This is something for the advanced homesteader's or those with Steampunk tendencies and recently having just been parted from £30 for two Luxon mantles to keep my Aladdin paraffin lamps going am sorely tempted as well. Anyhow, during my quest for anybody who even stocked gas mantles Google coughed up an interesting document from the Petromax website. called Homemade Mantles
http://www.petromax.nl/Home_made/Homemade_mantles.pdf
Written by Ludwig Gebauer in 2004 it's only three pages long but gives the basics of how he made his own gas mantles from scratch. Whilst traditionally Thorium was used it being slightly radioactive makes it difficult to get hold of today so he created a recipe using slightly less nasty Yttrium oxide and that is available on Ebay amongst other places.
I thought this was going to be some complicated process, risk of exploding shed, singed eyebrows etc followed by the wife beating me to death with a fire extinguisher. Turns out it's more of a kitchen table job, aside from the weird stare and laughter from the wife that happens every time attempt knitting then it seems doable.
What do you think, anybody else still using mantles?
http://www.petromax.nl/Home_made/Homemade_mantles.pdf
Written by Ludwig Gebauer in 2004 it's only three pages long but gives the basics of how he made his own gas mantles from scratch. Whilst traditionally Thorium was used it being slightly radioactive makes it difficult to get hold of today so he created a recipe using slightly less nasty Yttrium oxide and that is available on Ebay amongst other places.
I thought this was going to be some complicated process, risk of exploding shed, singed eyebrows etc followed by the wife beating me to death with a fire extinguisher. Turns out it's more of a kitchen table job, aside from the weird stare and laughter from the wife that happens every time attempt knitting then it seems doable.
What do you think, anybody else still using mantles?