diy oil lamp easy success

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Sailingsaves

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In case anyone else is interested...maybe some Winter sailors?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhdcBOGXZn4&feature=youtu.be

I have been tinkering with oil lamps and the only one that has given off less smell so far, is this simple diy one (and I used high quality 'odourless' oil in all of them). No soot either.

One jar, nail slightly punched from inside metal lid outwards (to hold wick -cotton string- and stop back burn). Heat sinks on lid for bit of safety (again to stop back burn / explosion).

Tiny amount of oil lasted a long time, light was cute, warmth was appreciated ( I don't turn heat on in house when on my own). A 2 hour trial and no trouble at all - fire extinguisher was not needed.

Mostly inspired from Dylan's candle heating ideas.

I think the caveman is coming out in me.
 
I've just read the account of Scott's Last expedition, and this reminded me of the somewhat primitive ways they used seal and penguin blubber for heat and light! The blubber stove is REAL caveman stuff. A bit like Mrs Beeton: "First, catch your seal...."
 
AntarcticPilot said:
I've just read the account of Scott's Last expedition, and this reminded me of the somewhat primitive ways they used seal and penguin blubber for heat and light! The blubber stove is REAL caveman stuff. A bit like Mrs Beeton: "First, catch your seal...."
Click to expand...

Interesting, I tried cooking (as I have 10 gallons that I was going to burn in my diesel car, but changed my mind even though pump was compatible) oil with total failure, well, flame lasted 60 seconds at most.
Proves the explorers knew a whole lot more than I do.
Sir R Fiennes is a great chap too.
 
Sailingsaves said:
Interesting, I tried cooking (as I have 10 gallons that I was going to burn in my diesel car, but changed my mind even though pump was compatible) oil with total failure, well, flame lasted 60 seconds at most.
Proves the explorers knew a whole lot more than I do.
Sir R Fiennes is a great chap too.
Click to expand...

The general design was that they had an upper tank, heated by the stove, that contained raw blubber. This was connected by a pipe with a valve to a burner in a lower enclosure. The Blubber in the upper tank was rendered into oil by the heat of the stove, and the resulting oil flowed down the tube to the lower burner. They claim the resulting flame was as fierce as that of a primus, but without pressure or vapourization, I don't see how it could be.

Worth remembering that in 1911-1913, mineral oils were still pretty new on the fuel scene; only the recent (then!) conversion of the Navy to oil burning triggered the vast increase in oil production. So, I guess people were used to having to use animal and vegetable sources of fuel if they couldn't get coal.

The stink and soot must have been awful!
 
Last edited:
AntarcticPilot said:
The general design was that they had an upper tank, heated by the stove, that contained raw blubber. This was connected by a pipe with a valve to a burner in a lower enclosure. The Blubber in the upper tank was rendered into oil by the heat of the stove, and the resulting oil flowed down the tube to the lower burner. They claim the resulting flame was as fierce as that of a primus, but without pressure or vapourization, I don't see how it could be.

Worth remembering that in 1911-1913, mineral oils were still pretty new on the fuel scene; only the recent (then!) conversion of the Navy to oil burning triggered the vast increase in oil production. So, I guess people were used to having to use animal and vegetable sources of fuel if they couldn't get coal.

The stink and soot must have been awful!
Click to expand...

Very interesting, thanks.
 
When in the uk Armed Forces we used to use a Diesel burner known as a Lowcombe (spelling?) Bane Burner. This was a tank of oil sat upon a bench (or Landrover front wing on one occasion) then mounted below it in a trench a trombone shaped length of copper pipe with a small hole or two in the sealed end of it.
In use the valve (tap) would be opened enough to allow a few drips (a couple of tablespoons) of oil out and onto a little paper on the bottom of the trench. This would be lit and allowed to burn for a good while. This would cause the oil in the copper tube to vaporise. Then once it was all hot the valve could be opened and the subsequent flame used to cook on. Great fun and very hot, get the timing wrong though, opening the valve too early and the flame on burning diesel would scare you half to death.

probably not a good idea in this our very litigious society.

Simes
 
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