View Full Version : Olive oil lamp test
john scrivy
20-07-2007, 16:40
Just doing a test on a simple night light as an alturnative to slush candles small foil cake dish an egg cup ammont of olive oil a strand of floor mop string I soaked wick in the oil first then just layed about 10 mm over the edge of foil tray which contains the olive oil and light This has now been alight for about 2 hours no sign of oil being used up will check again later will let you/s know how long it burnt for love doing these experiments
And do compare to sunflower oil please? olive oil is too expensive to burn.
What is a slush candle anyway??
john scrivy
20-07-2007, 17:50
A shush candle > A home made candle > the wax comes where ever you can obtain free or cheep >melt into a cornbeef type tin the wick is a chuncky peace of twisted toilet tissue inserted into moltern wax light when set or darkness falls this type of candle gives off a good light but burns faily quickly >hense the traditional simple oil test the main thought is reducing back pack weight and of course which of the two > candle or oil is more efficient
I use oil lamps in my living history work all the time. They are easy to use but a little harder to light than candles at times.
I usually use jute from sash cord or even a whole bit if the lamp is big enough.
Any cooking oil will work, I usually use the cheapest I can find as I get through a lot of it.
http://www.lore-and-saga.co.uk/assets/images/storytelling.jpg
sallyinwales
20-08-2007, 16:52
I like olive oil for lams too, like Wayland I do a lot of living history work though normally I use my oil lamps in a Roman context. Well rendered tallow works very well too, a useful way of using up extra fat from carcasses especially any that you are uncertain about for food purposes.
Mike Ameling
20-08-2007, 20:06
A cottom mop head will supply you with many years of "wicks" for an oil or grease lamp. They are pretty inexpensive, and can even be used to mop the floor.
The simple oil lamp is also called a grease lamp or slut lamp. Most any animal fat or vegetable oil will work in them. But do not use the Petroleum base oils - they vaporize way too easily and can flair up and explode on you.
All you really need is a fire-proof shallow bowl, and within it a slanted side to lay your wick up along. The oil and/or grease will "wick" up to the burning end - where it vaporizes with the heat and burns with a visible flame.
If you are using animal fat/grease, keep your container small. The heat from the flame needs to heat the container up a little bit to keep the fat/grease liquid - so that it can flow up your wick. The vegetable oils are already liquid, but do flow better when warm.
Just be careful not to tip your lamp. You don't have to worry much about spreading the fire, but you do end up with warm grease/oil all over everything!
Have fun with your "learning experience" with oil/grease lamps. The history goes all the way back through the ages.
Mikey - just some humble thoughts to share, take them as such.
john scrivy
20-08-2007, 20:32
MIke thanks for the reply I am still experimenting My wife says im playing I suppose she is right I had a go at making a replica of a clay roman style lamp I had a go at drying the clay lamp in my barbaque oven and failed miserably it fell apart as soon as i took it out my conclusion DO NOT try to dry But use the clay in its wet stait it will hold fhe oil and not leek I was not trying to fire the clay as this would require a bit more heat than my barby could provide
StormCrow
03-09-2007, 21:44
I've been collecting the fat/oil from cooking bacon, is there any good use for it?
It's kind of related to this thread.
Scots_Charles_River
03-09-2007, 22:25
I like olive oil for lams too, like Wayland I do a lot of living history work though normally I use my oil lamps in a Roman context. Well rendered tallow works very well too, a useful way of using up extra fat from carcasses especially any that you are uncertain about for food purposes.
We use tallow for metal turning lubication at school but the H&S have poo-pooed it re mad cow etc.
For volume versus time is a tallow or tealight candle not better ?
Nick
yep i got all kinds of brass oil lamps and made some.about 2 days ago i made a 2 in 1 stove alcohol and vegetable all in one. I used a cat food type stove the one with two rows of holes inside i used a tea lite alum no cande in the middle jb wed it in. Now two wicks out of two holes about a 1/4 in. the other end in the tea lite tin pore some oil in tin for wick alcohol outside of that in cat stove. fire it up they both will burn but when alcohol all burnt up the wicks keep burning and it will simmer for a long time for it was still burning for 30. min. Still had more time left.When i put the oil in candle tin just to cover wick.i even find out even if some alcohol gets in with wick oil does no hurt it a bit.
got two pictures be back
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d52/oops62/stoves%202/th_cat22.jpg (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d52/oops62/stoves%202/cat22.jpg)
here it run out of alcohol then the wicks keep burning and it simmer for a long time
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d52/oops62/stoves%202/th_cat33.jpg (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d52/oops62/stoves%202/cat33.jpg)
I came across a terrific, and simple design for an oil lamp (http://1inthehand2inthebush.110mb.com/Oil_lamp.htm).
http://1inthehand2inthebush.110mb.com/wee/P3070016.jpg (http://1inthehand2inthebush.110mb.com/Oil_lamp.htm)
Cheers,
Mungo
I like olive oil for lams too, like Wayland I do a lot of living history work though normally I use my oil lamps in a Roman context. Well rendered tallow works very well too, a useful way of using up extra fat from carcasses especially any that you are uncertain about for food purposes.
I have used fat on occasions but stopped because the dogs tended to eat the fat at every opportunity and then things got very messy.......:eek: