Steve Campbell
Elite Veteran
Location: Baton Rouge, LA
My Posts This: Topic Forum | I doubt you'll be able to find either at a hobby shop.
Methanol is getting close to the "ethyl-methyl bad ****" category these days (so is model fuel, if you believe UPS ). Its really just a form of alcohol; we can get it from the plants here all day long by the gallon or drum.
A big speed shop (car or bike racing) is your best best. Conventional wisdom says that Castrol M is the "best" grade of castor; but many of us have been using Sig (Baker's AAA) castor for many years with good results. You should be able to find that in a hobby shop. The more exotic oils, like Castrol M, will take a little more effort to find.
Are you making FAI (no nitro) fuel? Nitromethane will harder to find than methanol.
FWIW, a buddy of mine tried mixing his own. The fuel was just fine, but the overall hassle of procuring and storing the components, doing the actual mixing, etc., proved to be too much effort. I have resisted trying it myself for the same reasons. We're all for saving money, but sometimes it is just easier to bite the bullet and pay extra for convenience.
I do highly resent the legal rape the LHS is perpetrating on us via their fuel prices. Despite repeated requests to be more reasonable (I know what he's paying for the stuff), he refuses to lower his prices. So I have starting ordering in bulk, twice a year or so, with some other modelers to get the quantity price down.
. |
