Oil Lamps

[Readymom]

Experiment with oil lamps



Originally posted by 70_West, PlanforPandemic
* Link Unavailable. This site is no longer active and available to view on line. But the info was good and we wanted to keep sharing it!

He experimented with various oils and wicks to see what the differences in burning power/time were. Go to that site to learn even more!

The lamp used was a cheapo metal lantern, made in China, 5 dollar lamp from the bottom shelf. It took all day, and several wicks, but here they are:

Lamp oil yielded excellent results of course.

Citronella oil or Tiki oil yielded excellent results, and would have the added benefit of running off the skeeters.

Kerosene yielded excellent results as well

Alcohol 97% ...excessive wick burning, mediocre results, decent light, no explosion!

Veggie Oil...very poor results with very bad wick burning, and very bad light, worst of all that I tried.

Turpentine....fairly good results, some excessive wick burning, but very tolerable.

Mineral Oil... much the same as Turpentine

Used motor oil.....soot....soot....more soot, smelled bad too. Excessive wick usage. You could probably cut it with kerosene and get a bit better results, but I doubt that would help the smell or soot much.

My wife who suggested veggie oil last night, told me she was refering to cooking oil, or used grease so with her assistance I melted down a 1/4 cup of Crisco (Butter Flavored) in a small glass, crammed a cloth wick in it and let it harden up. It has given excellent results as a candle, way better than expected. Wick usage is excellent, and I think that 1/4 cup of crisco is gonna burn all night long.

She's fairly confident that any type of lard, bacon grease will yield the same results.

I would suggest that the mineral oil and turpentine not be used unless its a real emergency as they are fairly combustable. I tried them without a disaster, but was nervous and had them in the back yard.

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Question:

If you put the melted Crisco in a tuna can with a wick, and let it harden,
do you think it would burn hot enough to heat water or soup? Maybe put a coffee can over it to contain the heat?

Do you have any suggestions for alternate materials for wicks?

Answer: I think what you are possibly refering to something I would call a hobo stove. You could use something like that to heat soups, or water, I don't know that you could boil water with it. What you want to do is to put your candle in a can that would fit inside of another, for example the can of tuna would possibly fit into a small coffee can. You would want to punch some holes in the bottom edges of the coffe can to provide air flow to the candle. Set you pan on top of that and you will have a small stove.
Years ago we used things like that using sterno in an empty C rats can. There's other fuels you can use but they aren't available to the private sector.

The size of the wick will determine the size of the flame, We just used a piece of cloth last night, cut from an old dish towel, it provided excellent light, better than the average candle.

In making a homemade wick, I'm certainly no expert. Any type of material will work, I would think you want something that would readily "wick" up what ever you were trying to burn, cotton comes to mind. Yesterday I used strips of sown seams from an old pair of blue jeans in the lantern and it seemed to do fairly good. I think for a candle you could probably get by with using clothes line cord, that would probably function well as a homemade wick.

Melt the oil or crisco down, and soak the wick in it, thats called priming the wick, put some type of weight on it, and then suspend the primed wick in the oil from a toothpick or something and let it harden back up. Trim the wick off after its set up and you are good to go.

Just from the experimenting last night I think the lantern is designed to use fluids that can be drawn up the wick easily, the used motor oil, veggie oil, couldn't travel well up the wick, so it was consumed instead of the fuel. However those same fuels can be used in a candle type, where the wick is in direct contact with the fuel. The higer combustable fuels were just the opposite, they burned off too readily, so the wick was once again consumed. Thats just all my opinion of course so take it and a dollar an get yourself a cup of coffee

[Readymom]

Home Made Olive Oil Lamps

Reading these instructions, it can be adapted to use mason jars with lids, I would think. Especially the Home Canning jars! That would be a more stable container/lamp



Glass Bottle Oil Lamp
http://www.instructables.com/id/Glass-Bottle-Oil-Lamp/

Make a small decorative oil lamp out of an empty glass bottle with screw-on metal lid. It's cheap, easy, and possibly romantic.

