Experiment 16: Waste Oil (Heh Heh!)

My mind is always cogitating with new ideas and exploits to carry out, so this experiment is part of something bigger - much bigger.  Eventually, I plan to build a complete waste oil foundry capable of melting iron - yes, you heard me right, iron.  The awesome thing about this idea is that it runs off of waste vegetable or motor oil, which should be able to be acquired for free.  Thus, instead of paying for propane or charcoal (the latter of which is messy), I hope to be able to fire up my foundry whenever and pour a crucible full of liquid iron like it's as easy as walking down the street.

Anyhow, back to the experiment.  I took some vegetable oil (it was new, but the basic concept is the same) and some used lawn mower oil and then soaked a paper towel in each.  I placed these in a busted crock pot as a containment system for the fire and then lit the toweling on fire with regular matches.  After these were alight, I soaked some newspaper in the vegetable oil and added it.  To finish off the spectacle, I drizzled the leftover vegetable oil into the flames.  Then I started to play with my fire.  Yes, playing with fire.  I try to do it regularly.  To add oxygen to the flames like a waste oil foundry would, I blew hard on the fire.  The results were truly amazing.  The flames lept up to at least 1 1/2 feet and magnified in intensity tenfold.  They were extremely fierce and sometimes even white.  I really wish I had pictures, because these flames were really great - especially when one considers that they came from just oil and paper towels.  Thus, Experiment 16: Waste Oil (Heh Heh!) proved that waste oil:

• Burns nicely
• Combusts SUPER nicely with added oxygen
• Will most certainly melt iron, given insulation, enough oil, and a lot of air

Successful experiment!  Time to make a proper burner for the oil in the style of "The Brute" from here!