Re: Weekly update
"Chuck Moody" <[email protected]>
| Newsgroups | gmane.org.clubs.gobiodiesel.mixmasters |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
Ian, I am Chuck, Seth's dad. In reading your message I get the idea that you are just letting the glycerin set out to have the methanol evaporate! Is that right? You can't do that, you have to boil it off somehow. I use a large electric pan, but may friend Dave uses an old crockpot that he got at Goodwill or someplace like that. You have to heat the glycerin slowly up to about 160 to 170 degrees. The methanol starts to evaporate at about 148. You must be sure that you are outside when you are doing this and stay upwind of the pot you are using. Also, make sure you don't have any ignition sources in the area. While you are boiling off the methanol you are also boiling off part of the water in the glycerin and you will end up with a very thick glycerin product when it cools. Be careful and watch it all the time, the first batch I did it boiled all over the deck. At first it has a low boil and you will think it will be OK, but when it reaches about 170 or a little higher it can boil over in a flash. Let me know it you need any other info. Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: Ian Pocock<mailto:[email protected]> To: GoBiodiesel Mixmasters<mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2006 8:10 PM Subject: Re: [mixmasters] Weekly update Seth, Just letting you know I plan on being at the site every Saturday. This co-op is my top priority here in Portland, and I'm excited to help and to learn. Is 9 am when things really get started or should I just show up at 11 until I know what I'm doing? The committee meeting tonight was a joke. I only had two people come, and neither of them are in the co-op yet. We'll hope for better turnout next week. About the glycerin you sent me home with... I don't think the methanol is evaporating very efficiently. They still smell like methanol (as far as I can tell). Especially the KOH one. Did you happen to talk to your dad yet about soap-making? If not, you could always just give me his contact info and I'll speak to him directly. Thanks for the help. - Ian mixmasters _______________________________________________ mixmasters mailing list [email protected] http://lists.gobiodiesel.org/mailman/listinfo/mixmasters