The lamp is filled with half water and half oil (or all oil if you like, but it's not as pretty!), and will burn for several hours depending on its size. The one I made will burn for a good twelve to fourteen hours, perhaps longer (I haven't exhausted it yet). All of the materials I used, I had lying around already. ---CONTINUED---

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MORE sites w/ instructions:

Judy of the Woods

Homemade Vegetable Oil Lamp
=http://www.judyofthewoods.net/lamp.html



Build a simple oil lamp
http://hubpages.com/hub/Build_a_simple_oil_lamp

[Readymom]

Oil Lamps- General Information

"Rod" @ American Preppers Network:

* Link Unavailable. This site is no longer active and available to view on line. But the info was good and we wanted to keep sharing it!

The old ways

Some old information regarding lamps.

DO NOT USE PARAFFIN OIL IN TUBULAR LANTERNS WITH 5/8" or LARGER WICK

NOTE: OLIVE OIL IS NOT SUITABLE FOR USE IN TUBULAR LANTERNS

NOTICE: Dyed kerosene or lamp oil will eventually clog the wick and inhibit proper operation. It can also permanently stain the lamp or lantern.

Standard clear lamp oil (Lamp Light Farms Medallion Oil,) is available nationwide at: Target, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Ace Hardware, Tru-Value Hardware, Sentry Hardware, and HWI Do-It Centers. Kerosene and synthetic kerosene (now sold under the name "Klean-Heat") is available at or through most hardware stores and home centers including: Home Depot, Lowe's, American Eagle, Coast to Coast, Ace, True-Value, HWI Do-It Centers, and Wal-Mart. Genuine Aladdin Lamp Oil is available from Aladdin Lamp Dealers nationwide.

If you purchase kerosene from a gas station, make sure that it is from a "blocked" pump so that it is clear and not dyed red.
(Un-blocked kerosene pumps by law must dispense dyed kerosene which will clog lantern wick, and cause it not to burn properly.)


PARAFFIN OIL NOTICE!!

NOTE: Paraffin Oil (Liquid Candle Wax,) in the UNITED STATES is mis-labeled for use in oil lamps, when in fact it is only suited for Candle Oil Lamps that use small diameter round wick. 99% or 100% Paraffin Oil is NOT designed or suitable for use in tubular lanterns or oil lamps that use flat wick, or Kosmos or Matador type oil lamps. Further, it burns only 1/2 as bright of any of the approved fuels listed above. Paraffin oil has a much higher viscosity and a flash point of 200 degrees or higher, as compared to the flash point of 150 degrees for kerosene. These differences inhibit the necessary capillary action of the wick, and will cause Lamps and Lanterns with 7/8" or larger wick to burner improperly and erratic. Once a wick is contaminated with paraffin oil, it must be replaced in order for the lantern to burner properly. If you must use paraffin oil, it may be mixed 1:10 to 2:10 (one to two parts to ten parts,) with standard lamp oil or kerosene so that it will burn satisfactorily. Paraffin Oil is sold in the United States under the following trade names, which should be avoided except for use with lamps or lanterns with 1/2" or smaller wick :

Aura Oil
Firelight Glass
Orvis Lamp Fuel
Northern Lights
Northwest
Pure Lite
Soft Light
Tropical Lights
Ultra-Pure
Weems & Plath

WARNING:
NEVER USE THE FOLLOWING IN ANY WICK LAMP OR LANTERN OF ANY TYPE:
1. Gasoline
2. Coleman Fuel
3. White Gas
4. Paint Thinner, (aka *Mineral Spirits)
5. Wood Alcohol
6. Naptha
7. Turpentine
8. Benzene
9. Or any other Explosive Fuel

USING ANY OF THE ABOVE FUELS IN A WICK LAMP OR LANTERN
CAN RESULT IN PROPERTY LOSS, SERIOUS INJURY, OR DEATH.

