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flyfisher
01-26-2005, 16:01
I like to burn a candle for a portion of the long hours of winter and early spring nights. For some time I have been working on ways to use tea candles and also to use the puddles of candle wax left by others in shelters.

Desiring a bit more robust candle than the thin aluminum tea candle, I tried my hand at making a candle out of a round Altoid's tin. However, the wicks have a tendency to melt circles of wax instead of using all the wax.

Then I ran into the Nuwick candle. It comes in a 44 hour and a 120 hour version.

I was fascinated by the movable wick of the Nuwick candle, which allows all the wax to be burned.

I read the patent here:

http://tinyurl.com/4zrhn

And I quickly made several little wicks to burn on the a half inch of melted candle wax I had put in the round Altoids tin.

I also cut out a piece of aluminum flashing 1/3 of an inch wide and 5
inches long to use as a pair of tweezers to move the wicks around. (It is folded end-for-end to make tweezers and can be stored in the altoids tin for use.)

The advantage of the movable wick, is that it can be moved from spot
to spot in the tin of wax and it does not get drowned by the wax.

At first, I did not have any cotton pipe cleaners. The plastic ones burn and do
not work, so I took some wisps of cotton from a cotton ball and coated
the upright portion of the wick. It worked OK. I also tried winding
the upright with some cotton kite string. that also worked OK.

However, the next day I found some cotton pipe cleaners at a cigar/tobacco shop. These pipecleaners, when dipped in melted wax make a great wick. They burn for many, many hours.

I fully support the Nuwick concept and product. I recommend their candles.
http://www.nuwick.com/
But if the tin I want to usefor ultralight hiking is a little smaller and lighter than the Nuwick candle, I now know how to make the wicks for my container.

As I understand the Patent Laws, it is legal for a private individual to make a working copy of a patented item like the wick for evaluation, but it would be illegal to sell such copies. Fortunately, these handmade wicks are easy to make and use without much fuss.

As a disclaimer, I neither work for Nuwick, nor do I sell any candle products.

Walk Well,

Risk

cakeman21k
01-26-2005, 16:10
The reason your altoid tin candle doesn't burn all the wax is it is too wide for a single wick you might try using 2 wicks which would also give more light. As an alternative you could try cutting the bottom 1 or 2 inches off a pepsi can and fill that with wax and a wick should be tougher and a little bigger than a tea light, and also would burn longer, and I love the idea of recycling those things.

flyfisher
01-26-2005, 16:17
The reason your altoid tin candle doesn't burn all the wax is it is too wide for a single wick you might try using 2 wicks which would also give more light. As an alternative you could try cutting the bottom 1 or 2 inches off a pepsi can and fill that with wax and a wick should be tougher and a little bigger than a tea light, and also would burn longer, and I love the idea of recycling those things.

Yep, I did the two wicks. It makes two circles. That is what I like about moving the wicks. I am able to use all the wax in the whole tin without having to melt it every couple days.

It is also really nice to be able to put a top on the candle (altoid tin) so that the wick does not get broken off by other stuff in the pack.

jlb2012
01-26-2005, 16:22
One thing that I have been using lately is a light weight oil lamp - cut the bottom off of a soda or beer can and turn the bottom upside down - this is where the oil will go. Take a piece of stiff wire (ex 18 gauge steel utility wire is what I use) about 6 inches long - put a .25 inch loop in the middle of the wire - position this small loop in the middle of the can bottom and bend the two legs of the wire down toward the outside edge of the can bottom - poke two holes on each side of the outside edge of the can bottom and slide the wire legs down one then back up the other on the same side - bend the wire so it holds the loop about .5 to .8 inches over the can bottom and cut off the excess wire if any. Cut the side wall out of a 20 ounce soda bottle and punch a few holes in the bottom edge for air flow - this will be the "globe" for the lamp. Take one sheet of toilet paper - roll it up and put a hard twist in the middle - rip it into two pieces at the hard twist - this is the wick - put hard twist of one half of the sheet of TP up through the loop in the wire so that it sticks up about .2 inches and spread the rest of the wick down where the oil will be. Fill the can bottom with olive oil being sure to get the oil on the wick. As soon as the wick looks to be soaked with the oil light the part of the wick that is above the wire loop - put the globe on - put a stick or stone on top of the globe if it is windy - good light lasts a long time and no mess to packup if you let it burn out - the wick sucks up all the oil.

