ancient trick

[Squidders]

I was watching a generic egyptian program on the telly the other night and aparently, when digging the vast tombs they used to work by oil lamp...

A small bowl, with a wick draped in it and over the edge, filled with oil.

They used to eliminate smoking by putting some salt into the bowl... I thought "that's odd" but hey, if it works!

Maybe someone will find this useful somehow :?:

[Gary]

Maybe they will squidders! :wink:

[Squidders]

Well, even if only one person finds it handy, I guess that's a success... I did think about putting a nicotine patch in the bowl to stop it smoking but that's just silly :wink:

[Tantalus]

just a rough guess but too much fuel (oil) and not enough air to burn it fully would produce a smoky flame

salt or mebbe even sand could clog the wick a little and allow it to draw a little less oil letting the flame burn cleaner

Tant

[NickBristol]

I did think about putting a nicotine patch in the bowl to stop it smoking but that's just silly :wink:

Silly yes but also v funny.... :rolmao:

[Squidders]

Tantalus, maybe... they just dumped some chunks in the bottom of the bowl.

[RovingArcher]

Did they mention what type of oil they used?

[Squidders]

No :cry:

it was just a passing comment... I guess whatever they had 4000 years ago

[Ed]

Animal fat was quite commonly used in these type of lamps ;-)

Ed

[falling rain]

Talking of lamps - At Glastonbury this year in the Green craft fields a chap was making oil lamps from old beer cans.
Cut a beer can in half - Bottom half slightly longer than the top half.
Cut the base off another can leaving a 2" strip of tin still attached to the base running up to the top of the can.
Make 2 triangular shaped slits in the top of your first can and roll up the strip and attach it to the top of the can by sliding it under the slits
Roll up another piece of can to make a tube about 8 - 10mm in diameter and insert it into the can through the ring pull.
Stuff tissue paper into the base part of your lamp and into the tube that is your wick and fill quarter full with lamp oil wait a few moments till the oil rises up the wick and light. great bit of recycling and looks and works well.
The base of your second can being concave acts as a reflector to throw out more light. I havn't tried buffing the base but I would imagine it would be possible to shine it up a bit (anyone remember the old chocolate and coke can fire lighting trick that was on here a while back)
Its hard to explain it here how to make them but I'll bring one along to the Hunter class for those that are interested.
:wave:

[Realgar]

talking of lamps, I've always wanted a shuttered hurricane lamp - the type so beloved of thieves and mentioned in 'The Tell Tale heart' anyone know if they're still made?

[RovingArcher]

The oil they used was pressed from the Castor bean. According to the little I read on it, the oil burned relatively well but gave off a strong odor.

[leon-1]

I seem to recall that one of the nations at that era used olive oil as well :-)