To make a safe and simple oil lamp:
Take any container that will hold liquid.
Fill up with a an ample volume of water, top up with a layer of whatever oil you have available. Mineral, animal (fish) and vegetal oils can be used, In India they even use melted butter.
Now cut a 4mm slice off a wine bottle cork and wrap it closely in aluminium foil (this will prevent the cork from catching fire).
Pierce a hole through the foil and cork, large enough to hold a wick snugly, without strangling the upward flow of oil . You can make a wick out of cotton, e.g. by cutting a short length of old cotton shoe lace. Soak with oil, thread it through the hole of the wrapped cork . Let this device float on top of the oil, then light it.
Behold: light in these dark days!
I found this to work until the last drop of oil was sucked through the wick. The water then follows upward and the flame dies immediately.
The water prevents the oil lamp from overheating and will put out the flame whenever someone accidentally topples the lamp. It is quite safe in unstable conditions.
You can have as many corked wicks as you like/need.
The floating wicks will tend to move to the edge of the oil, against the container wall, by surface tension. You can prevent this by sticking 3 thin pieces of wood (tooth picks size) sideways in the cork at 120° angles.
It is much safer than the conventional wick stuck directly in a container of oil
(I would like to include a picture, but how?)
Happy new year!
Take any container that will hold liquid.
Fill up with a an ample volume of water, top up with a layer of whatever oil you have available. Mineral, animal (fish) and vegetal oils can be used, In India they even use melted butter.
Now cut a 4mm slice off a wine bottle cork and wrap it closely in aluminium foil (this will prevent the cork from catching fire).
Pierce a hole through the foil and cork, large enough to hold a wick snugly, without strangling the upward flow of oil . You can make a wick out of cotton, e.g. by cutting a short length of old cotton shoe lace. Soak with oil, thread it through the hole of the wrapped cork . Let this device float on top of the oil, then light it.
Behold: light in these dark days!
I found this to work until the last drop of oil was sucked through the wick. The water then follows upward and the flame dies immediately.
The water prevents the oil lamp from overheating and will put out the flame whenever someone accidentally topples the lamp. It is quite safe in unstable conditions.
You can have as many corked wicks as you like/need.
The floating wicks will tend to move to the edge of the oil, against the container wall, by surface tension. You can prevent this by sticking 3 thin pieces of wood (tooth picks size) sideways in the cork at 120° angles.
It is much safer than the conventional wick stuck directly in a container of oil
(I would like to include a picture, but how?)
Happy new year!
