What type(s) of oil can I use for glow engines?
 

Happy New Year folks!

I have recently moved to a place where glow fuel is VERY hard to come by, and as such I will have to mix my own fuel.
I have already found out that I can lay my hands on 99.5% pure methanol, so I now need to look for oil that I would mix with it.

I wonder if any one can recommend any type or brand of oil, keeping in mind that I am in a different country; ie something that is rather universal and hopefully ot hard to find. (I hope that this in not a tall order!)

Unfortunately, nitro is out of the question, because of the security concerns in the region.

Any advise I could get to keep flying will be well appreciated! So also would tips on successfully blending the mix.

Thanks.

Not knowing just what is available for you, just try doing a google for "making your own glow fuel".

For example, http://www.geistware.com/rcmodeling/mixing_fuel.htm

or http://www.nitrorc.com/default2.asp?...rc.com/fuelws/

or http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_19.../tm.htm#199379

The short answer to this is, try and find "Degummed" Castor oil. Castor oil is more readily available in more places than synthetic oil. If you do have access to American suppliers then look for Klotz Techniplate synthetic oil.

I will not get into the never ending discussion as to the lubrication qualities of either. Just getting oil is the issue here.

Ed S

I watched some of the european competitors at the Canadian World Championships go to the drug store and buy the alcohol and Castor there and mix their own fuel.

Dennis

Thanks Gents. Will let you know what I find.

0% Nitro not so bad after all!!
 

I did find some castor oil; medical castor used to treat stomach disorders here. Got some for quite cheap. Also got the methanol in a large 25 litre can.

Tonight I blended one litre at 17.5% oil content, and ran my ASP .53 2 stroke for about 20 minutes, mostly at idle in my backyard.

My initial opinion is "not bad at all" I actually expected much worse. the idle was not superb; but it was better than I imagined. I guess I will have to lean out the idle screw a bit. I found that the high speed needle had to be set with a smaller opening than was good for the 5% I'd been running in the past.

Looks like this is an option that will work.

By the way, I did find glow fuel, but it is like contraband stuff so it so expensive.

oil
 

Hello, I was in Dubai UAE and found jet turbine oil(synthetic) was easy to get the one with the Griffin(winged horse). It mixed well and ran well. It smelled kind of sweet. It didn't matter what percentage used, 18% -20%. It was the same effect. using more was just a waste.

Thanks... I will check it out
 

Thanks for the information. Incidentally I am leaving for Dubai later this afternoon, so I will look for this oil. Not that the castor on it's own is bad. I flew yesterday using this 17.5% castor oil, 0% nitro blend, and it was quite good. The outside air temperature was 46 degC, so the engine performance was really degraded, but this did not affect only me; everyone out in our desert flying club complained about the "weakness" of their engines, which is to be expected in that sort of heat.