Best way to get Vegetable oil???

[CrAacKker]

Hey guys, I am in the process of researching the whole biodiesel process and all the required ingredients.

Do you have to use vegetable oil or is there other alternative oils??

If so, can you buy it?? or is it only obtainable thru picking it from restaurants?

Is there any other oils that can be used that can be purchased in bulk or do you have to have some type of liscense, permit or be a restaurant to purchase it??

I am just trying to figure this out...A friend said to me when we were talking about the biodiesel process...he stated "what happens when everybody starts trying to pick up vegetable oil from all restaurants then it will be harder"?

Can you learn everything you need to learn about biodiesel on the internet without taking a class on it???

Any advice or experience you all could share would be very much appreciated!!!!

Thanks!

 

[JOAT]

You can buy vegoil but it's expensive. Any oil that can be cooked with will work, including animal fats. Stay away from drying oils like linseed.

If biodiesel is what you're after, there's a great write-up on how to make your own setup at The Collaborative Biodiesel Tutorial

Other sites of Interest;
-Frybrid Forums
-Biodiesel Infopop
-BiodieselNow Forums

Collecting from restaurants is pretty easy if you live in an area where they have to pay to dispose of it otherwise. Can take some time to develope good sources but often after you get a few you'll get more by word of mouth. Using new oil makes biodiesel processing easier, but unless you can find some cheap bulk source it's likely to cost you over $3 a gallon just for the oil.

 

[CrAacKker]

I notice your running a heated WVO system. Is that a cheaper way to purchase your fuel. Or is that another name for biodiesel??

Thanks for the info!!

 

[hheynow]

A good first reading is THIS BOOK and well worth the $18.00.

 

[oi8228oi]

just curious how much it cost you guys to set everything up for the veggie oil...

 

[JOAT]

I notice your running a heated WVO system. Is that a cheaper way to purchase your fuel. Or is that another name for biodiesel??

Thanks for the info!!

Biodiesel is oil that has been reacted with a catalyst to replace the 20% glycerin with an alcohol.

Heated Veggie systems use unconverted vegetable oil straight, heated to lower the viscosity. They typically are started on regular petro-diesel, than switch once the engine is at operating temp.

A good scrounger could setup a barebones heated veggie setup in a vehicle that already has 2 tanks for a few hundred dollars. Kits start at $700-800 and average closer to $1500, with top of the line kits installed breaking $3000.