kudlik experiment

[treadlightly]

I'm experimenting with a kudlik inspired stove for heat, light and cooking potential in a bender style shelter.

I used small roasting dish, filled partially with vegetable oil and a length of cotton wool on one side of the dish as a wick. First go was encouraging, it burned happily for an hour on only a small amount of oil and the airflow through the shelter dealt reasonably well with the fumes, which I didn't find unpleasant.

My question is, how harmful are the fumes from burning veg oil with reasonable but limited ventilation? I'm guessing they are less noxious than petroleum derived oils or waxes but still there will be carbon monoxide???

 

[Toddy]

It's not so much the fumes, though the CO is an issue that you're obviously aware of, but the soot.
Post mortem analysis of the lungs of those who had to use this type of heating for cooking and light shows them full of black tar.
If you're going to use the kudlik, make sure you have 'lots' of ventilation and lots of space above your head when you're sitting/resting in the bender.

Interested to hear how you get on with it

I quilt, and I mostly use cotton or cotton/bamboo wadding. The fine fibres are lightly needlefelted before the batt is rolled and sold. Basically it means that the offcuts are maybe a better bet for a wick than cotton wool.
I have some that can be popped into an envelope and posted if they'd be of use ?

M

 

[treadlightly]

Thank you Mary, that's very kind. I'll experiment a little more and if I decide to use it regularly I'll drop you a line.

On the soot issue, I'm guessing it will rise with the gases and deposit itself on the roof as the hot air carrying it upwards cools? The roof is about 7 foot high. Should it be cause for concern under those circumstances? Igloos (again a supposition) would have been smaller, lower roofed and more confined spaces than my 18ftx13ft space???

 

[Toddy]

I think the seven foot should do it. Mostly you won't be standing around in it for long anyway ? Sitting, or resting, you should be out of the muck.

It's astonishing just how quickly the greasy soot can turn a roof shiny black though. Folks used to store all sorts of things in the roof space and when they're found they often have a black patina, (helps preserve stuff too ) and it's the soot and grease in the smoke that does it.

I'm told there's a knack and skill to the trimming of the wick. Tom (tombear) and Wayland are probably much more knowledgable than I am about it . Edwind too (boatman).
Interesting topic right enough

atb,
Mary

 

[treadlightly]

Yes, I'll be low down and out of the way.

I might also try using lard. Apparently it has a high smoke point so might burn cleaner.

 

[treadlightly]

Used the "kudlik" a couple of times but no more. Mary you weren't exaggerating about the amount of soot!

 

[Toddy]

Kind of scary to see just how much there is, and how much there must be in the air that's being breathed too.
Inuit scraped out the inside of the igloo every morning as they freshed it up. Brought in new snow, and repaired, etc., but the soot is a problem.
In Europe we used charcoal, but that has the hidden CO issue so needs care, especially in modern waterproofed constructions.

atb,
Mary