I improvised and made an oil lamp from spare bs at my place, and I need help figuring out why the wick (hemp rope) isnt burning.i just made it, so even though I made sure the wick is doused in oil, I doubt it is fully saturated yet. is it because my wick is too long ? what gives ?
NB4 you burn your house down.
>>2885262I like my house like I like my working environment : as a fire hazard
...what oil did you use?
>>2885264I'm using olive oil because its the first thing I had on hand. maybe it is too viscuous ?
>>2885260Chances are your "wick" is too coarse to actually wick the oil. The oil only gets transported upwards if there's extremely narrow cavities inbetween fibres, which most cheap ropes won't have enough of. Try some cotton string, if you have any.
>>2885267this makes sense actually. thanks, I'll try that
>>2885260regular plant oil has too high a viscosity for travelling long wicks, that's why classic oil lamps are all as flat as possible. what you built is only able to burn lower viscosity fuels like paraffin oil.
>>2885286this
>>2885265Olive oil isn't combustible, or viscuous enough. Try something lighter that has greater capilary effect.
>>2885260>build a boat>kill a whale>render blubber>????????>profitsimple as
Ive gotten all the answers I needed there, ty mates. I shall make an update when Ive fixed this model. so long lampanons, your oily wisdom lights my way
>>2885263Are you a moth? I’m my country we used to light our straw-roof houses with candles and had wood stoves inside the bedroom in the early 1900s. These days our locals distill organic solvents to extract cannabis oils on their kitchen stove and manufacture mdma in residential areas and abandoned pig barnsA little controlled flame indoors isn’t going to do any harm
>>2885353i might be. I grew accustomed to have candles of all size do their thing. My appartment is very dark and damp, so having lights here and there help restitute some life to the cold walls.
>>2885260try a rolled up paper towel instead of your rope
>>2885260>wick (hemp rope) isnt burning.the wick isn't supposed to burn its supposed to wick
>>2885349pro tip, if you want to work with vegetable oil, build an Argand burner. Argand lamps have been the first real improvement to oil lamps and been gold standard till paraffin oil lamps beame common.
Cool thread
>I need help figuring out why the wick (hemp rope) isnt burning.>My experience: 1. Your wick is too high above the oil for the capillary action of oil going up the wick. 2. You probably didn't salt your wick. All commercial wicking is soaked in salts.Wicking you buy so commercial wick typically uses two different salting chemicals but if you're making your own wicking you can just regular table or salt water from the ocean. Salt keeps the wick from burning out on you too quickly and results in a normal burn for candles and oil lamps. It makes vastly better wicks plus a warmer light. What I typically do for oil lamps:- Make wicking. I soak cotton cloth or string or paper towel, whatever I'm using I soak that in salt water and let it dry. If I'm impatient I put the wicking in a tray in the oven at 200F...- I clean out a glass jar. - Then I put a wick in the jar that is supported by a coil of wire, which also has a handle that comes up to raise and light it or replace the wick. So the wick is sitting in the center of the oil in an open jar. If the wick is heavily salted it will stand up without wire, but still needs wire at the base and a handle is useful.- Then obviously I put in oil and cap the jar when not in use. Olive oil is nice, but I've used vegetable oils as well or wax making a candle. For an oil lamp, the advantages of that arrangement is I don't have to worry if the wick is too far above the oil, I don't have to worry about the cap overheating and damaging the glass or anything like that. Also similar setup works for making candles. Important takeaway, whatever your lamp design, it will work better if you salt your wicks. Try it and you'll understand.Sidenote: I suspect all modern methods for producing medieval Rush lights are probably wrong. Old books suggested boiling the rushs but I but I think they left out they meant boiling in salt water, as salt would vastly improve the burn quality as well as prevent mold.
>>2885321don't even have to kill whales. they grow on land now.
>>2885260you could try carbon felt as a wick? otherwise maybe your fuel is too viscous to wick properly on its own so would need thinning with a lighter oil
>>2885587>you could try carbon felt as a wick? Or OP could learn how wicking is made. > otherwise maybe your fuel is too viscous to wick properly on its own so would need thinning with a lighter oilOlive oil is classic lamp fuel. I think you're not making an oil lamp if you can't burn olive oil. No offence intended. I've made exotic lamps using catalytic conversion. I've made many lamps that you wouldn't call a "lamp" and if OP is trying to make an oil lamp my experience is classic oil lamps an burn olive oil.
>>2885600Salted fiber or cloth works great as a wick.
>>2885601Then dry the wicking you made.
>>2885602Make a support for your wick and drop it in some oil. Not saying you have to make this design, but maybe start with a design that at least works. Get some of the basic principles down...
