adamricepoo-bah
1,015 posts
Location: Austin TX USA


Posted:
I am forwarding a message I received. Looks interesting:
quote:
Last night some of us ran burn tests with Biodiesel on fire toys with good results. Biodiesel is a *NON TOXIC* liquid derived from vegetable oil and costs roughly the same as gasoline. There is a pump station in San Francisco that can be accessed with a card that the nice people at biodiesel@cytoculture.com can set you up with. For *large* quantities I can put anyone who is interested in touch with the distributor.Test results:Pros:1. Cheap. 2. Burns more than twice as long as white gas. 3. Smells vaguely like french fries when burning. 4. Non-toxic in fuel form (shake out on ground with a clean conscience -- animals can actually derive nutrition from this stuff). 5. Extremely low vapor pressure, so very safe - essentially zero danger of accidental ignition, and essentially no chance of lighting yourself on fire via fuel transfer to skin/clothing.Cons:1. *Very* difficult to light on cold wicking, merely difficult to light on hot wicks (but burns very well once going). 2. Smoky. 3. Not as bright as white gas. 4. Unworkable for "ring of fire"/"highway to hell", etc.Comments:1. As yet untested for fire-breathing, but if it will work it's the holy grail of the art (utterly non-toxic, no blow-back risk, not intoxicating) 2. All cons can be minimized or eliminated by mixing with other fuels (e.g. a 50/50 biodiesel/white gas mix makes an easy-to-light, big, bright, astonishingly long burning flame that still smells like french fries and smokes less than pure bio) with an offsetting toxicity compromise.Some dancer *loved* the stuff, others seem to be white gas purists. Try it for yourself.

Laugh while you can, monkey-boy


Twistmember
160 posts

Posted:
I'd just like to offer support for biodiesel in general... I lived in a community where all the buses ran on it for a while, before interest and backing faded......this is far too amazing and practical a substance to let fall to the wayside. Keep ou eyes open for it and support it!

Finnmember
341 posts
Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia


Posted:
Twist / Adam,Do you know if it's avaialble outside the States?It sounds vaguely familiar.... I'm pretty sure I've heard about it (or something similar) being used in vehicles here in Australia.Finn smile

becBRONZE Member
member
521 posts
Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia


Posted:
Yes, please...If anyone knows a similar product available in Australia, please post...perhaps we can then twirl without environmental guilt... (I don't think I'll ever stop worrying about all the fumes I'm putting into the air - or my lungs!)

becBRONZE Member
member
521 posts
Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia


Posted:
I did a quick search on it and came up withhttps://biodiesel.vtrekker.com/for Aussies interested.It's not very readily available, but hopefully will be in the not-so-distant future... and may be a viable alternative to hydrocarbon fuels like kero, but we'll test it out (if we can get some) and let you know...

PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
I also found this for all you state siders...https://www.biodiesel.org/default2.htmIt's ignition and burn time sound very similar to Keresene/Lamp oil/Parafin, as does it's smokiness.I found one drawback to this so far...it is a soy product. Now this may not mean much to you initially but did you know that between 35 and 40% of all people are allergic to soy products? I know this because a few of my family members are fiercely allergic. This makes me wonder two things, if someone is allergic and in an audience, will the smoke cause an allergic reaction in them the way that if I burned tofu around my mom she would become instantly stuffed up and begin having allergic issues? Secondly, if you don't know you are allergic to soy and use this, especially for breathing/eating/trailing it could cause health issues with you , and mid performance tht is a scary prospect.I agree it is an amazing resource, but like everything else it is not infallable and I just wanted to point that out. If I were to use this (and I am thinking about it seriously), I would quick dip it in another fuel for lighting, only use it outside and though I know I am not allergic to soy, for those who are going to try this who don't know, try eating a bit of tofu first. If it does something to you then don't use this fuel.Nice catch though Adam. Thanks for sharing.------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


becBRONZE Member
member
521 posts
Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia


Posted:
good point Pele...It sounds like it is more often made from Canola Oil here - and even occasionally animal fat (yuk! Being a strict vegan this makes me a little wary of using it)Perhaps some suppliers may know what each particular batch of fuel is derived from (more likely not - I can't really imagine they'd care if vegetarians are bothered by it or not - or even people-with-soy-allergies-wanting-to-watch-fire-shows...!)...but then, it sounds like it's not actually that hard to make it yourself - something to do with that chip oil that you've been saving in bottles all these years (!?!)

pjmember
277 posts
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA


Posted:
Wow, this stuff sounds great!The only *real* problem I see (other than obtaining the stuff) is the difficulty in lighting it. And to this there is an easy solution. I started twirling fire back in February when the temps here were right arround the freezing point after sunset, and even the synthetic kerosene I use was a little difficult to light. (The syntho stuff is much easier to light then standard kero, btw)The solution? After soaking your wicks in kero and then spinning out, squirt a little charcoal lighter fluid or white gas onto them. They will then light up almost instantly!-p.