CAUTION:
Diesel and Aviation fuel should not be used in any wick lamp or lantern
as the fumes from fuel additives can be FATAL if inhaled.

*Additional Notes on Mineral Spirits

I have added the following information due to the number of inquiries we have been receiving lately about the use of paint thinner as a kerosene substitute to explain the danger.

Mineral Spirits (Paint Thinner,) should NOT be used in any wick lamp or lantern.

There is a reason they are called "Kerosene" lanterns, and not "Paint Thinner" lanterns. Tubular lanterns, and most oil lamps that employ a wick delivery system, are designed for use with 150 Degree test (read "Flash Point,") kerosene, which is a "straight run" petroleum distillate made for such use. Standard Lamp Oil, (such as Lamplight Farms Medallion Lamp Oil,) has a 142 Degree flash point, and is also an acceptable lamp or lantern fuel, being within 10% of the design standard.

Paint Thinner, (Mineral Spirits,) on the other hand, has a flash point of under 110 Degrees, and is a complex petroleum distillate that at best may produce (including odorless,) fumes that are not something that you would want to breathe near, and at worst has the potential for creating a runaway flame or worse.

Let me explain further: In addition to conveying fuel, the wick also conducts heat from the flame into the tank. As the fuel level drops, the oil temperature rises and expands, regardless of the oil you are using. With Mineral Spirits, this function creates an accelerated evaporation, which in turn produces pressurized flammable vapor that must expand to somewhere. (This process is also referred to as "Superheating.") Usually, the pressurized vapor will gradually work its way through the burner and will be consumed at the flame. At this point it is not a major problem, except that because the flame is no longer dependant on the wick, you no longer have control of the flame, which will begin to "runaway." The natural reaction is to turn the wick down as far as possible to try to extinguish the runaway flame. This only increases the vapor flow as well as the flame size. If you turn the wick down too far, and the cogs disengage the wick, you will not be able to raise the wick to reduce the flame size. When this happens, the best course of action is to smother the lantern with an inverted pail or bucket, or dirt.

In a worst case scenario, if the pressurized vapor is unable to gradually be consumed at the flame, it will increase in the tank as the fuel level drops. The reason this is "worst case" is because if the vapor bursts through the burner, an explosion will result that will most likely shatter the globe.

Oil Lamp Basics*

6-27-02 By Stryder
(Snip)

Filling:

Remove the glass chimney and unscrew the burner from the lamp. Fill the lamp with oil up to about a ½ inch below the top. Screw the burner back on and you're 'good to go'.

Cleaning and Trimming:

Smoke and soot will buildup on the glass chimney and degrade performance of the lamp. After every use, remove and clean the chimney. Roll the wick out of the burner tube about ½ inch and trim the burned and charred tip off the wick with scissors, the sharper the scissors, the better. There are three basic shapes for wicks. They are flat, pointed, and crowned as seen in the pictures. They all produce a different type of flame.

Lighting:

Remove the chimney and raise the wick about ¼ inch up from the wick tube. Light the wick with a match or lighter and replace the glass chimney. Do NOT use the lamp without a chimney or it will overheat and pressurize the lamp base and potentially create an oil fire that you do NOT want to deal with! Adjust the flame height to the correct level based on the shape you have chosen for the wick. If you see any smoke you've got the wick too high and need to lower it or your chimney is going to look black and you will really cut back on the light output. Remember that you have an open flame here, so treat it pretty much like a candle. In the pictures below, the order of the lamps in both pictures is flat wick, pointed wick, and crowned wick, left to right. As you can see from the picture, flat trimming creates a wide flame of medium light output, pointed a tall flame that is brightest, and crowned creates a narrower flame that has the lowest light output.

