Going waste oil at last, with a kwiky burner.

I started melting with a plaster of Paris lined charcoal fired furnace. Then I upgraded to a propane fired furnace line with kastolite and ceramic wool. And I thought I was soo... smart. Until now, propane just cannot compete with a free fuel. Like waste oil, my local mechanic said although he has some company already taking his oil, he would fill up a 55 gallon drum over a period of 5 days or so and all I would have to do is supply a barrel and pick it up when it was full. So I am getting a barrel and a waste oil transfer pump. Since we cannot lift it in the back of the truck when it is full.
I also needed a burner, and since someone recommended the kwiky oil burner I decided to go with that. Now that I have all of the fittings and I just need to start putting things together.
Am I right in thinking waste oil burns hotter than propane? More of this project to come.
Patrick

 

Good for you! Check out my channel after you watch Davids build of the kwiky! I will tell you from experience, get the tip of the nozzle as close as you can to the inside wall of the furnace! If you don't you'll have trouble! It will take a small amount of experimenting to get it dialed in, but once you do, it's bulletproof! I used off the shelf exhaust tube parts from Oreillys so it just slots into the pipe of the tuyere. Set the initial flow rate to about 1gallon per hour using water then you can make the jump to diesel. I highly recommend you get a needle valve to control your fuel. I tried good quality quarter turn ball valves and they are not precise enough for fuel adjustment! Trust me on that one! I will tell you cold used motor oil will have trouble gravity feeding the burner. If you cut about 25% with diesel, things get easier. I always started on jet fuel, got the furnace hot then switched to 100% motor oil. Today, I only run straight jet fuel because it's free for me and less messy. Last thing, it doesn't need a huge blower to do it's job! So no bouncy house blower unless you wanna bypass 95% of the air.
Good luck, hit me up with any questions you have. The little kwiky doesn't always get the credit it deserves. It's a great design!

 

Make sure to leave the last four inches of waste oil in the drum behind with all the solids and water in it. Waste oil doesn't burn hotter than propane, it's all down to the rate of burn for the fuel, if money was no object I'd be burning propane from a 200 Kg/450 lb gas cylinder as I've used one setup like that and they have used it to cast monel which begins to melt at 1350 degrees C. This furnace doesn't have a gas nozzle, just a half inch copper pipe straight into the tuyere airflow. There have been angry people visiting the owner demanding to know where he gets his "Special gas" as anyone knows you can't get that hot with normal gas .

 

I already have a ball valve is it ok to start with that? I will post some pictures when I get the chance.

I have an electric leaf blower and it is pretty powerful so I think it will work.

I plan to warm it up in my shop first so hopefully I can skip that hurdle.
Thank you for your responses, I appreciate it.
Patrick

P.s. Where can I find a needle valve?
Thanks

 

A ball valve will drive you nuts, I bought a brass needle valve for $35 at the hydraulic repair shop.

 

Your leaf blower is way overkill. Plan on dumping most of the air it makes or you will just blow out your flame. I suggest you start with a hair dryer on high and go up slowly from there.

How are you for an air compressor?? I have a 60gallon and it hardly runs using my burner. I have the air set for 15psi. Do get a cheap air regulator from harbor freight to control your air. My first attempt had a hard time drawing fuel correctly and I had to remake the guts. Take your time with the soldiering job and get it right. Not a big deal if you have to make that part again. Once dialed in, you'll never touch it again. I have never even cleaned my burner! I'm afraid to take it apart and would only have to dial it in again. So until it sucks up some major trash, I'm good! Speaking of sucking... I run gravity feed for this. With straight motor oil, I used about a 3ft drop and with jet A, I only drop about 12inches to the burner. ALWAYS suck from a standpipe in the bottom of a tank so you dont suck up trash on the bottom.

For a needle vale, mcmastercarr for sure. I'll see if I can find one for ya.

 

I don't know what size piping your are using, but get something like this.
https://www.mcmaster.com/needle-valves/pipe-size~1-4/

Scroll down, I think it was A or B.

 

I've used the cheap ones from eBay and regretted it. Then I bought good one from McMaster Carr and am very glad I did.

Pete

 

Ok, here are some photos of my parts. So I need to get a needle valve, and it cannot be a cheap one from ebay. I also need to set my oil up three feet above the burner. I have a pancake air compressor that can deliver 2.6 cfm@90psi so that should work. Or I could use my 80 gallon one from my work shop only it is kinda far away from my foundry setup. Well it looks the leaf blower has to wait for another time. Another thing to remember is do not use dirty oil. Thanks everyone for your help and advice I will try to keep you up to date on this burner build.
Patrick

 

One each for air and oil, correct? You want two for use, and a spare, correct?

 

If you think so. Sure I guess I could get three. I will not regret it right?
Patrick

 

Those were questions on my part. I'm glad you're documenting this, as I'm hoping to build one of these burners in the future.

One of the people I "do foundry" with built his furnace with an eye to durability rather than melting frugality, and hence it takes most of an hour to get to aluminum temperatures! (He used several inches of castable refractory - no soft insulating bricks, no wool.) Hence going to liquid fuels - diesel fuel, with additions of waste motor oil and used cleaning solvent - in hopes of achieving iron temperatures...

The reason for having a spare is in case one of these things gives out, and you learn that wherever you bought them from originally no longer carries them... The spare buys you some time, then.

 

I had 2 needle valves when I ran oil and jet fuel. You don't need a needle valve on the compressed air source. Just that cheapy air regulator from the hazard fart!
https://www.harborfreight.com/150-psi-air-compressor-regulator-kit-with-dial-gauge-68223.html
6bucks! Cheap as dirt

I think that pan cake compressor will work. It just might run a little more than ya want. Even though it's a 15psi leak, the volume is really low. Doesn't take much to make the venturi work. This is why you'll do a bunch of testing with water and a measuring cup. 1 gallon per hour is your target to start with.

 

Best to have a spare for this? Granted, "the frigate" has several "ports" in my area, but going there - like going anywhere - requires planning and decent weather.

(Frigate references the early harbor freight ads, which showed a boat. There seemed to be an overall nautical theme as well!)

 

Just a thought on the pancake compressor. You have to carry it out to the site and run the cord. Depending on the distance, the cord has to be heavier duty or the motor will get smoked (I've done it). Then there's the noise, wet grass, etc. I call them buzzers and I find the sound grating. They have their uses, I actually own 3 of them, but I avoid them when I can. I have a 30 gallon oiled compressor for my primary air needs.

The alternative is running airline from your 80 gallon to your burner. The cheap hose is cheap but requires some wrangling especially when it's cold. Sometimes alot of wrangling. The good rubber is more cooperative. Either way you have to deal with the hose, but at least the compressor is out of the picture and mostly out of earshot.

My furnace is situated a short distance from my shed so I run the compressed air through the wall from inside. I also run my blower pipe, oil line, and electric (router speed control) through the wall. That keeps most of the noise from my air sources contained.

Pete

 

I've got those crappy orange hoses from HD and they get hard as a rock this time of year. I swear we have silicone air hoses at the hanger down south. Anyone ever seen one for sale? I've looked and cant find them.

I do agree, a pancake compressor might be short lived. (oil-less SUCKS and is LOUD) The frigget sells a 30gallon upright that is an oil compressor, it's pretty quiet and is around 149bucks. I know some guys that run them and they are decent for the money. They roll around easy too.

 

"Frigget?" Are the silicone air hoses the semi transparent blue ones? Cause I got a couple of those. I will start with the little one and see how that goes.
Patrick

 

lol.. I thought the hoses were kind of cream color, definitely not blue. I dont care if they are hot pink, I just want max flexibility.