Some of my projects are done “just because”, others are experiments or learning exercises, but some – like this one – actually has tangible benefits. So lets talk about the benefits of converting small engines to propane.
The self reliant gain several advantages when converting small engines to LPG from gasoline. Some tout the ecological benefits, but I am going to focus only on the tangible things that make daily life easier for a prepper.
Easy to Store
Unlike gasoline propane can be stored forever! It is much easier to buy a 20 pound LPG tank and store it in a shed than messing with additives and rotating gas. Gasoline can only be stored for a couple of months and fuel stabilizers don’t work well with ethanol gasoline.
Easy to Refuel Hot Equipment
Propane is not spilled like gasoline when refueling. This makes refueling simpler and safer. You don’t risk a fire when gas hits a hot engine, and you don’t have to wait for the generator to cool – you also don’t have to mess with funnels or other tools. Simply screw in another tank and start the engine right up.
Engines Last Longer
While propane does have less BTU’s of energy than gasoline, so more propane is needed to power an engine than running the engine on gasoline, but less energy is waster when burning propane – the engine run cooler contributing to a longer engine life.
Does Not Gum Up Carbs
Not only does the cooler operating temperatures extend engine life, propane does not gun up carbs like gasoline, nor does it deposit carbon on the piston heads. You get a longer service life on engine oil and don’t have to worry about rebuilding carburetors. As a matter of fact, in my experience when first converting a small engine, you get black exhaust from the propane helping remove deposits.
Is Not Corrosive to Seals and Gaskets
Propane does not absorb water like ethanol fuels, nor is it corrosive to seals and gaskets like ethanol fuels are.
Easy to Transport
Propane in the 20 or 100 pound cylinders is also much easier to transport than the equivalent amount of gasoline.
Next up is how to actually convert an engine using a kit from propanecarbs.com. I also have a post on how to convert your generator to electric start.
The windows are about the only thing we were able to salvage from the trailer, and not because we demolished it with a backhoe, but because it building was in such rough shape.
The first thing we did when we started installing windows was to add bracing to frame an opening a little larger than the window we were installing.
After we boxed in the window, we cut out the siding using a reciprocal saw. This made the opening.
I had to scrape off the old tar weather stripping from the windows before we could install the salvaged windows, but once the frame was clean the new window slid right into the frame.
Next we leveled the window and attached it to the frame.
The next step was to add a rubber weatherstrip around the frame so water would not get into the tiny house.
The last part was to nail up molding over the weather striping. We used wide 1x boards because we liked the looks.
As you can see the windows are functional and do their job pretty well.
Since I am always messing around in the kitchen I tend to have all sorts of bits and bags of stuff that I rarely use.
I tend to just wad up the top of the bag and stick it in the cupboard. When I how to close a bag using a soda bottle I was amazed.
This is a pretty popular hack for preppers and busy pinterest moms alike. It works well.
It works, so I thought I would share it with you…
- Cut a two-liter (or smaller) bottle right where the bottleneck starts to form. (This could make a good funnel for another project)
- Insert the open end of whatever bag you are using – nuts, chocolate chips, beans….
- Double the bag back over itself, so that the bottle is sandwiched in the middle.
- Smooth the bag as best you can over the threads of the bottle spout.
- Screw the lid over the bag and you will be able to have a tightly sealed bag of goodies.
As you can see this bag storage adapter is amazingly simple, and readily made by most anyone. Furthermore, I find it pretty useful is storing treats for William. It is perfect for large bags of small candies like jelly beans.
All you need to do is to take a piece of fine steel wool – the finer the better (I use 0000 grade), pull it apart a little to separate a few threads. Then to light it, take the steel wool threads and short circuit a battery by connecting the wool to both battery terminals. Be careful because the steel will immediately turn red hot. Blow on it a little and it will burst into flame. You can make it even more effective by mixing in a little dryer lint.
Once you have done it with a 9 volt battery and see how easy it is, you can take the back off a flashlight, turn it on and use the battery and the metal flashlight case to do the same thing. As you can see from the video you can even do it with a cell phone battery.
How does it work?
The basic principle is that there is more electrical current that wants to flowing through the fibers, than the fibers can handle – the resistance to the current causes the wool to get hot. If the steel wool is not fine enough, the electricity will just flow through it. This will drain your battery without giving you the heat. If this is the case, increase the current.
Another factor is the total voltage that is applied to the strands. The higher the voltage, the hotter the wires will get. (The relationship between current and voltage is linear – double the voltage, to get twice the current.) This means, the more cells that you run in “series” the hotter the wires will get.