Diesel fuel

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

Did it at school a bit over 40 years ago, but don't need to now because I've still got a good part of a winchester left from when it was simpler to buy stuff.

The scary thing was that as a child, one of my uncles had severe epilepsy and used to live with us. It was quite common for dad to have to knock him out with a handkerchief loaded with the stuff when he had a fit!

[Brian WoodParticipant @brianwood45127]

We had a lab steward who prepared the experiments for demonstration by wheeling them on trolleys into the lecture theatre; he lived in his own little empire in the lower corridor of the Science block

He was addicted to ether and had glass reagent jars placed strategically along the length of his domain; he could be observed sniffing regularly from these through a crack in the door hinges. Happy days!

[John AllsopParticipant @johnallsop92750]

There are at least two model shops that will send commercial diesel fuel to any where in the UK, by courier. But mainland only. As I live on an island they can,t send me some.

[Jens Eirik Skogstad 1Participant @jenseirikskogstad1]

Hi, someone who has not access to ether. then you will find diethylene ether in start gas spray can. Let it be in the freezerbox night over and make a little hole in the top of the spray can. Let the propellant be disappeared from the spraycan. Then make a larger hole in the top of the spray can and pour in the sealed flask to use when you want to mix own dieselfuel.

Dope/IPN is easy available: Glassfiber hardener in liquid form who are named methyl ethylene ketone peroxide.

Oil in the fuel is not critical to lubricate the model diesel engine. In case no castor oil is available, then use motor oil Sae 10W-40, 20W-50 or motor oil with higher viscosity.

Fuel such as the parafine can be replaced with other fuel to example diesel oil (road car diesel fuel), lamp oil, barbeque igniter fluid.

[John AllsopParticipant @johnallsop92750]

I,m just getting back into the model engines, where i live i can,t fly models, the formula i am going to try is , for the either, quick start spray can, John Deere is best if you can get it, paraffin, Maxima castor 927, and 11/2-2% Amsoil cetane boost.. I have engines AE 0.1cc to 5 cc mostly PAW one ED 1.46 hornet and two red fin one is twin cylinders opposed.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Many moons ago I had an ED Bee 1cc engine. The chaps at the model flying club could start it no problem, I put blisters on my fingers trying. The fuel brew was 1/3 ether, 1/3 RedEx, 1/3 diesel

Even as a young teenager the local Boots would sell me 1/2 litre bottles of ether, the rest I cadged from the local garage. It was quite impressive when my Dad decided to light the coke stove, already warm from the night before, by filling it with coke, pouring in some ether and applying a match. Stove lid nearly hit the ceiling, and coke flew round the kitchen

[John AllsopParticipant @johnallsop92750]

My first engine was also an ED BEE it came with a ready to fly control plane. Left the engine many years ago in the garden shed at my girlfriends parents place. Six years ago i left Canada and forgot the Irvine . 75 Mills in the garage. Over there i made a lot of scale boats mostly electric but two with water cooled glow engines with pull start. That should be on the smaller engines for planes.

[John CParticipant @johnc47954]

I bought diesel fuel from Progress Aero Works, Macclesfield, many years ago. Looking on their website I can't see any mention of fuel, but a phone call may elicit a result.

https://www.eifflaender.com/

John

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by duncan webster on 11/05/2021 20:31:36:

Many moons ago I had an ED Bee 1cc engine. The chaps at the model flying club could start it no problem, I put blisters on my fingers trying. The fuel brew was 1/3 ether, 1/3 RedEx, 1/3 diesel

Even as a young teenager the local Boots would sell me 1/2 litre bottles of ether, the rest I cadged from the local garage. It was quite impressive when my Dad decided to light the coke stove, already warm from the night before, by filling it with coke, pouring in some ether and applying a match. Stove lid nearly hit the ceiling, and coke flew round the kitchen

Those were the days when 12 year old boys could buy ether over the counter. We used to mix in something called amyl nitrate as well for our diesel model plane engines. Plus you could buy all the concentrated nitric and sulfuric acid you wanted for various "experiments". Made a change from working totally unsupervised on 240 volt radios and TVs salvaged from the tip. Then there was the homemade gunpowder…

[John AllsopParticipant @johnallsop92750]

The people who are supposed to know best have gone overboard on easy safety regulations. Diesel fuel as i have said is available on line from ELITE MODELS, they will deliver the fuel by courier to anywhere on the mainland so i suppose from Lands End to John O Groats, i also think the LEEDS MODEL SHOP will do the same. The PAW web site say go to Model Technics who make it, they also make glow fuel but i don,t know if they will send it. No one will deliver off shore, they are not allowed to. so if you live on an island, like i do, you have to make your own. In 70 years of knowing about diesel fuel i have never heard of a tin or bottle blowing up, if packed properly it could be shipped off shore, it only catches fire if a naked light is applied to it. So in my opinion off shore shipping could be allowed. Starting the engines can be a problem as i have spent many hours years ago hurting my fingers, i didn,t really like chicken sticks, once you get the knack which you can,t learn at night school it,s not too bad,

[Kiwi BlokeParticipant @kiwibloke62605]

Apart from the perceived danger of nefarious use of ether, perhaps the health and safety enthusiasts have a point, although, like pretty well everyone else who made up 'diesel' fuel, whilst at school, ignorance was bliss, and we survived unscathed. The point is that ether, if exposed to air, will slowly form a peroxide, which is dangerously – and apparently more-or-less spontaneously – explosive. It seems unlikely, however, that 'diesel' fuel is dangerous in practice, if in a sealed container. Another area of innocent fun which has been interfered with by the killjoys…

[KEITH BEAUMONTParticipant @keithbeaumont45476]

If you wish to try decanting ether from an aerosol engine starter,the JOHN DEERE version is 80% ether and works well. The other 20 % are Cetane improvers and lube. I ignore the 80% factor and call it 100% for mixing. The BRITAX version is only 50% ether and I have not had much success with that.

Keith

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

I purchased a litre of Model Technics D3000 from Ebay only a couple of months ago. There are several sellers to choose from. Just search for Model Technics diesel fuel.

Andrew.

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

Posted by Kiwi Bloke on 12/05/2021 11:31:49:

The point is that ether, if exposed to air, will slowly form a peroxide, which is dangerously – and apparently more-or-less spontaneously – explosive. It seems unlikely, however, that 'diesel' fuel is dangerous in practice, if in a sealed container. Another area of innocent fun which has been interfered with by the killjoys…

It is an issue if ethers are evaporated towards dryness. However, such evaporation would also render it rather useless as a fuel. When in the liquid and not concentrated, the peroxides are less of an issue. Thay are an issue if they end up on bottle tops etc. in concentrated form due to evaporation.

It is not good practice to have large bottles partially full of ethers and it is good practice to carefully wash lids, stoppers and bottle tops before replacing them. It is also extremely important to store ethers out of sunlight to slow down the creation of peroxides.

[John AllsopParticipant @johnallsop92750]

Thank you for the info on either, as i can,t buy any all should be ok. It,s easy to buy diesel fuel from at least two model shops and they will send it to you by courier, and thats to anywhere on the UK mainland, but, i live on a small island and the regulations don,t allow it to be transported by air or sea so no one will try and send it, as soon as my address shows up on the order red symbols come up , there,s a problem contact us, when or if i do contact the supplier, shop, they tell me there,s no way it can be sent, also unless people lie it can,t come in luggage. So making my own is the way to go for me. I know John Deerer is the best starter spray but getting that is not easy, probably sometimes on ebay. When i get all i want , iv,e been waiting for castor for two weeks, i will get a test stand made use the only igniter spray i can get locally give it a go and let you all know.

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