that if you frequent the eatery they are more likely to give you their oil.

Most likely all the people that grow it are already using it for oil. YOu would probably have to find someone willing to grow it for you and they would need to already have the equipment. I am not sure what the return is in gallons per acre vs fuel consumed to produce but I would think that if it were good this would already be done. I know that there are some farms growing oil sunflower than press it out and run their equipment with it. They feed the cake back to the livestock. YOu might have luck contacting them. There is at least one here in ME and several in VT IIRC. I have made sunflower oil on a personal level and used it for cooking and alternative lighting. I tihnk it is one of the more viable oil crops for the NE.

[wdcollard]

One of the crops with the highest yield of oil per acre is canola. From just one acre of canola, you can produce 100 gallons (379 l) of vegetable oil. The most common oilseed crop in the U.S. is soybeans, which produce 50 gallons (189 l) of vegetable oil per acre.

I would like to find local farms to supply me as well. If I had some land I would grow at least and acre for my own use.
TabbyPressen of Sweden makes a tabletop press for around US$1,000. Although the press usually comes with a 240V/50 cycle electric motor, you can buy the press with a 120V/60 cycle motor from the U.S. distributor.

[coastie]

One of the crops with the highest yield of oil per acre is canola. From just one acre of canola, you can produce 100 gallons (379 l) of vegetable oil. The most common oilseed crop in the U.S. is soybeans, which produce 50 gallons (189 l) of vegetable oil per acre.

I would like to find local farms to supply me as well. If I had some land I would grow at least and acre for my own use.
TabbyPressen of Sweden makes a tabletop press for around US$1,000. Although the press usually comes with a 240V/50 cycle electric motor, you can buy the press with a 120V/60 cycle motor from the U.S. distributor.

What sort of equipment do you need to grow it and harvest it? I imagine it has to be drilled and then you need to combine it. To even come close to getting the money back you would have to process a lot more than an acre. Here is a link to a farmer in Albion ME:

http://www.mofga.org/Publications/Ma...5/Default.aspx

It is a couple years old.

[el duderino]

No, but im going to start looking to see if I can buy gas on ebay or something, find a deal straight from the source.