Filter castor oil

[Tim Chenevert]

I bought a gallon of castor oil and would like to know if anyone filters theirs before mixing it with the fuel? If you do, what do you use to filter it with? Thanks, Tim

[Bootlegger]

  Tim, I found a washable coffee filter at Walmart that I use to filter fuel through that will work, but as thick as castor is it will take  a looooong time, so be prepaired.  The castor that Fox used to use had some fiber's in it and would stop up filters and needle valve assy's..

[Dave Harmon]

Years ago I got some castor oil from somewhere....not from Fox....and it had a lot of fibers and junk in it too....I tossed it.
Today I use castor oil from SIG and Morgan when mixing fuel but I don't filter it....it looks clean in the bottle.
I do use a paper coffee filter when pouring nitro and alcohol in the bottle...it always traps some dirt or whatever it is.

[Tim Chenevert]

Thanks for the replies! I read about fibers in the Castor so I was curious about using a filter. I have a gallon coming from Bulk Apothecary and I am hoping it will be as clean as the Sig castor. Tim

[Tim Chenevert]

Well that answers that! Thanks for the info. Gil, I am on call this weekend but will try to go to South Park mid day tomorrow. Tim

[Ken Burdick]

great thread guys. I tried looking for bulk castor oil years ago but did not find a suitable outlet, so just bought from sig. Is the grade the same as AA baker? Sig is now charging 54.00 per gallon and since \I have never weighed a gallon I don't know how it compares to the bulk prices, but likely they are better.

[Jim Svitko]

The last time I bought castor or Klotz from Sig they had a sale price of about $40 a gallon.  Check their website to see if that deal is still on.

[Dan McEntee]

  ALL castor oil will eventually produce fibers in small filters and orifices like needle valve assemblies. That is one reason I doubt some claims that get made about "haven't touched the needle valve in years!" If you use fuel with castor oil in it, it will happen.  It's just the nature of the bean. It's a relative of the soy bean, and depending on how you process a soy bean, you can make anything from a sweater to a hamburger from it. Castor bean oil will produce fibers also. You may get more from one brand to another, maybe. I remember dealing with a batch of Fox fuel at the hobby shop I worked at that had little white nodules floating around in it. Fox told us it was a matter of the fuel getting cold and some thing (wax or paraffin/) separating or solidifying in the fuel and to just filter it out. I think I remember the same question about this occurrence being asked on the forums and some one let the fuel sit in the sun or warmed it up some other way and the nodules disappeared. I use a syringe with a typical model fuel filter on it to draw fuel and fill model tanks. That filter will clog with fibers pretty regularly and it happens with the SIG and Omega brand fuels that I use. I also use a fine filter in the model as a place for that phenomenon to occur instead of in the needle valve assembly. Even with all of that, fibers and crud can still get to the needle valve. I was surprised to read a thread by Dirty Dan Rutherford not that long ago where he discovered that finicky engine runs can some times be solved by opening the needle vale while the engine is running to a very rich setting for a few minutes to allow crud to pass through, then reset the needle.  I figured a guy with his experience would have discovered that LONG ago, as it was one of the first things I remember learning back in my beginner days when setting up Fox .35's. It's all just the nature of the beast that some can't deal with or tolerate, and with the advancement of ABC technology in engines and synthetic oils in engines that require less oil, that is what people prefer and some times it's all they have experienced and know.
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[Ken Burdick]

guessing that the 2nd quantity on their price chart  (8 lb) at 16.67 is a gallon container, so I weighed my 3/4 gallon of sig at 6 lbs . That makes it a bargain compared to what I have been paying.
Yes, straining the mixed fuel would be the way to do this.

K
 

[Dan McEntee]

    I forgot to add that there have been several threads explaining castor oil on this forum and others. There are several different grades of castor oil, depending on it's use, for everything from making plastics and foams to medicinal purposes. There is single, double and triple pressed, de-gummed and other process that determine purity.  For model engine fuel you want castor that has been at least de-gummed so it blends with the alcohol better and stays mixed. SIG refers to their castor as baker's AA grade as that is pure enough to use for baking purposes. You will find castor oil in the section at the grocery store for baking goods. Lots of cake and pastry recipes call for small amounts of castor oil, and in an emergency need I will not hesitate to pick up some castor oil at the grocery store. As is usual these days, google it and do a search here on the list and you will find volumes on it.
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[Brett Buck]

I would discourage anyone from filtering model fuel with coffee filters. At best, it will eliminate particles that would be caught anyway in conventional model fuel filters, but at worst, it will occasionally shed fibers that can pass straight through other filters and cause all sorts of havoc.

