Welding and other gases

Wood-gas was used in Europe and Australia extensively during WW II.

Another thing you could make while heating your shop is alcohol, which can be used as a fuel with less modification of your equipment than would be required to use wood-gas.

Basic distillation is amazingly simple, as is alcohol production by fermentation. Alcohol of one type or another can be produced from almost any organic material.

I haven't had any reason to check the tax code about this lately, but as recently as a few years ago there was still a provision for a tax credit for a small producer of ethyl alcohol for fuel purposes. Small meant tens of thousands of gallons rather than millions.

Going through the process of getting licensed with the government to distill ethyl alcohol probably wasn't on your do to list, not even near the bottom. Concerning the informal route, I've never heard of anyone being arrested for moonshining to run farm equipment, but there's lots of things I haven't heard of.

All the best, Stan

Not sure if you could pump or store combustible wood smoke, although I am sure someone has tried at some time. If you are going to try, be very careful.

Good Luck!

You might want to gander at this website as it has alot of good useful info plus links to other websites.

Really check on the info you refference as there's more shade-tree making fuels than there is making shade on the internet. Some of the diesel fuel info I would not burn in my diesel engines.

I found alot of great fuel testing being done at a few University's. There's draw backs to making your own fuel, mostly from increased engine or specific componet ware, so one would have to weigh the cost of free fuel vs increased repair cost.

The "Fed's" allow each "individual" to make 400gal/yr of "each" fuel type wihtout paying tax on that fuel. So a man and wife are allowed 800gals/yr or 1600gal/yr with 2 children. Just don't try and sell your excess fuel you've made.

Another consideration is the local fire marshall. There are no rules to storing "cooking oil" but there is alot of rules for storing "fuel oil". Besure and name the substance correctly for less headaches. Neighbors also have been known to turn in there neighbors making fuel as some fuel making process have a odd odor just like meth labs.

Also fuel tanks on "wheels" don't have but a few regulations but mount that fuel tank to the ground and you have all kinds of regs to follow.
Doesn't mean the fuel trailer has to leave the property, just being capable of doing so.

T_Bone

• Journey Forever

On some gas, one method described by my BIL who works for NCG gas, is to compress air then refrigerate that air in what looks like a fraction distillate tower to below the desired gas boiling point where the gas becomes a liquid then is drained off into a storage tank.

That could be in the minus 300� range depending on the desired gas wanted.

I haven't asked him in years but today I would think alot of commerical gas would be made from chemical rections.

Carbide and water makes acetylene gas.

T_Bone

Acetylene can be generated by reacting Calcium Carbide with water. (CaC2 + 2H2O -> C2H2 + Ca(OH)2) Acetlyene cannot be dissolved in water. These two properties are what made acetylene lamps popular in the days before rural electrification. This is also the "experiment" commonly performed in high school chemistry class.

Acetylene welding cylinders are filled with crushed firebrick soaked in acetone. Acetylene is dissolved into the acetone. This is safer than shipping compressed acetylene, which has the potential to explosively decompose.