Luc, Thanks again for the help. I need to just break down and head to Home Depot and look around, I guess.
Brian --- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, "biobenz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The immersion heater is a 115V type (NOT the 240V type)used for the > common water heater (I also got another one to convert the lower > element to 115V instead of the 240V it comes with)and can be > acquired anywhere they sell water heaters,and usually right next to > where they are displayed, such as Home Hardware or such large > hardware stores. The heater is a round screw in type and the thread > does not match any regular drum thread well, special thread and all > that, (hense the need to use LOTS of pipe tape) so what I did was to > get a "conversion" flange (used to convert heaters with a square > heater "hole" to a round one) that is square with a screw in hole > that accomodates the screw in the heater element perfectly (it is > made for it)and then I had the brother-in-law weld the square flange > into the side of the metal pre-heat drum, and all I had to do is > screw in the heater element. I also had him weld a drain tap as far > down as possible on the same drum, using a bushing so all that was > left to do was to screw in the drain tap.(you can use any type of > drain tap you want that fits your needs; I used one that accomodates > a water hose adapter so that it can be easily removed and > transported ect...) The idea for the square conversion attachment > came from a plumber that happened to be at the store when I > explained what I wanted to do to the clerk who looked at me like I'd > fallen off a distant planet... I have not yet attached the > thermostat from the water heater's upper element (which I have to > disable anyway) but that is on the list. > I also am in the process of building my first processor, and it is > paycheque to paycheque which comes around every two weeks like many > people, but during the time it is taking it allows time to think and > rethink the plans and possibilities and continue to scour the > threads here for any improvements I can make while still in the > building stages. > A treasure house of information this list is, so avail yourself of > everything you can from those who have gone on before and have > learned what works and what doesn't. Trial and error is a great > teacher, but learning from the experience of others is much less > frustrating :) > > Luc > > > --- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, "Brian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Luc, > > > > What type of immersion heater are you using for your pre-heat > tank? > > I've heard that you can get water heater immersion heaters cheap > and > > screw them into a drum bung using a flange. I haven't really > looked > > into this locally, but everything I'm finding on the net is $200 > US > > and up. I know that there is a cheaper solution out there. > > > > I'm still in the process of gathering parts for my processor. > This > > time of year is tough for me financially, with several recurrent > > annual bills coming due at the same time. Makes gathering parts a > > little slower than I would like it to be. I also continue to have > > difficulty with incomplete reactions with test batches, and have > > finally decided that my NaOH is hydrated. It's the only variable > > left to change, so I'm heading to the store to get some Red Devil > > and trying another test batch this weekend. I will be making > > biodiesel soon. > > > > Brian > > > > --- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, "biobenz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Because it is simple, works well, is reliable, is compact and > not > > > dependant on flash or bells and whistles to sell itself, it > rates > > > top shelf in my mind.Something does not have to be stamped "made > > in > > > (pick your industrialsed country)" for it to be a quality > product > > > and this is proof of that very thing. Straight functionability > is > > > always best, and that is something the "3rd" world definetly has > > up > > > on the "industrialised" world. I saw something similar in Fiji > > > during one of two pass-throughs in the 70's and didn't pay much > > > attention as I saw it as just the way they did things and it > > worked. > > > This is also where I was first introduced to the "hot" variety > of > > > peppers as the Fijians as well as the large Indian population > > there > > > cook quite spicy.Very fond memories of that experience. > > > Children play in the streets with broom sticks and bottle caps > and > > > have a great time at it, while most even speak three languages, > > > English, Fijian and the local Indian language (forgive me I am > not > > > sure if it is Hindi or what, my ignorance). > > > Thanks for all that info, I shall avail myself of it's treasures > > > soon. > > > Your processor gave me some good ideas too (me likes) that could > > be > > > incoporated into my cabinet version of the "Appleseed" one. I > > could > > > convert the "wash Tank" into a settling tank and then have > > exterior > > > tanks for washing and have a real production thing going. The > > > organic farmer I deal with here has already said that we could > > work > > > something out for giving it (the processor-in-a-cabinet)a home > so > > > perhaps we can work something out in that department as well. He > > has > > > the space that I do not which is why I designed the thing to fit > > > into a cabinet to start with due to my space limitations, > although > > > the versatility of it allows for expansion and modifications > into > > > something bigger with little effort.He has tractors that run on > > > diesel for his farming purposes and so, enter biodiesel and he > is > > > already of a mindset for alternative solutions, so a win win > > > situation. > > > I already had the pre-heat tank idea incorporated (complete with > > > immersion heater), but the addition of a settling tank would > > > definetly be a boon and potentially open up volume possibilities > > as > > > well as solve the clogging of the pump issue as the settling > would > > > be done away from it. Again, win win. > > > > > > I too tried to contact the Petromax people in Florida without > > > response. I figure that if they don't have enough decency to > > answer > > > a simple email then should have more pressing questions about > > > functionability then I will be on my own and that doesn't work > for > > > me at all.$100.00US plus for a lantern with no customer service > is > > > not the way I like to do things. > > > > > > Anyway, great job on the processor and thanks for the info pages. > > > > > > Luc > > > PS: I shall continue to drool in secret.....;)for now. > > > > > > > > > --- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > >Ok, so you got a fancy dancy stove that uses biodiesel and we > > are > > > > >now all drooling, sooooo, do you also have a contact > > > adress/website > > > > >where we can get one too? Please? Ta! > > > > > > > > > >Luc > > > > > > > > :-) Drool away, see if I care! Heh! > > > > > > > > But you're wrong, it's NOT fancy dancy, it's common-or- garden, > > > that's > > > > the whole point. Ramjee told me the price in India was US$8 > > equiv. > > > We > > > > could get them here in Japan, which exports them, but the > price > > > was > > > > $100-$120, and that for a much smaller one, sort of camping > > style, > > > a > > > > toy, not kitchen style. It seems the ones they export to 3rd > > World > > > > countries they don't supply on the domestic market, as so > often > > > with > > > > Japanese companies, very frustrating. > > > > > > > > The main reason we needed it was because so many people from > 3rd > > > > World countries have asked us for a solution for using > > > > locally-produced biofuels, ie produced at village-level, in > > > kerosene > > > > cookers. We're much interested in this subject of 3rd World > > > cooking, > > > > there's quite a lot about it on our website. (In fact we're > much > > > more > > > > interested in this than in helping people in the rich > countries > > to > > > > make biodiesel.) Solar box cookers are one solution: > > > > http://journeytoforever.org/sc.html > > > > Solar box cookers: Journey to Forever - how free solar energy > is > > > > saving lives, saving trees, fighting poverty and hunger in the > > > Third > > > > World, how to make a solar box cooker, school project > > > > > > > > Improved woodstoves are another: > > > > > > > > http://journeytoforever.org/at_woodfire.html > > > > Wood fires that fit - Appropriate technology > > > > > > > > http://journeytoforever.org/teststove.html > > > > Cookstove for schools: Journey to Forever > > > > > > > > Biogas is another. But there isn't one single complete > solution. > > > > There's still a lot of basic development work to be done on > > > improved > > > > woodstoves, especially on the IDD woodgas variety, one of the > > more > > > > promising types. For instance, this was reported in New > > > Scientist: "A > > > > new kind of cooking stove for Kenya is an example. Some > > Englishmen > > > > invented a stove that could be made of local clay and which > was > > > much > > > > more economical of wood than what had been used. They went to > > > Kenya > > > > and persuaded the locals to build 250 of them over several > > years. > > > At > > > > the same time a kerosene stove made in Japan was introduced > and > > > > 10,000 were sold through ordinary commercial channels. The > > > kerosene > > > > stove was not made locally, and the fuel had to be imported." > A > > > solar > > > > cooker some Americans attempted to introduce in Lesotho was > even > > > more > > > > of a flop. In both cases, it wasn't so much that the cookers > > were > > > a > > > > flop, the projects trying to introduce them were. > > > > > > > > Anyway, since so many 3rd World people have demonstrated a > > > preference > > > > for kero stoves, one (of several) approaches is never mind the > > > > stoves, how to substitute for the fuel? Basically, two > problems, > > > and > > > > two possibilities. The problems are two kinds of stoves (at > > > least) - > > > > pressure stoves ("roarers") and wick stoves. The two main > > > > possibilities are biodiesel and SVO. Biodiesel is technically > > the > > > > better option, or at least the easier one. It's said biodiesel > > > won't > > > > travel up a wick, but it will, if you get the wick right, and > > the > > > > level of fuel in the reservoir relative to the wick right too. > > So > > > > will SVO, though it's not as easy and it helps to pre-heat it. > > > Todd's > > > > talked of a donut-shaped affair, which confirms what we've > been > > > > working on too. But first we needed to know whether biodiesel > > will > > > > burn in an ordinary, generic-type, kero pressure stove without > > > > modification. Thanks to Ramjee, we can say the answer is an > > > > unqualified "Yes". Great news! Now, how to get it to burn SVO? > > > Next > > > > problem, followed by developing stoves or adaptations to > > existing > > > > stoves for burning biodiesel and/or SVO in wick stoves. > > > > > > > > On the ground, biodiesel is not the best solution - SVO will > > > always > > > > be more easily available at village-level than biodiesel will > > be. > > > On > > > > the other hand, there are many good reasons for starting > > biodiesel > > > > projects, or biodiesel-SVO projects, in villages, with the > usual > > > > provisos of all development projects - see our Community > > > development > > > > pages: > > > > > > > > http://journeytoforever.org/community.html > > > > Community development: Journey to Forever > > > > > > > > http://journeytoforever.org/community2.html > > > > Community development - poverty and hunger: Journey to Forever > > > > > > > > Hence our "fancy dancy" stove that uses biodiesel, Luc. > > > > > > > > But so what, eh? - where can you buy one? These stoves below > are > > > sold > > > > in the US, and advertised as also burning diesel fuel, they'll > > > > certainly burn biodiesel very happily. I'm not sure offhand > just > > > who > > > > sells them there, you'll have to search a bit. No use writing > to > > > > Lovson - well, you can try, but I couldn't get a response from > > > them: > > > > http://www.lovson.com/lightengineering.html > > > > Brass Stoves,Petromax Lantern Exporters,Kerosene Stoves > > > > India,Stoves,Kerosene Pressure Lantern,Indian Stoves,Kerosene > > > > Lantern,Brass Stoves,Petromax Stoves Exporters,India > > > > > > > > That "Petromax" Lantern by the way, is a generic Petromax- type > > > > lantern, not a genuine Petromax. BriteLyt makes those (and > they > > do > > > > work on biodiesel, and on ethanol). > > > > http://www.britelyt.com/ > > > > http://store.britelyt.com/ > > > > > > > > Anyway, don't you like our processor? > > > > > > > > Best > > > > > > > > Keith > > > > > > > > > > > > >--- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > wrote: > > > > > > Journey to Forever 90-litre processor > > > > > > http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_processor10.html > > > > > > > > > > > > "This is a cheap, simple, safe and very effective biodiesel > > > > > > processing set-up that you can easily build yourself. It's > > > easy to > > > > > > make high-quality biodiesel this way. > > > > > > > > > > > > "We've used 90-litre kerosene water-heater tanks, but any > > > similar > > > > >or > > > > > > bigger tank with a tight-fitting removable lid would do..." > > > > > > > > > > > > Full details, photos, how to use, etc. > > > > > > > > > > > > Best wishes > > > > > > > > > > > > Keith ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/FGYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! 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