Trench Candles

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Wayland

Hárbarðr
Just spent a productive couple of hours making trench candles from pipe fittings.

Trench-Candles.jpg


This should convert my few remaining candle lanterns over to paraffin in line with most of my other camp lighting.
 

Wayland

Hárbarðr
Nope, just a liquid reservoir and a wick that reaches to the bottom.

Just test burned the one in the Stonebridge Lantern and it ran for five hours with a smidge of fuel left in the bottom.

So I reckon the mid sized ones that hang on the chuck box should last six and the long one should easily do eight.
 
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Nice65

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Apr 16, 2009
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W.Sussex
Nope, just a liquid reservoir and a wick that reaches to the bottom.

Just test burned the one in the Stonebridge Lantern and it ran for five hours with a smidge of fuel left in the bottom.

So I reckon the mid sized ones that hang on the chuck box should last six and the long one should easily do eight.

From what you’ve posted, probably not, but with copper being such an effective conductor of heat, is there a chance of the fuel getting too hot and beginning a Trench “stove”.;)
 

Wayland

Hárbarðr
From what you’ve posted, probably not, but with copper being such an effective conductor of heat, is there a chance of the fuel getting too hot and beginning a Trench “stove”.;)

Actually that conduction seems to act as a heat sink.

When I blew the candle out after 5 hours, I was quite surprised how cool the body was.

Warm to touch but not too hot to handle.
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
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W.Sussex
Actually that conduction seems to act as a heat sink.

When I blew the candle out after 5 hours, I was quite surprised how cool the body was.

Warm to touch but not too hot to handle.

Cheers, I can get that, copper could work either way. With the closed design, I thought it possible to get some heat expansion of the fuel, maybe forcing leakage, or at worst vaporisation. They look superb, I reckon I’ll have a go at something like it.

I’ve a lovely little battery light made from copper pipe, it doesn’t do much for illumination, but it has a light sensor in it and a massive 5mm led on top. I’ll take a piccy, you’ll like it.


452-B9955-FB56-4-D68-9-C63-B84-D1-B3223-A2.jpg


There you go, just glows quietly all night.

Pity about the plastic battery box, I reckon with a bit of fettling or redesign the batteries could be hidden in the legs. It’s also a bit unstable, but the idea’s there, a tripod would work well.
 
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Wayland

Hárbarðr
That's great. Pipe fittings are such a versatile resource when creating "Steampunk" inspired objects but batteries, when needed, are always a pain to hide.

Radon-Gas-Torch_1.jpg


When making this a couple of years ago, I was lucky and found a cylindrical recharchable power pack that just fitted inside a 28mm copper pipe so the battery holder became part of the design itself.

I did notice a little weeping of paraffin, up through the wick, when slipping the cap onto the top. I think that was caused by a small amount of air compression and I didn't notice it being any worse after the burn test.

I am considering adding a tiny breathing hole in the top cap to mitigate that in the future. No more than 1mm diameter but enough to alleviate any compression or heat expansion.

The "leaky" nature of a hurricane lantern's design avoids this kind of issue but the close fit of the pipe fittings does not naturally include that pressure relief. Another test in order I think.
 
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Wayland

Hárbarðr
Decided, on reflection, to go ahead and add the breather hole mentioned above. It won't make much difference to the leakiness but it will deal with the initial weeping caused by compression.

Quick job, took about thirty seconds per candle.
 
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Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
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Decided, on reflection, to go ahead and add the breather hole mentioned above.

My smallest 'Miner's Lamp', a reproduction, not original, has a small hole close to where the wick comes out; presumably for the same reason. Or it could be to make sure there's no depression created in the reservoir that would reduce fluid wicking?
 

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