I have built a fire eating engine as a Christmas present for my father.

It does not want to run on Meths, I suspect because the flame is not hot enough.

Anyone know where I can get 96-98% proof alcohol to burn instead? Have tried screwfix/toolstation etc... where locally am I likleley to find such a thing?

Ebay ?

could you use 98% isopropyl alcohol which is easy to get from like builders merchants etc. i get it from my local diy shop....

None of the local places I tried have Ispopropyl I know it contains some water and some methanol.... But will it still be hotter than purple methylated spirit?

quote:

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Originally posted by ken555
Ebay ?

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Surgical spirit from a chemists? It's 95% Industrial meths, no purple crap and it's got 2.5% virgin castor oil for that retro two-stroke smell.
Or you could make a simple still but watch out for them revenooers.

[Edited on 12/12/11 by Confused but excited.]

Hmm... not sure castor oil is a good idea... its an alloy cylinder with graphite pistons.... Any oil residue will bung it up....

Just need something that provides a good hot flame with little else... (water vapour is ok)....

You need someone nearby who works in a scientific research lab, we use gallons of properly pure (99.999%) alcohol.... I don't know if it burns any hotter than meths though.

Sigma chemicals in Poole might be able to help you??

Chris

Meths is pretty much the same as ethanol:

from Wikipedia
"
Denatured alcohol or methylated spirits is ethanol that has additives to make it more poisonous or unpalatable, and thus, undrinkable. In some cases it is also dyed.
"

Or NHS poisons unit

http://www.southend.nhs.uk/pathologyhandbook/clinical_chemistry/Guidelines/methylated_spirits.htm

Ipa is good and can be got from maplins electronics it's electrical contact cleaner

RC model fuel with super-low caster oil content?

I know it will have caster oil in which you dont need but that stuff is designed to burn hot hot hot!

have a look on youtube and ask some of the other guys what they are using

Spectroscopic alcohol is virtually 'pure.' ethanol. C2H5OH.
We used to sup it, (hugely diluted with fruitjuice) at Uni parties in the 60's.

Flame Lickers or vacuum engines are a touchy class of model.

Very light oil applied to the bearings, and denatured alcohol. Other fuel will smoke and soot up the inside of the engine making things worse.

If the engine is new it will require a lot of run-in to get it loose enough to run reliably.

Try a model engineer's website for more info.

[Edited on 12/12/11 by The Shootist]

What about parafin?

Remember 100% 'proof' alcolohol isnt 100% alcohol-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_proof

I ve got some 125% proof rum.