Binfers Waste Oil Burner
I decided to put these instructions together as there seems to be a lack of FULL
instructions on the net that are both Free and concise. The step by step
instructions should hopefully show you how to build a working burner from
scratch, with the materials required and how to obtain them, prepare them and
finally put them all together.
TOOLS
you will need the following:
Disk cutter (angle grinder etc)
Thin cutting disks for the above (very thin flexible type used for stainless steel)
Hacksaw
Drill (battery operated/cordless)
Large Stilsons (plumbing wrench)
Welding set (any type - I used arc welder and 2.5mm rods)
MATERIALS
Large Propane (or Butane) gas bottle - look on Ebay, Freecycle, Freegle, the local
tip etc - the bigger the better
Steel dish around 1"/25mm deep and around 6"/150mm diameter (you'll need 2
of these) - old pans or fabricate from 1/8" plate
2"/50mm box section (around 2'/600mm) - scrap yard
1.75"/40mm box section (around 8"/180mm) - scrap yard
12v 2"/50mm (approx) Computer fan - computer shop
12v power supply - any old 12v supply or buy universal
18"/450mm platform - steel, brick - anything that's stable and can take the
weight of the burner
2 normal door hinges (cheap and easily replaced)
Self tapping screws (for the hinges and seal)
Thin plate steel (such as dexion shelving backing) - scrap yard
Waste oil (any free flowing oil will do) - from the kitchen, garage, local chip
shops, garages etc (provide a container and most businesses are happy to fill it,
they have to pay to dispose of waste oil!)
THE IDEA BEHIND THE OIL BURNER
Right, just so we're not getting confused. Take into account the following:
The primary function of your waste oil burner is to produce heat, lots of heat as
free or as cheaply as possible.
You are not incinerating oil, you are generating heat.
The heat you generate will be hot, it burns and anything close to it may set alight
so keep flammables/anything away from it (you have been warned!)
The bigger the bottle, the bigger the surface area, the more heat, the more
efficient the burner.
If you're looking for an environmentally friendly system - look elsewhere, this is
purely a cheap/free heat generating setup.
The taller the chimney, the less chance you have of smelling burn't oil.
Are we getting the idea?
if so, read on...
Binfers Waste Oil Burner
THE GAS BOTTLE
CAUTION, CAUTION, CAUTION!!!!!!!!!!!
The large Propane bottle is the best choice, you're maximising the surface area
choosing this.
I cannot stress enough that preparing the bottle is HIGHLY DANGEROUS and I
take no responsibility whatsoever for you blowing yourself up (it is a possibility).
If you follow basic safety advice, you should be fine.
NEVER try to cut the bottle unless it has been:
1.
2.
emptied of gas
filled with water
failing to adhere with the above 2 instructions may cause serious injury!
Right, that out of the way, we can now proceed.
Step 1
Make sure there is no gas in the bottle - open the valve, if there's a hiss then it's
got gas in, if not it's empty.
Step 2
Try to remove the valve assembly from the top of the bottle - use the
Stilsons/pipe wrench (I'll be surprised if you manage to do it)
Step 2a
resort to a very painfull process of filling the bottle from the valve. You'll need a
small bore pipe, something smaller than a hosepipe, around 6-8mm that will fit
loosely in the valve opening (as you're putting water into the bottle it needs to
allow air out), connect a hose to this pipe and start the long process of filling the
bottle.
THIS WILL SMELL OF GAS!!! in fact THIS ABSOLUTELY STINKS OF GAS!
Fill the bottle this way until it's about a third full. Leaving the bottle upright, drill
a 10mm+ hole at the side of the bottle, below the water level under the bottom
seam (water will spill out), lay the bottle on it's side with the hole you've just
drilled on the top. Continue to fill the bottle with water from this hole (should be
faster), as water starts to exit the valve, close it and continue filling.
When you've filled the bottle with water you'll need something to plug the hole.
after plugging the hole you're ready to cut your door in the bottle.
Step 3
Cutting the door - Look at the bottle, it has a vertical seam welded for the 'tube'
section and horizontal seams for the ends. Use these as a guide for your door.
Your door needs to be 4"/100mm from the bottom seam, approximately 810"/200-250mm wide and 12-14"/300-350mm tall, this should give ample space
for fitting/cleaning later.
Binfers Waste Oil Burner
Bottle Prep Diagram
Binfers Waste Oil Burner
NOTE: use the very thin flexible cutting disks, the type used on stainless steel.
They give a faster neater cut and are worth the extra few pence to have a good
fitting door.
With the bottle on it's side, start to cut the door out, remember you want the
water to escape through the cut - if you've got water coming out then you aint
got gas coming out! Roll the bottle for each of the vertical cuts to make sure
you're cutting with water behind it! Tape the cuts up if it makes you feel better
(or to give you more time to play about). For the horizontal cuts just tilt the
bottle, again to make sure you've water behind where you're cutting.
Step 4
Empty the bottle of water and retain the door you've just cut out.
Step 5
Cut the top hand grip off - be careful not to cut into the bottle itself - it saves
having to weld/grind to get a good finish.
Step 6
Cut a 3-4"/75-100mm square out from the top, around the valve.
Step 7
Build a wood fire inside the bottle and burn until 1. the residue from inside the
bottle has gone and 2. the paint from outside the bottle has burnt off.
