Wreckerman's Wood Fired Waste Oil Heater and Possum Parcher

[wreckerman893]

The simplicity of that design is encouraging. Do you have a link or scan of the Mother Earth Article describing the How-To?

I basically did it from memory and modified it to meet my nefarious purposes...I tried to google the original article but did not find it. The Mother Earth site is down right now.

I have a huge archive of old Mother Earth News, Backwoods Home and other similar magazines...they are stored elsewhere and I have not looked through them lately....there are actually some pretty good alternative fuel articles in some of them.

I was a subscriber to Mother Earth for a long time until they turned into a yuppie rag and lost their roots.

 

[cranetruck]

Did something similar except to heat water...

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Cranetruck:
Nice setup - I like the cast iron forebox door - VERY Patriotic !

WM:
I concur on the Mudder Earff Nudes going YUPPIE. So sad It went downhill when "the inventor of the internet" signed on to their program. IMHO

 

[exbrown]

I was a subscriber to Mother Earth for a long time until they turned into a yuppie rag and lost their roots.

The people on The Mother Earth News staff that were laid off when the magazine was sold stayed together and publish Back Home Magazine.

I use to think I was the only person to read TMEN and SOF both. Maybe not.

 

[wreckerman893]

I use to think I was the only person to read TMEN and SOF both. Maybe not.

Back in my "Survivalist" days I read MEN, SOF, SWAT and I was a frequent contributor to American Survival Guide before it was sold off to a major media company tha let it wither and die.

Unfortunantly fewer younger people are reading paper publications anymore.

I recently talked to Jim Benson who had bought the rights to ASG and was publishing it online.

He is shutting it down due to lack of revenue and interest.

All things must pass.

 

[rchalmers3]

Wreckerman,

I thought cleaning WMO required a centrifuge and electrical power, but there seems to be more and more articles about filtering the oil as an cost effective alternative. The entry cost of a centrifuge has kept me from embarking on my own collection/reclamation of used oil, meanwhile I cannot seem to throw it away, so I gotta do something!

How hot do you want your oil to be? Will the oil be reinstated to amber color?

Questions I have about your filter rig will wait till I see your posts.

Thanks,

Rick

 

[wreckerman893]

How hot do you want your oil to be? Will the oil be reinstated to amber color?

I don't plan on getting it real hot....prob around 150 degrees.....just warm enough to make it flow through the filters easily.

The oil is still black after it comes out of the centrifuge...I am told you can get it to an amber color if you run it a long time.....it's cleaned to 10 microns when it comes out and while it is warm it can be pushed through a 2 micron filter to get it real clean.

 

[porkysplace]

So how many gallons of waste oil do you get filtered , by the time you have a fully cooked roast opossum ?

 

[bubba_got_you]

nice setup! but like recovery4x4 i have a no fire heater lol I have two oil cleaner canisters off a fishing boat that you slide a role of paper towels in and it pumps the oil threw that. I don't know the micron rating on it but it is supposed to be super clean after it is run threw them.

 

[Josh]

I can say. To those who plan on doing this. Look ever any used water meticulously. Gas ones tend to rust out at the bottom, and they arnt cheap to replace. From working in the appliance industry, When it comes to appliances, most people dont get rid of something until it not worth fixing anymore. Granted, the gas valve, or the burner can go out also. Most gas tanks I replace are then 10-15yo range and the bottoms are rusted out and leaking.

Just my . Just hate to see anyone have there tank spring a leak and feed the fire underneath with 40+ gal on oil.

 

[wreckerman893]

Gas ones tend to rust out at the bottom, and they arnt cheap to replace. From working in the appliance industry, When it comes to appliances, most people dont get rid of something until it not worth fixing anymore.

Josh.....that was my concern when I saw the water heater at the yard sale...the guy that had it was a buddy of mine, I asked why he was selling it and if it leaked. He said the high price of propane and a rebate from the electric co-op made him decide to replace it. It was the last gas appliance he had left in the house except for an emergency back up heater.

If anyone is planning on using this idea I agree with Josh.....make sure the tank is not leaking.

 

[Crawdaddy]

C'mon, get to building the filter setup. I need a guide for a filtering setup to copy!

 

[wreckerman893]

Since I'm busier than a three legged dog at a flea circus I am hoping to have the filter setup done by this weekend....I need to hit the scrap yard again to get some raw material.

I'll keep posting as things progress.

 

[wreckerman893]

C'mon, get to building the filter setup. I need a guide for a filtering setup to copy

I did the fit up on the piping today.....next step is to teflon tape and tighten everything down.

I hope to be heating oil by this weekend.

Here are a few pics.

 

[papabear]

Why do I think this will end badly?? Oh yeah..Murphy's Law

If I see a blinding flash in the Northwest I'll have to make a snap decision...did someone pop a nuke...or did WM pork the puppy with his wmo "still"?

I'm gonna study up on what I was taught in the 50's and 60's just in case, but I bet that won't be necessary...it will be WM at work.

 

[k4vem4n]

I like the setup. awesome work!
I have been tinkering with the idea of setting up a system myself, but without the fire, since I too live in the guts of he||. I could let the drum sit outside all afternoon and be good.
Is the wmo goin to be drawn by gravity? or will there be some sort of pump in line?
you say it will be filtered by the canisters to 10microns...is that enough to put in the multifuel or does it need to be further filtered? or would the second stage filter be ok to filter the rest to 6 microns? (I think it is 6, I could be mistaken)

 

[zout]

PB - if the NW goes up in a ball of flames - WM will look like the burned up RoadRunner in one of those cartoons - HEY WM - turn the tank around does it say ACME on it - Beep Beep

 

[wreckerman893]

There will be an in-line pump that will pull the oil out of the storage tote and push it through the filters. All the hard piping has unions that will allow the filters and pump to be removed for transporting if needed. Eventually it will be set up under a shed to block the wind and rain.

The filters are good to 10 microns (they are actually for hydrolic fluid).....I may run it through my buddy's centrifuge just for S&Gs and see what happens.

I got the filters and mounts from Fleet-Pride: FleetPride: Homepage

Cost was a hair under 100 bucks.....so far I think I am still under 200 bucks not counting my over inflated labor rate.

More narritive and pics as work progresses.

 

[wreckerman893]

Beep Beep.

 

[k4vem4n]

Good stuff, I'll check it out.
How about some old oil pan magnets, or other high strength magnets to lay in the drum around and near the outlet before (and maybe after) the filters, couldn't hurt, just clean them off after running a load through.

Now gotta clear my yard (of trucks and parts) and find a place for my setup....