FrenzieBRONZE Member
member
515 posts
Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia


Posted:
pj: you can actually make it yourselftheres a huge amount of support for it in Europe i believe and its just starting to get running in Australia, but as yet it is illegal to run your vehicle on it i think......rta bullshit

- Industrial design knows of no article more useful than the milk crate -


Mr SockGOLD Member
member
94 posts
Location: Dover, DE, USA


Posted:
I want some... grin

Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted - Martin Luther King Jr.


pjmember
277 posts
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA


Posted:
Someone sent me this link to a nifty article on how to make your own biodiesel from waste vegatable oil and/or animal fats. It requires some chemical and lab knowledge, but surprisingly little considering the end result.https://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_aleksnew.htmlEnjoy!-p.

s-p-l-a-tmember
383 posts
Location: Brisbane, Qld, Australia


Posted:
Ahh biodiesel.. you can make more enviro-friendly fuels from even potatoes. Knowing oz, we probably won't have access to commercially produced less enviro-killing fuels till a few 100 directors get off their butts and actually work to get it available. Not holding breath... frownHowever on another note, while their are still meat-eaters in this world (I cannot imagine this will ever stop..think back to the biblical age).. I am somewhat relieved to know their by-products are not being simply tipped into the sea or landfill or some equally wasteful cause.

The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.- B.B.King


StoneGOLD Member
Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
Make your own bio diesel. https://www.tasmanenergy.com.au/bio_diesel_fuel.htm

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh


NYC_not_PKOne Tyred Guy
203 posts
Location: Camaiore, Lu, Italy


Posted:
Mad ups to Biodiesel. I have to say, as a chemist, making it sounds like a nightmare! Besides, if I need to use 200 liters of Methanol isn't that kind of defeating the purpose? There seem to be a shopping list of dangerous chemicals that need to be used to make this "safe" chemical. I'm all for someone else doing it and buying it from them. I just don't want to blow up my house trying to make it! Also, I don't see how this benefits our millitary interests in the Middle East or the state of Texas so, as an American, I can't possibly support it. wink

PK is a god.. i love the Peeekster.

.:PK:. [poiinthepark founder member]


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing smileSTAY SAFE! hug


Santomember
9 posts
Location: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia


Posted:
3 Litres of Bio Diesel was given to me today by a small time manufacturer who is very interested in this cause. It has apparently "the toxicity of table salt", it's made from canola oil and tastes like all the bad stuff in deep fried foods. The texture is really horrible and feels like melted butter which is quite rank. It's hard to clean out of the inside of your mouth (I ended up gargling with kerosene). The guy who made it has some interesting ideas for making it more tasty though.Fire Breathing: It's not as volatile as kero so at first I could only get small spurts of flame, but with a bit of practice, making the droplets as small as I could, I got a few decent blows. The initial thought was that its more like spitting long, fast bursts of flame rather the breathing nice bellowing clouds as you can with kero. Maybe more practice is all it will take. It seems at least as safe as kerosene and you certainly don't get the kero burps although I feet like I've munged through $10 worth of deep fried chips, I'm sure you'd get fat using this stuff very often. I feel a little ill. Perhaps raising the temperature of the fuel would make it more volatile and less oily in the mouth. I've taken some photos as well as some of me breathing kero so you can tell the difference, a link should be posted tomorrow or the next day. I'll try and get a video camera tomorrow and make a small documentary with some other peoples opinions of the stuff and maybe some blows with kero/BioD mixtures and post that as a *.mpg. You'll hear from me soon.

Traceredmember
71 posts
Location: Salem, Oregon USA


Posted:
I have tracked down some comercially available biodiesel in the US, but with shipping costs it ends up pretty expensive. I think you can get 5 gallons for $40 after shipping. For those interested, give this a shot.

biodiesel in 5 gal and 55gal containers

An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind - Mahatma Gandhi


Traceredmember
71 posts
Location: Salem, Oregon USA


Posted:
I also tracked down a smaller sized container of biodiesel, but the price per gallon shoots WAY up. Check it out here:

More biodiesel

peace

An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind - Mahatma Gandhi


firecatmember
7 posts
Location: Houston, Texas, USA


Posted:
on www.biodiesel.org and there's a list of manufacturers - if you're in the states - one of them can probably direct you to a local supplier... we were looking into this last year & we found a guy in Texas City that had some for $1.85/gal - hand pumped out of a big 55 gal drum into our own containers...

your supplier will know what the fuel is derived from: look for "virgin" oil if possible - it takes less harsh chemical processing than recycled grease/fat and probably doesn't smell so bad... maybe could even find something that isn't soy - that's just the most common stock that I've heard of around here... but it may vary by what is most commonly produced in the region...

it is MUCH harder to light than kerosene or lamp oil - their flash points are around 150F (much variation by manufacturer & depends on additives as well) but the biodiesel we got was around 300F. it burns about twice as long as naptha - but when we tried it with poi on a wood stage, it left a very slimy mess - so use on surfaces like grass or dirt where traction is not an issue... and it SMOKES a lot for the last minute of the burn...

master sodiummember
536 posts
Location: carson city, nevada


Posted:
to anyone who has used biodiesel:

how does the flame size compare to kero?

you can't have a war against terrorism because war IS terrorism.it's not about worshipping fire. its about making the fire want to worship you.


