DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Discussion, tips, tricks and help for running your bus or generator on alternative fuels.

DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Postby sportyrick » Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:39 pm

I think your days running veggi oil are numbered boys. I saw where MickeyD is going to sell their WO to a recycler. It won't be long till the trucks are coming around and picking it up for $1 a gallon. Their waste is becoming a precious commodity and you will get squeezed out. They're doing the same thing to landfills, tapping them for Methane gas. When was the last time you trapped/tapped your methane gas? The wife and kids will help on that one :lol:
Did you know you can run your engine on wood smoke? sportyrick
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Re: DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Postby the_experience03 » Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:21 pm

There is a commercial outfit in Wisconsin that is getting in on the deal. They are buying up the WVO from a local chip factory, filtering it, and selling it for use in modified vehicles and heating equipment. They are charging about $1.50 for offroad stuff and $2.00 with road tax on it. No, it isn't as cheap as doing it yourself with free oil, but it is professionally filtered and settled oil. I would equate it to burning corn gas without taking such a big hit on fuel mileage.

The gentlemen running the operation have an interesting business plan that they claim will drop prices as volume grows. In addition to their recycled commercial oil they want to encourage farmers to grow rapeseed and cold press it into canola oil. The farmers would keep the leftover high protein feedcakes for dairy while selling the oil to the local eateries. This company would then come collect the used oil, process it, and sell it back to the farmers for use in their tractors for next year's crop. It is an ambitious plan and might be a little idealized, but it's a step in the right direction.
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Re: DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Postby phillbus914 » Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:59 am

$2.00/gallon :shock:

For something they got for free and filtered?

Might as well just run diesel for 2.85/gallon and not have to worry about it.
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Re: DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Postby the_experience03 » Thu Aug 02, 2007 8:21 am

I'm not positive that they get it for free. They also pay $.50 in road tax on it. I think they're convinced that the price will drop with volume. If not they will fail. It's as simple as that. Atleast you know it is professionally filtered. The only thing is I don't know that you still have grounds to go after them if your engine is toast since it's not even an official alternative fuel (yet some fuel called P-series is).
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Re: DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Postby soused moose » Sat Sep 15, 2007 4:45 am

Rick ….Here’s a few links to sites that deal with Wood Smoke Generators that are pretty interesting from a do it yourself point of view …
http://www.gengas.nu/byggbes/index.shtml
http://members.tripod.com/~highforest/w ... fired.html

Because I just like checking things out I picked up the plans for building a wood gas setup from Mother Earth News and think they did their usual good job of explaining things ….
http://www.motherearthshopping.com/deta ... Number=762
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Re: DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Postby Apocalyptica » Fri Feb 29, 2008 2:25 pm

It is the people who are seeing dollar signs and collecting all the oil that will end it. I am sure they started with good intention, but following The same profit model of the companies they seek to replace will just recreate the current paradigm. What is needed is to boycott the companies and collect the oil yourself. This is the moment where we can take control of our energy supply, a critical need if we wish more autonomy. Eventually they will make it illegal to do it yourself, and like the water and other resources, they will attempt to horde it and feed off of our lives. This is the moment to resist this trend and do the work, or farm it out to a collective in which you exchange time and not money as we are accustomed to doing. If we do it ourselves and refuse to pay money, it will have no value. Otherwise, we are just going to see Shell/BP/Exxon growing corn in impovershed countries and profiteering, while the local people starve and have to compete for resources with the fuel we will be using to drive our vehicles. This is no longer an acceptable arrangement. Our happiness must not be predicated by the suffering of others who just wish to live. We are all in the same boat....

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Re: DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Postby adamanderr » Wed Mar 05, 2008 5:42 pm

grease has almost always been sold or given to rendering companies , the new press for wvo is not helping the resale to veggie oil burning vehicles, a good read on the redtape of wvo is biodiesel power lyle estill from the piedmont biofuel coop group.
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Re: DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Postby GoneCamping » Mon Jun 16, 2008 7:47 pm

With commercial grade diesel now running close to $5 per gallon, it's still a bargain if you have to pay the Chinese restaurant down the street a couple bucks a gallon for their old oil...
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Re: DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Postby CaptJager » Wed Jun 18, 2008 7:29 am

I have access to the oil but do not have the knowledge on converting... Anyone know where I can get it done at?
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Re: DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Postby Train-train » Fri Jun 20, 2008 7:54 am

I am close to buying a kit. I have been looking around and if you are going to pay to have it done, Golden Fuel Systems have a number of places that will convert it for you. So far, it looks to be very on the high side for labor cost and any customization or fabrication that will need done. I have been studying the theory and I am more comfortable with Frybrid. These guys have installation shops but they are on either coast. Check out the Frybrid forums, there is a butt load of knowledge there.
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Re: DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Postby dlor1 » Fri Jun 20, 2008 10:37 am

We just started a collection and conversion company out here in Colorado, things have changed in the past year but it's still out there. Just make sure you read the labels on the drums and don't steal from biofuels companies.
1989 TC 2000; 235,000miles; 5.9 cummins with Alisson 545; Straight veggie burning with onboard filtration. Converting to a Toy Hauler for the summers racing motorcycles.
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Re: DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Postby DeesSqueeze » Fri Sep 12, 2008 5:25 pm

Wood gas generators are proven... ask any Finn or Swede who remembers the War... or any of the researchers who've started investigating the concept all over again. I am investigating the potential for a wood gas generator to power a bus conversion. But I'm having a lot of trouble finding what kind of mileage I can expect. Some of the car conversions claim 9,000 miles per cord. That seems a little extreme, but who am I to say? Anybody here have any ideas whatsoever?
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Re: DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Postby Smitty » Fri Sep 12, 2008 9:53 pm

WVO getting hard to come by is exactly what I've been saying (not trying to sound-like "I told you so") all-along. Anything like that, when it comes-along, won't last.....too many people see the chance to make a buck, just like the WVO burners are trying to save one. Wouldn't put it past the oil companies to be buying it all up.......

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Re: DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Postby Roasting8 » Mon Sep 15, 2008 12:23 pm

DeesSqueeze wrote:Wood gas generators are proven... ask any Finn or Swede who remembers the War... or any of the researchers who've started investigating the concept all over again. I am investigating the potential for a wood gas generator to power a bus conversion. But I'm having a lot of trouble finding what kind of mileage I can expect. Some of the car conversions claim 9,000 miles per cord. That seems a little extreme, but who am I to say? Anybody here have any ideas whatsoever?



Hey Squeeze, I remember reading about wood gas generators in an old Mother Earth News. I can't remember which issue it was, but the people at Mother Earth did make a car using wood.

Also, if you can find him, Silver Bear had a wood gasifier on his bus. I don't know how lucky you'll be, his bus was from the 70s and I doubt if he's still around.

BTW, I think the issue of Mother Earth News had plans to build a gasifier.

Good luck.

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Re: DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Postby Roasting8 » Mon Sep 15, 2008 12:31 pm

DeesSqueeze wrote:Wood gas generators are proven... ask any Finn or Swede who remembers the War... or any of the researchers who've started investigating the concept all over again. I am investigating the potential for a wood gas generator to power a bus conversion. But I'm having a lot of trouble finding what kind of mileage I can expect. Some of the car conversions claim 9,000 miles per cord. That seems a little extreme, but who am I to say? Anybody here have any ideas whatsoever?


Hey Squeeze, the link for wood gasifier plans is: http://www.motherearthnews.com/shopping/detail.aspx?itemnumber=762
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