Fuel Use:

The easiest fuel to use is lamp oil and it's available in any large store, Wal-Mart, Kmart, Ames, etc. and most of the small ones around us too. We've also used kerosene but everybody I talk to recommends NOT using gasoline or alcohol. Oil lamps burn about ½ oz. of lamp oil per hour when correctly adjusted. In colder weather they tend to burn a little more and in warmer a little less for some reason. Pointed wick trimming will also use slightly more but it produces more light as well. By The Way, last winter we had a training camp out here in the Northeast and one of the attendees had some lamp oil with him. It froze SOLID at about 15o F. Getting frozen solid lamp oil back to liquid again is a real trick that involves slow thawing because of the volatile nature of the stuff, so keep that in mind in cold weather and unheated storage. We've found that the ultra-pure oil is really not that much cleaner in a properly adjusted lamp and freezes much faster too.

Extinguishing:

Simply cup your hand at the back of the chimney and blow towards the hand. The breath will travel into the chimney and extinguish the lamp. DO NOT touch the chimney it gets HOT!

Well, that's about all there is to oil lamps. Learning to use one or scrambling around to get one at the last minute when you need one does not work at all. Add one or more to your preps and get a little practice with them ahead of time. The kids love to eat dinner by lamp light in the winter and they make nice "mood" lights at other times. Use them now and then and you'll know how when the need arises.

[Readymom]

Home-Made Oil Lamp-Using a Jar



Make Your Own Olive Oil Lamp
https://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/home/make-olive-oil-lamp

If you live in an area that frequently experiences power outages due to hurricanes, high winds and other storms, one of the things you want to have on hand during storm season is backup lighting. Candles are a sure bet, but they don’t put out much light and — if you want to choose options made from renewable, organic materials — beeswax and soy candles can get mighty expensive.

There are hand-crank and battery-powered lanterns, but what if you don’t already have one on hand when a power outage strikes? The same problem exists if you’re looking for a kerosene or other oil-style lamp. So, what do you do during an emergency for light? How about something that is easy to acquire, inexpensive and gentle on the environment?

The answer is you can make your own olive oil lamp. --- CONTINUED at LINK, above ---

[Readymom]

Oil Lamp-Made From an Orange



How to Make a Candle out of an Orange
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Candle-out-of-an-Orange

Typical, store bought holiday candles can be dull when compared to homemade candles. And one truly unique option is to fashion a candle from an orange! This fun holiday craft will add ambiance to your next get-together, brighten your home and use up any unwanted oranges. This project is easy, inexpensive and suitable for anyone comfortable with handling a knife for carving. --- CONTINUED at LINK, above ---

[Readymom]

The Girls Guide to Oil Lamps
https://preparednessmama.com/the-girls-guide-to-oil-lamps/

This guide to oil lamps will address some basic questions about using oil lamps in your home.

When do you have to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning?
Can you use oil lamps without ventilation to the outdoors?
Does it matter what kind of fuel you use in oil lamps?
What are the approved fuel types for an oil lamp?

[Readymom]

Tips and Tricks for Using Oil Lamps
http://www.preparednesspro.com/tips-tricks-oil-lamps#R3G321op0MerI5DT.99

You might not think that there's much to know regarding Tips and Tricks for oil lamps, kerosene lamp Using Oil Lamps, but since I've practiced using all of my supplies that I intend to rely on someday, I've discovered that there are some idiosyncrasies when it comes to using and maintaining my oil lamps. I've got all sorts of brands and such of oil lamps and I've used all kinds of different oils for my lamps too. As such I believe that these little tips will be helpful across the board for all of our oil lamp users. ---CONTINUED---

[Readymom]

DIY Tin Oil Lamp In Case Of A Power Outage
https://www.askaprepper.com/diy-tin-oil-lamp-in-case-of-a-power-outage/

Since making an oil lamp is relatively straightforward and quick, get a few ready to go so they are available when needed.

Making a tin oil lamp is easy if you have an old, empty metal paint or lacquer can laying around ready to be repurposed. ---CONTINUED---