Well I was just bored and doing some reading about people making their own biodiesel, found some great links in threads in this section of the forum and have rather enjoyed reading about all this.

The processors that are used to make the fuel and how it all works interests me just as much as the fact that this fuel can be made for a heck of a lot cheaper than our $4.20/gallon #2 diesel.

Heres my "big" question: Can WVO be made into "regular" biodiesel that can be run in the trucks without any extra heaters/replacing fuel lines/worries about clogging the fuel system up?

I have a friend who's parents own a couple restaurants and they would probably be a great source of WVO for me "IF" I ever decided to try making my own fuel with a processor I built myself.

Now... back to clicking through some links in the threads .

 

Your asking for more than can be had in a thread , to do well , requires a lot of info , even more the way I am working on [ building my own processor ] .
Usually the 1st is make sure you have a source to work with , you may or may not , find out how much you can get on a regular basis , your going to lose around 20% by volume [ this is the glycerin , that you do not want , thats the 2 tank heating systems ] , then if your time is full working , making at least an OK wage , then it may be best to buy an automated processor [ BioPro , is the best for the money so far ] , if you have time on your hands & less money , the Appleseed processor [ build your self , with have used plumping supplies ] , then find a source of methanol & lye , fall & winter the price goes up , depending on how much you make , you should but at least 55gal drums , buy enough at the end of summer to get your production through winter pricing .
Read away .
http://www.girlmark.com/

http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x?a=cfrm&s=447609751


http://www.utahbiodieselsupply.com/

 

Thanks very much for the links.

 

holy moly that BioPro is expensive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

If you have the time, you can make your own processing setup. You don't need an expensive setup.

The bigger problem is locating the oil for bio diesel.

 

I heard methanol is really expensive now, to the point where the cost of making bio at home is almost the same as just buying #2. Is this true? How much is methanol going for per gallon and where do you guys get it?

 

Well, there goes my free WVO. I talked to my friends parents, and they GET PAID by someone who comes and picks up their WVO.

 

Methanol went up here from $6.49 for a 3.78 litre jug to $7.00.I can't find bulk methanol for no less that $450 for 45 gallons...

 

How MUCH do they get paid per lb of WVO? Probably less than $0.10 per lb.

 

You need to be kind of personal and ask them how much they get paid for the oil. A few of my local resturants get a quarterly check from the company that picks up their wvo. The amount of that check varied from $17 to $35 for about 500 gals of wvo. If you do the math, you can see thats not very much per gallon that they get paid . Some of these resturants also have to rent the grease bins from these companies so they are actually paying to get rid of their wvo. Just something to keep in mind, so do some research in your local area and you'll be surprised at what you can find...

 

I found a racing fuel supplier who sold it to me for $4/gal 3 weeks ago. He seemed to know everything about all kinds of fuel and told me that he expects the price of methanol to drop within a year. I hope he's right for us homebrewers' sake...

 

We got a quote about 4 wks ago for $2.99 - per 55gal drum , going down with in the nest week or so .

 

I just paid 200$ for a drum. Thats the best I could do. Its such a variable commodity. It was as high as 400$ over the winter!

When you factor in the costs of the reactor, the chemical supplies, the water and the electricity involved.. then think about your labor time, biodiesel isnt much cheaper than pump fuel. Most folks could work a couple hours on the side and have cash for that much more fuel.
The people that really benefit from making biodiesel are the ones who want to keep the money here in the USA instead of going to foreign oil suppliers.
Waste oil is starting to get pressured too.. waste collecting companies are seeing their income dwindle so theyre taking the stuff for free and in some cases even paying for it.
Make sure you look at the whole picture before you commit to buying all this stuff and that it really benefits you in the end.

 

That's what I've been thinking and probably a lot of other people or you'd see everyone making it. I'd rather put in some overtime at my job than spend that time going out collecting WVO, filtering it, making it, etc. Although, for some reason the thought of making bio is still very appealing.