>>2885604Then try some different things out...
>>2885601why salt?
>>2885605Like you could make a candle/lamp with bacon.
>>2885606>why salt?Salt slows the burning rate of wicking so it doesn't fall apart in the flame and it gives the flame a nicer warm glow due to sodium atoms. All commercial wicking is salted though typically not with table salt.
>>2885607There are many ways to make an oil lamp. But in general I recommend starting with a wicking that burns how you want it to. And a design where the wicking is near the oil, not far above it.
>>2885607Is your house gonna smell like bacaon?I had some rancid olive oil i was saving fot a lamp but worrird it would smell bad when burned
>>2885626>Is your house gonna smell like bacaon?It did when I burnt that tallow candle, kek>I had some rancid olive oil i was saving fot a lamp but worrird it would smell bad when burnedYeah, if the oil is bad it will smell bad. That's a given.That said, I've used cotton, paper, salted wood as a wick, even cardboard matchsticks as a wick. Though cardboard matchsticks may be hardened with sodium silicate, so that may also function as a salted wick. Anyway once you get the principles down, you have a lot of options. These days I'm more into LENR reactor design and x-ray production, but oil lamps were a lot of fun to get experience with. Really any system when you figure out some of the underlying key principles you can start figuring out creative ways to apply them, test further or sometimes what rules you can bend.
>>2885726The simplest oil lamp has much to teach even for considerations in building a reactor. You must consider how to control reaction speed, buildup of breakdown materials poisoning the reaction or the system in general, safety, serviceability... A lot can be learned from just a simple small light in the darkness.
>>2885600>>2885604>>2885607That style of lamp is pretty dangerous, depending on what oil you use. If the wick starts burning away, the flame will get closer to the oil, and can sometimes get hot enough to set the oil itsself ablaze. Absolute pain to deal with. Guiding the wick through a lid like OP did is much better.
>>2885737>That style of lamp is pretty dangerous, depending on what oil you use. If the wick starts burning away, the flame will get closer to the oil, and can sometimes get hot enough to set the oil itsself ablaze.You're seriously implying tallow candles dangerous. Huh. Well they aren't. Also oil lamps using typical oils like olive oil are certainly not dangerous. 99% of oil lamps in history have used wicks in contact with the oil. It's not dangerous unless you're using gasoline. Hyperreactive, bipolar, idiotic, drugged, drunk and crazed claims are common here, but you have no idea what you're talking about. All I can say is you've never made a lamp or candle. Go back to redbit if you don't want your mental problems to be called out. Consider the following: You're nuts.
>>2885907>an open flame over a container of flammable liquid isnt a fire danger ask catherine o leary how that worked outand there obviously werent frequent large structure fires due started by lamps in the old dayshttp://www.thelampworks.com/lw_lamp_accidents.htmbut you do you and keep playing with literal fire
>>2885914So your counter argument that you aren't off the rails nuts is you posted a picture of a monkey and fire is bad. Ok. You win. Obviously any candle or lamp is a firehazard if you're a drunk and tip it over. I agree you should drink less and not play with fire. However I recommend OP learn how wicking works, how to make a working oil lamp and if OP want's to try other designs great. But first things first OP needs to learn what works. OP could make a hole in a jar lid as a wick support, but first he needs to know how wicking works. If OP want's to make a lamp using a hole in a lid, I'd still recommend a jar as the lid will heat up a lot and may fracture the glass if it's a smaller container. The primary reason to have a lid is to keep the fuel from getting contaminated with smoke, it's not any safer then a candle or an open lamp.
>>2885914I made a lamp for you. The flame freezes the air and makes snowflakes just for you you special snowflake you. And yes I'm making fun of you. In case you weren't sure, that's what's happening here. I'm mocking you. Mock mock mock
>>2885914Thread themehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GRUPNXbflQ
>>2885943And if any of you remembers anything from this thread, add salt to your wicks for good wicks. STAY SALTY!
>>2885737that doesn't happen retard
Also jar oil lamps make for great inexpensive dungeon lighting or Tiki torch alternative.
And to perhaps answer OP's question. Yes once you've learned how to make good wicking, yes you can put a hole in a bottle cap and put that on top of a winebottle with a wick. But you still have to fill most of the bottle with rocks or marbles because the oil has to be right up to the top. Personally for learning and practicality I prefer jars for longer burns. Plus with jars you can make candles practically for free with crisco if you want. But personal biases aside, yes a wine or other bottle can be used for an oil lamp like the picture below. Key is knowing how to make a good wick.
