Stoichiometric Combustion of WVO

Here's my latest adventure: Try to achieve stoichiometric combustion of waste vegetable oil. This is like trying to burn something efficiently that really would rather do other things besides burn. Mission accomplished, however.

Key ingredients: Firebrick with EGR passages cut, compressed air, and a duh-simple venturi to atomize the oil. This is still new and I haven't had a chance to do a real write up yet. In simple terms, stoichiometric means an "ideal" combustion, usually with a blue flame and no ash or soot. The glowing orifice you see is actually the orange hot firebrick, but the flame is a nearly invisible blue. More...

Aluminum Foundry

Here's the metal melting and casting department. See the red-hot crucible in action! Since my wife got me Dave Gingery's books describing the art of small shop foundry work, the workshop has never been the same. More...

Recipe Book

Once in a while I get hungry and emerge from my workshop to see if anything's happening in the kitchen. Things HAVE been happening in the kitchen, and to find out exactly what, you can download my wife's new cookbook, Pennywise Portions, for a small fee. My wife is the best cook that ever melted cheese. More...

Amps, Volts, and Watts

This is the electrical and electronics area. Here you can my notes on constructing a homebuilt arc welder, a hot wire foam cutting system including a foam turning lathe, converting an old t.v. or computer moniter to an oscilloscope. Also is the latest progress on building a small home shop induction furnace! (I haven't gotten much farther than the research yet!) More...

Lego Steam Engines

One of my specialties is building unusual things out of LEGO. I've discovered that LEGO is an important prototyping tool, and it's been rumored that certain college courses require completion of LEGO robotics sets as part of entrance exams! For me, building them keeps one in touch with his youth...

Here you can find info on a number of working LEGO engines that I've built. More...

Alternative Energy

For a long time I've been interested in reducing my energy bill. Haven't we all? I have begun posting my latest projects in alternative energy, with waste vegetable-oil-powered (WVO) things being the main topic so far. More...

Favorite Links

You may have come here on a mission of research. The 'net is a good place to do that, and here are my picks. Don't forget to visit Jim Morton's Dreambuilt Designs. Check him out, he's got some great D.I.Y. ideas and downloadable plans. More...