   Quality fuel has *nothing* that needs to be filtered that cannot be caught by regular filters.  If you absolutely must filter the fuel or components for some reason, you need real filter media intended for the purpose, maybe 50-100 micron mesh or sintered metal. At least it won't cause any problems.  Of course, you would want to mix the fuel and then filter it, not try to filter the components, since multiple filter steps (each component, then the finished fuel) raises the exposure to air and light, both of which actually can matter to the end result - air because it has water in it, and light, which will degrade nitromethane. Not to mention that room-temperature castor oil through a 100 micron filter might take a while. 

     Brett

[Doug Moisuk]

I mix the fuel then filter once threw a double automotive paint filter.

[Phil Spillman]

I have saved the toe ends of panty hose which I splay over the big end of my filter for pouring the fuel mixture into clean bottles! I don't have trouble with my fuel filters on my planes getting clogged! I also have "Crap Traps" in the lines of fuel pumped into my plane's tank!

Phil Spillman

[Tim Chenevert]

My gal of castor oil just arrived and it looks really good! I do not think that I will have to filter it at all. I do have filters on my engines though. Looks like a good quality castor, compared to Sig’s, and shipping was very fast by FedEx! Tim

[Perry Rose]

Most here haven't used castor from Bulk Apothocary. Most here don't mix their own fuel. I've mixed up and used 9 of 10 gallons with it and had no problems at all. In several brands of engines both plain and ball bearing. You can get 5 gallons, 40 pounds, shipped to your door for under $100.00. That's the way to go. Sig price is closer to $200.00 not shipped and is of poorer quality. Bulk A. had a sale a few months ago 40 pounds for $75.00 shipped. I have of lot of castor. The coffee filters we use are the metal mesh screen filters. I no longer use them on the Bulk A. castor just an auto fuel filter when filling a gallon jug.

[Dave Harmon]

Most here haven't used castor from Bulk Apothocary. Most here don't mix their own fuel. I've mixed up and used 9 of 10 gallons with it and had no problems at all. In several brands of engines both plain and ball bearing. You can get 5 gallons, 40 pounds, shipped to your door for under $100.00. That's the way to go. Sig price is closer to $200.00 not shipped and is of poorer quality. Bulk A. had a sale a few months ago 40 pounds for $75.00 shipped. I have of lot of castor. The coffee filters we use are the metal mesh screen filters. I no longer use them on the Bulk A. castor just an auto fuel filter when filling a gallon jug.

Perry....that's great....gonna get me some too.
Now that the silkspan and castor oil procurement problems have been solved......let's see if someone can find good synthetic oil in bulk quantity like direct from the chemical company.
I used to get K&B X2C direct from K&B when they were in Downey but that was decades ago. It was good oil though....bring your own can...$8.00.

[Dave Harmon]

I use this,

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Klotz-KL-205-Original-Techniplate-2Stroke-Cycle-Synthetic-oil-1-Gallon-Each/302110610549?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

I do too but there should be a way to buy the base stock from the chemical company and avoid the unreasonable price from Klotz.
This is similar to the silkspan deal at $5.49 for 2 sheets with the grain going the wrong way.
Suddenly we can get paper for about $30 for a half mile of it with the grain running the right way.
A definite no-brainer.....hopefully someone can figure out a way to get synthetic oil at a reasonable price.

[Fredvon4]

This is a total smart assed answer...but call any of the companies that has the synth oil you desire and ask on the bulk buy price and shipping costs... some will be 5 gal min and some will be 6000 Gal tanker car min....

I do get your point but some of the TARE we end users pay is all about the convenience of the smaller qty containers and shipping costs

even with the slightly inflated costs of the Nitro, Methanol and Oils I use...I get to blend to MY spec and slightly lower cost IF I was even able to find fuel locally... I blend because I have to

I am sure Randy Rich buys in bulk and when I order up a quart or gallon of UCON LB 625 I am certain I pay enough for him to stay in business... a symbiotic relationship I am happy to support

I am certain same applies when I buy Sig fuels and oils... or stuff from Tower

The haz mat charge for a gallon vs 4 quarts in same box is a total rip off IF anyone would fully read the DOT rules for ground shipment...but that is another rant for a different day

[Reptoid]

Why not this ?

Product Code
Description                                  Retail Price                 Available For   Type Order
Quantity
SIGKZ001   SIG KLOTZ OIL PINT           $10.79      EACH     $8.99                 EACH   
SIGKZ002   SIG KLOTZ OIL QUART   $17.98   EACH   $14.99              EACH   
SIGKZ003   SIG KLOTZ OIL GALLON   $59.99   EACH   $39.99              EACH

If you order 4 gallons, shipping is free   

[Dave Harmon]

I didn't see where is said which Klotz product that was at Sig.

The SIG catalog says KLOTZ KL-200 Techniplate.
The same stuff available since at least 64'.
This is the original oil...Klotz does have KL-100 that has some castor in it and a third oil that is of thinner viscosity but I have forgotten that part number.
SIG only sells the KL-200.