Step 8
Cut a 2"/50mm square out below your door and then cut a length of 2"/50mm
box section long enough to reach the back of the bottle and to stick out 1-2"/2550mm out of the front of the bottle. Then cut a 1.75"/40mm square out of the
top/end of the box. This is the start of your air tube and burner mounting.
Step 9
Take a 4-5"/100-125mm piece of 1.75"/40mm box section, about 1.5"/35mm in,
cut a 90 degree section out, leaving the back in tact. Bend the box section to
form an 'L' shape and weld to seal. With your grinder, slot the longest piece to
allow hammering down to about 0.75"/20mm and again weld to seal. This is the
top 'return' part of your air tube that directs the air to the burner.
Step 10
Weld your prepared 40mm 'L' onto the 50mm box at the cut out so it forms a 'U'
shape. This forms the air tube and gives a 2"/50mm surface to mount the
burning plates on.
Step 11
Prepare your burning plates. You can use old pans but I personally think making
your own is much better - harder work but much better. Take 2 6"/150mm round
pieces of .25"/6mm plate, using a 4"/100mm steel pipe end, form the plates into
dishes about 1"/25mm deep. To the first one, weld a 3"/75mm piece of 8mm stud
bar/bolt to the center of the inner dished part. Then drill and tap an 8mm hole in
the center of the other dish. This allows you to screw in the top plate to the
required distance and also allows you to remove it for cleaning. The plates are
fitted together to form a sort of 'flying saucer'.
Binfers Waste Oil Burner
Burner and Air Flow Diagram
Binfers Waste Oil Burner
bottom part of the 'flying saucer' to your box section air pipe/support, put it as
close to center as possible with the 'flattened end' of your air pipe pointing into
the gap of the flying saucer.
Step 13
You have 2 choices, either use 2 small pieces of flat bar and weld to the sides of
your newly formed air pipe/burner assembly to allow you to bolt it in place or
weld it in position. The assembly is placed in your pre-cut 50mm slot just below
the door. Make sure it's level or you could end up with spillages/mess when
you're trying to get the oil flow right.
Step 14
To the side of the door, about 6"/150mm and 6"/150mm up from the burner, drill
a 7mm hole. This is the access point for your oil feed, use 6mm copper (or steel)
pipe and feed it through the hole to fit between your burner plates somewhere
around the center of the plates. Weld a couple of flat bar brackets to the outside
of the bottle to fix the pipe to, about 6"/150mm above the top of the bottle,
change to clear plastic pipe (then you can see the oil flow). Choose an oil control
valve, something like a 15mm plumbing inline stop valve. You'll end up using all
sorts of reducers to get the right sizes. Just remember 15mm and 10mm are
standard plumbing, 8mm is plumbing and airline and 6mm is airline or car
brakes.
Step 15
Fit the door. The original plate you cut out earlier is your door, simply fit back
into position using standard door hinges either fitted using self tapping screws or
bolts - don't weld them as screwed/bolted ones are easier to replace.
TESTING YOUR BURNER
Do this outside for obvious reasons. Setup your oil feed but don't turn it on. Use a
couple of firelighter blocks to get the plates warm first or even a blowtorch.
You're working initially on the principle of a chip pan fire, a very hot plate with a
small amount of oil allows the oil to oxidise and burn at lower than it's flashpoint.
Once your firelighters have been burning for a couple of minutes, slowly add the
oil. Too fast at this point and it will just blow out as the oil cools the plates, it's
literally 1 or 2 drips a second (difficult to control at first but you'll get the hang of
it).
When it's burning with the door open (it could be quite smokey at this point), try
closing the door (you should still see flames through the gaps in the side of the
door), put your fingers near to the end of the air pipe and you should feel the air
being drawn in. Then try blowing into the air pipe, you'll hear the burning inside
the bottle getting more fierce (this is what we're aiming for), as well as being
more fierce, you'll notice the fumes from the hole in the top of the bottle being
expelled more vertically (if you've enough blow in you).
Have a tinker about with the oil flow to get used to it then to shut the burner
down simply turn off the oil and wait for the flames to go out (if you put your
hand over the end of the air pipe it will extinguish the flame).
Binfers Waste Oil Burner
POSITIONING AND FINAL FITTINGS
Set up your base, remember, the burner part is low down on the bottle so the
higher your base, the less hassle it is to light/clean. Concrete blocks with a
paving flag on top should be ok. Just make sure there's nothing around that will
burn, your burner will get that hot, you won't be able to touch it - sometimes
even with gloves on!
Sit your burner on the base and decide what kind of chimney arrangement you
are having. My choice was based purely on the steel I had available. 70mm box
section welded to the top and standing 12"/300mm with a right angle, 2"/50mm
flat bar welded around the end of that as a slot-in for the horizontal box going
through the brickwork and running 4"/100mm out of the other side of the wall
followed by the chimney stack, again 70mm box around 6'/1800mm long with a
70mm square cut out about 6"/150mm from the bottom and another flat bar slotin.
SAFETY FIRST
Now the boring bit!
Fire is dangerous
Do not leave the burner
unattended
Do not place flammables near
to the burner or the flue pipe
Do follow all safety advice!
And the disclaimer!
This document may be
reproduced, edited and
generally messed about with
freely but please for safety's
sake include the warnings.
Use this at your own risk, I
provide this information for
educational purposes only and
cannot be held liable for any
damage or injury caused by
individuals acting on these
plans