Astarmember
1,591 posts
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada.


Posted:
I find it funny that "smells like french fries" is listed as a pro.

GlåssDIAMOND Member
The Ministry of Manipulation
2,523 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom


Posted:
got a uk supplier if anyone wants details.

plus, he say that in the uk it is 50% reclaimed oil from commercial kitchens, so i guess that explains the smell

FireMeccaBRONZE Member
member
69 posts
Location: Tucson, USA


Posted:
We have been using biodiesel for quite some time mixed with lamp oil. if there are problems starting, we usually have a small coffee can filled to a small depth with white gas, just to get the ends of the poi wet. starts up fine.

We found that the pure biodiesel was extremely smoky (obtained from a filling station in Phoenix), and so we decided to mix it. It's also the only fuel any of my people will currently consider fire-breathing with. Whenever we are over open dirt or vegetation, we try to use this.

FA

That which does not kill me, only makes me stranger.


arashiPooh-Bah
2,364 posts
Location: austin,tx


Posted:
HEY EVERYONE!!!!
PLEASE TAKE NOTE!!!!!

biodiesel is a name for a type of fuel, like kerosene, or alcohol, and as such there are MANY different formulas for biodiesel.

SOME KINDS CONTAIN VERY TOXIC SUBSTANCES, like methanol. methanol bad...

all i'm saying is that you should never assume that the biodiesel that you have is safe simply because it says "bio"diesel on it. just don't assume that you can go bathing in it or using it as hair gel or drinking biodiesel kool aid until you check the MSDS sheets if possible or at least find the ingredients to make sure that you have a formula that doesn't contain methanol.

also be careful, methanol is also used to make some kinds of drugs, so if you are going to order lots of it to make biodiesel, be aware that you may raise some eyebrows somewhere in big brother land.

-Such a price the gods exact for song: to become what we sing
-Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.
-When the center of the storm does not move, you are in its path.


Astarmember
1,591 posts
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada.


Posted:
Woah methanol. That's very scary. It doesn't take much methanol at all to blind you or kill you. Look up methanol's toxicity if you want an idea how horrible the stuff is.

oopsridenSILVER Member
member
2 posts
Location: USA


Posted:
environmentally safe, both in burning and mostly in acquiring. no fossil fuels required, no global warming, entirely renewable. see www.veggievan.org (might be www.veggievan.com) for the most info from joshua tickell, the guy who wrote the how to book 'from the fryer to the fuel tank'. you can find biodiesel almost anywhere if you know where to look, and joshua could probably help you find it if you asked. happy hunting.

"in everything you do, be deliberate"

MillenniuMPLATINUM Member
Hyperloops suck
595 posts
Location: USA


Posted:
Can a Mod, or the creator of this topic, post what Arashi posted in the first post on this thread? I can see people reading part of the thread, going out and breathing with methanol biodiesel, and never coming back.

Big AndyBRONZE Member
member
186 posts
Location: Dallas, Tx, USA


Posted:
My friend ordered several gallons of biodiesel for us to try, and we never got it! His credit card was charged but he never got the fuel. His subsequent emails to the company were unanswered.

I'll try to find out which company it was and post it. That's just shady business.

"We can't stop here! This is bat country!"

"Welcome to the U-S-A,
We'll treat you right, unless you're black or gay, or Cherokeeeeee!!"

-Brian Griffin from "Family Guy" (the dog)


Squeegeemember
18 posts
Location: Olympia, WA, USA


Posted:
From what I know, as long as the methanol is properly evaporated from the processed biodiesel (and it always should be), you're fine.

phidauexmember
10 posts
Location: St. Louis, MO


Posted:
The methanol isn't in the biodiesel. Its used as a catalyst in the manufacture, and is removed from the final product. Talk to the maker if you are in doubt, but finished biodiesel should not have methanol in it. Remember that this is a fuel for diesel engines. If there was methanol in there, it would lower the flash point, and the engines would knock like crazy, it can't have methanol in it if its going to work as a diesel fuel.

That said, you should always get the MSDS from the company before you use the product! I second the recommendation for 'virgin' biodiesel for our uses.

peace,
sam


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