Newbie caught the bug

[staphoent]

I am a newbie to bio-diesel production and I have spent the last few days reading bio-diesel books, articles and browsing the two forums (this and VOD.co.uk). I have well and truly caught the bug (I am seeing 205 litre barrels with pipes coming out of them in my sleep).

I have a secured small, but steady supply of waste vegetable oil and my hope is to produce small quantities of good quality bio-diesel (clean and well reacted). Being a student however I am on somewhat of a limited budget. I have lots of questions that I would like to ask to experienced bio-diesel producers, the first is this:

My understanding is that the functional difference between a 'Graham Laming style' producer and an 'Appleseed styled' one is that the G.L.P limits the release of harmful fumes, allows for methanol recovery but has not capacity for post-reaction washing. However the A.S.P allows for post-reaction washing but releases more fumes. Have I understood the functional benefits and drawbacks of the two designs correctly or are there some that I have missed?

All help/advice and input will be beneficial.

[Julian]

Hi and welcome to the forum and wiki ... trust you've read the wiki, it's an accumulation of knowledge from both the VOD and members on here and hopefully reflects the latest methods and designs.

I'm just off out, so can't post a long reply, but very briefly, stick with the GL, best design by far and it's quite possible to wash in a GL, I do, but the original design relied on removing all/most of the methanol which make settling out the soaps very quick.

And a GL can be built on quite a small budget if you are good at making and scrounging things!

I expect others will chip in whilst I'm out but keep asking questions.  We're happy to help if you've done your research to understand the answers.

[Jamesrl]

Hi and welcome, go GL you can always wash in a separate tank if you wish.

If you demeth (and save money) let the bio settle for a few days washing, should you get the urge, will be so much easier.

One more thing though,  you'll need a sense of humour.

[greasemonkey]

Stick with it and you'll be as loopy as us in no time......

[staphoent]

Hi Julian,

Thanks for the reply, I have read a lot of the wiki (its awesome) but I'm going to start focusing my reading on the GL processor stuff. I will take yours and Jamesrl's advice and work towards a GL design. I'm not bad at scrounging, I picked up a 47kg (100L) calor style steel gas bottle today for free (stole the idea off a member on the VOD forum) , I like the idea of using steel rather than copper and 100L size is perfect for me.

Thanks for the reply Jamesrl, demething sounds like a good Idea. I've been doing a lot of studying so I was in academic mode when I wrote my post lol. You don't want me to start joking because none of the members on here will get any diesel making done, all their time will be spent logging onto the forum to make sure they don't miss my comedy gold ha!

Anyway to both of you, thanks for the advice. Can you tell me the models of the types of pumps that I should be looking out for on ebay to use as the main pump in a GL processor with a 100L reactor tank?

P.S to greasmonkey- I hope bio-diesel production isn't as addictive as it has been for me in the last few days, or is it that meth driving you loopy? haha

[greasemonkey]

P.S to greasmonkey- I hope bio-diesel production isn't as addictive as it has been for me in the last few days,

Your a student, you say? Young? You poor boy, you don't know what you are getting yourself into........

[Bill]

Hi,
Making biodiesel can be very addictive.
Are you a student of anything that might be useful, ie chemistry, engineering, electronics, etc.
If not step up to the learning curve.

[staphoent]

Are you a student of anything that might be useful, ie chemistry, engineering, electronics, etc.
If not step up to the learning curve.

Haha, unfortunately not, I study theology, so unless prayers are going to help me, my academics are of no use lol.

[Jamesrl]

Are you a student of anything that might be useful, ie chemistry, engineering, electronics, etc.
If not step up to the learning curve.

Haha, unfortunately not, I study theology, so unless prayers are going to help me, my academics are of no use lol.

No wonder you have a sences of humour then, theology.

[oakwoodtv]

A good cheap pump is the tam105 from Machine Mart.

[Head Womble]

Hi and welcome.

My advice to you is, go to your local spots stop and invest in a good pair of running shoes,
put them on your feet observing that you have right and left in the correct configuration.
Then, and only then, run like hell, run as far as you can away from anything slightly bio/veg related.

Bio is a drug, worse than heroin, it'll consume your entire life, destroy any friendships you have, leave all of your clothes with irremovable stains, your car will slowly but surely self destruct starting with wiper blades then moving on to just about every other part, apart from the parts that get covered in veg/bio (and this will be most of it) as they will never ever rust as once it's on there satin himself cannot get it off.

You will only take one solace from bio, the divine right to be smug every time you pass a tax station.

Ah yes, GL is the way to go, fully flexible to follow whatever method you or your oil supply choose (and believe me your oil will dictate how you do things).

[Jamesrl]

Oi Mark, are you using that addictive text, local spots stop?

[Julian]

Oi Mark, are you using that addictive text, local spots stop?

"Spot Stop" is what he uses to get veg oil marks off his jeans.  Having the displeasure of meeting him occasionally, as I do, I have to say it doesn't work.

[Oilybloke]

Welcome to the forum, you'll enjoy it here. If you can find somebody not too far from you who is already brewing, try to spend a few hours with them (I think you have to take a packet of biscuits) as a live demonstration is invaluable.

[staphoent]

A good cheap pump is the tam105 from Machine Mart.

Thanks, I have been looking out for Tam 105/120's, Leo XKM60's and Mono Ms's (at bargain prices on ebay) as the wiki suggests. But I have heard mention on the forum of CMS 221's, Mono MM and ML's, JGS's, Stuart Turner's, Ebara's, Sea Land's, Jex M's, Lowara's, Telerini's, Calpeda's, Crompton Greave's and more ha. Just not sure if the latter would be suitable for the batch size I'm hoping to create and how these pumps serve different purposes.