>>2885726>>2885604Why do your wicks stay erect?
>>2886163>Why do your wicks stay erect?They have been treated with salt, instructions are above. If you use a lot of salt they stay stiff. If you only use a little they will fall over. Also a few wicks I put a piece of wire in to make it stand up. All commercial wick is salted but only enough that you may feel it with your fingers but not enough to make it stiff.
>>2886172Salt in the wicking keeps it from burning out in few minutes. So a salted wick will burn normally like any commercial lamp or candle wick. That's the secret to commercial wicking and to making your own candles or lamps...
>>2886172Thanks, I'll try the salt. Do you also know how to make those Argand burners some anon mention in this thread?I'd like to make my lamps burn brighter and cleaner because they always leave the room smelling a little bit of olive oil.
>>2886176>Do you also know how to make those Argand burners some anon mention in this thread?No idea. What I can tell looking at the specs is they appear to be a miniature version of a classic kerosene heater used as a lamp. Circular wick with air flowing though the center and around the sides. I'm going to guess the heat of the flame from the other side makes for better volatilization and with good airflow results in a nice big bright fairly cleaner burning flame. Looks like a bit of a pain to make, but certainly a nice design. Regarding the room smelling like olive oil, alternatively you could use a liquid paraffin wax instead. I suspect that would fix the issue of residual odor. I believe they sell liquid paraffin for lamps for that reason and it looks nice.
I decided to try this wick salting (never heard of it before) and compare it with unsalted wicks.Couple hours later and after much spilling of oil, I made an oil lamp from same bottle as OP, but sideways. Seems allright so far, does not go out and no dripping yet. I secured it burning in a sink and we will see in the morning. Will post photo and result, at least if I won't die a fiery death tonight.
>>2885737>t. phlogiston fud
>>2885940You could probably pull that off with a highly consumable copper salted wick.
>>2886266The copper could give it the color, but zinc will give it the snowflakes.
>>2885907>>2885929>>2885940>>2885943>>2885945>>2886149>>2886264take about 23 to 27 percent off the psychotic samefaggingnobody here actually gives a shit if you burn you house down or not with a homemade candle
>>2886260>I made an oil lamp from same bottleGood luck!>>2886266>You could probably pull that off with a highly consumable copper salted wick.It's actually possible and has been done. There's a plasma channel on youtube which does that. He uses an effect called plasma cooling and cool helium that's charged and glows, but also freezes things. And there are applications as well, seed germination is strongly affected by free electron exposure, so he can make seeds germinate much faster. Many applications actually. >>2886344>take about 23 to 27 percent off the psychotic samefaggingNo, that will never happen. But I appreciate your taking the time for your recommendation, that would honestly be wise advice if we weren't an an anon forum and I was someone who took advice like that. If I talk shit like that in a bar I'd also have to beat the shit out of them. You're not wrong.
>>2886344maybe don't live in a matchstick house then
>>2885260i made something like this a while back with shitty used oil lol
>>2886210>you could use a liquid paraffin wax insteadYeah, I thought of that. The thing is I'm a poorfag and I can get sunflower oil from the supermarket for 2 euro per quart.Liquid paraffin is going to be much more expensive.When I have the time, I'll try making something like one of those Argand burners. Maybe arranging several wicks in a circle will make the flame burn cleaner and brighter
>>2885943>thread themeFrozen would be a better plot if Ursula ruled a volcanoanyway have a classichttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en1uwIzI3SE
>>2886462>Yeah, I thought of that. The thing is I'm a poorfag and I can get sunflower oil from the supermarket for 2 euro per quart.>Liquid paraffin is going to be much more expensive.Why would lamp oil be more expensive than sunflower? looked 5l bottles and it was about £2 cheaper
>>2886492>looked 5l bottlesWhere is this? And which oil did you look for?Around here, any oil for burning in a lamp is like 10 euro/liter
>>2886494I just searched parafin lamp oil 5l and sunflower oil 5l and compared the results. not the most reliable method since net prices are variable but I got a rough idea
>>2886495cheapest price I found on uk ebay was £2/L for 16L of parafin highest was about £4/Lcheapest culinary sunflower was about £2.2/L for 20Lnot sure if the price includes postage
>>2886500there might also be different duty rates on the two types of oil your country likely differs in how it applies those
>>2885260You need a wick with greater capillary action, an oil of lower viscosity, or a shallower vessel
satisate my curiosity if you will, is there a way the have a shallow pool that the wick is supplied by but have a larger second chamber that the oil is stored in or will this inevitably cause the primary supply pool to overflow and seep upwards out of the wick?
