How do you measure small quantities?

[Jim Mesthene]

I assume we all rely on the gas pump to tell us when a gallon of gas is in the can.
How do you measure the fractions of ounces needed for 50-1 and 100-1 mixes? The markings on the oil containers are too vague, measuring cups etc. gather dust and grit and don't handle 0.325 ounces well.
What measure do you use for oil?

 

[ShoerFast]

Jim

This just works for me, I had saved a lot of the little bottles and fill them from a big bottle, it helps to do this looking into the sun, so you can see both sides of the bottle,,, and check it by looking from the inside out so you can see the mark better.

I do everything from the little bottles and mix only by the gallon.

I have bought oil in those 2 part bottles and that seem to work ok also.

Kevin

 

[romeo]

Turky basting surrenge

I found all kinds of cool measureing devices in my wifes kitchen that will get you in trouble. I have a giant surrenge for basting turkys. That thing works great. It had some kind of strange metric measurements on it but I used the measureing cups with water and marked the surrenge where I wanted with a sharpy.

 

[bump_r]

I use the small containers at their standard volumes and just vary the quantity of gasoline I put in with it if I choose to vary mix ratio. For example, if your little bottle of oil is to be mixed with 1 gallon of gasoline to get 50:1, I use the same bottle of oil and reduce gasoline volume to produce a more oil-rich mix. There's nothing saying you really need to mix your fuel in one-gallon increments.

PM me if you want a copy of my mix table. I printed a small copy and laminated it for "field use". Not as though I use THAT many ratios or mix THAT many different volumes, but what the hey - I really don't NEED all the saws I have, either.

 

[scottr]

Small Quanities

Jim , one teaspoon is equal to 1/6 ounce and one tablespoon is equal to 1/2 ounce .

 

[gatkeper1]

I found a great little item at WallMart,It is a Hoppkins MixMizer.
It has measurements for 25,32,40,50 and 100 to 1 for making up as small as 1 quart of fuel

 

[Elmore]

Small glass bottles/jars are good

My last effort in this regard was using some small glass bottles/jars with plastic screw on lids. The one I have been using is a thin and tall little bottle/jar, about three to four ounce size. It may have once contained bouillon. I washed it up thoroughly and removed the label. I then took a 30ml measuring cup, like used for medicines, measured out an ounce of water and poured it into my glass bottle/jar. I then used a fine point sharpie to mark the level. I double and triple check the measurement and when I was sure of the accuracy I used an engraver to mark it permanently. I think that this bottle/jar has 3 lines scored representing 3 ounces. When mixing up a gallon of fuel with Mobil Racing2T, I first measure out 2oz of oil and add to the gas then the second 2oz and finally rinse with gas using the final rinseate. The smell of this fuel being used in my equipment reminds me of the smell of a motocross in the sixties or early seventies. Good stuff.

 

[lesorubcheek]

I've been using one of the MixMizers for about a year now and it works OK. I keep it in a sealed bag to keep dust away.

Dan

 

[timberwolf]

Managed to get some graduated cylinders from a lab supply cheep plastic and one glass, works well, esp when you mix 3% of one thing, 3% of one kind of oil, 3% of another with 20% of something else and 25% of some other stuff all with 50% of 94 octane gas. Shelf life is a problem and pricy too so mixing small batches is importaint.

 

[daemon2525]

I use glass baby food jars. I got hold of some of them that had Oz and 1/2 OZ formed into the glass so that you could see how much your kid consumed.

They are about 4 oz. I use them for everything. Roundup, Liquid Sevin, etc.

 

[hillbillycycles]

I, like Timberwolf, use graduated cylinders. However, I am a Chemical Engineer by trade, so I have availability to them much easier than the average joe.

 

[romeo]

Managed to get some graduated cylinders from a lab supply cheep plastic and one glass, works well, esp when you mix 3% of one thing, 3% of one kind of oil, 3% of another with 20% of something else and 25% of some other stuff all with 50% of 94 octane gas. Shelf life is a problem and pricy too so mixing small batches is importaint.

Careful now, sounds like your about to give away a secret recipe.

 

[sawn_penn]

Two part bottle or just judge it by eye. If I judge it by eye I normally tend to over do it on the oil, and probably end up around 25:1 rather than 32:1. As the manufacturer says 50:1 I'd have to be way way under to really cause great problems.

 

[Jim Mesthene]

Two part bottle or just judge it by eye. If I judge it by eye I normally tend to over do it on the oil, and probably end up around 25:1 rather than 32:1. As the manufacturer says 50:1 I'd have to be way way under to really cause great problems.

That's what I've been doing, but I know I don't get the right number of gallons out of the quart of oil.
I'm going to go with the small bottle plan. Maybe measure them with a graduated cylinder.
Thanks for all the replies

 

[Patrick62]

these things are good

I found a great little item at WallMart,It is a Hoppkins MixMizer.
It has measurements for 25,32,40,50 and 100 to 1 for making up as small as 1 quart of fuel

Works well for me! I convert ounces to CC's then measure it in CC's

29.5735 (I think) is 1 ounce.

Beats going cross eyed staring at lines on a cup.

-Pat

 

[West Texas]

I have a 2.5 gallon jug, that has a black ring around it marking the one gallon line, did this with a magic marker after filling it with exactly one gallon.

Now if I fill that jug up with one gallon of gas, looking at the black ring I've put on it; than I can use 1/3 cup of oil for a 48:1 ratio and or a 1/2 cup of oil for a 32:1 ratio.

And if I want a 40:1 ratio, then I just fill up the 2.5 gallon jug of gas and toss in a cup of oil and its now 40:1 ratio.

I'm simple and like the simple use of either 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup or full cup for measuring the oil, and then it doesn't matter what size container the oil comes in. If you have a half gallon jug for a very small mixture, put in 1/4 cup for a 32:1.

I keep a set of plastic measuring cups in the shop.

I use different ratios for different saws, weedeaters, etc. So this solution keeps my life simple. opcorn:

 

[Stihlworkin]

I have been using a small scale to weigh the amount of oil needed to refill one of those premeasured bottles. You just have to remember to subtract the weight of the emty bottle.

 

[alderman]

I use a baby bottle

Its got all kinds of measurement markings on the side. Clear so its easy to see through. Made out of plastic so it won't shatter if dropped.

Works for me.

 

[stihlatit]

I use a 500 Ml. graduated cylinder. Works great.

 

[Sprig]

Though graduated cylinders are probably the easiest and most accurate I have been using those small plastic cups that come with liquid medicines as they are easy to carry around, are cheap and accurate (I generally only mix small amounts at a time anyway). For larger mixes good ol' Pyrex measuring cups are great as they clean up well.