TDale
01-26-2005, 16:34
I wanted to put a tea light candle in my emergency kit, but was stumped for how to include a little globe. I rummaged around and found a piece of clear, hard but flexible plastic like from a flat blister pack. Cut out an appropriate sized rectangle with a tab on one end and a slot on the other. Stores flat, rolls and locks into a tube for a globe.

flyfisher
01-26-2005, 16:50
One thing that I have been using lately is a light weight oil lamp -

Another experiment I did was similar. I had been looking at photos of seal oil lamps used by the Inuit.

I took an aluminum soft drink can and turned it upside down. Into the concave depression, I put about 1-2 teaspoons of vegetable oil.

I cut out a 1x1 inch piece of cotton scrap and rolled it into a little log, tying it with a piece of thread from the cloth.

I soakded the wick in the oil, and laid that little wick so that one end was in the oil and the other end was hanging about a quarter inch outside the edge of the concave depression on the bottom of the can.

I lit the wick with a match. It burns with a smokeless flame for more than an hour. To make it last longer, every hour or so I take a straw and suck up a few inches of the vegetable oil in the straw. I take the end out of my mouth and put my finger on the end of the straw. Then I put the business end of the straw into the concave oil reserve on the bottom of the can and release my finger. The oil in the straw flows down into the bottom of the can. (This procedure is called pipetting by chemists and biologists.)

Instead of carrying the whole soft drink can, just the bottom half inch can be cut off and carried with fire making supplies.

I have done the same kind of thing by propping up the edge of my cooking pot at a slope (right side up) and putting a few teaspoons of oil into the pot. The wick lies on the bottom of the pot with one end in the pool of oil and one end just out of the pool. The amount of flame is adjusted by moving the wick up a little or down a little on the slanted bottom of the pot. The disadvantage of this is that it does not help for reading. The edge of the pot cuts out a lot of the light. The advantage is that it acts as a wind screen.

jlb2012
01-26-2005, 17:36
The reason I used the loop of wire to center the wick over the concave can bottom was so that I could put the globe over the lamp and not have the flame too close to the plastic bottle side piece. Reason for the globe is to keep the lamp lit and mostly not flickering in the wind. The globe btw is a very good fit for the can bottom. I also used the drinking straw pipette initially but its my opinion that its no problem to just pour the oil from the bottle into the depression and that eliminates the "what to do with the oily straw" problem. When I was using a straw I would cut it to the exact length to fit in the oil bottle and that is where I left it - a mild hassle when you just want to pour some oil onto your food however.

Another reason for the loop of wire is that it is very easy using the loop to control the size of the flame by adjusting the amount of the wick above the loop. TP makes a great wick for this purpose BTW - no need to have a separate special purpose resource just for the wick - 1 piece of TP and you are good to go - if you lose the wick or it "breaks" no problem, just roll another.

jlb2012
01-26-2005, 17:41
I wanted to put a tea light candle in my emergency kit, but was stumped for how to include a little globe. I rummaged around and found a piece of clear, hard but flexible plastic like from a flat blister pack. Cut out an appropriate sized rectangle with a tab on one end and a slot on the other. Stores flat, rolls and locks into a tube for a globe.

The globe I use just packs (slides) into my beer can pot - fits nicely and does not occupy much space. Its also very easy to cut a replacement from easily found trash.

TDale
01-26-2005, 17:48
I started with a water bottle section but it wouldn't pack flat in my emergency/essentials kit.

Taking your wire wick holder a step further, try making one that wraps around the handle of your spoon. the wire holds the spoon level, which becomes your oil vessel, and holds the wick.

jlb2012
01-26-2005, 19:33
good idea I'll give it a try but I am not sure what to do for the globe in that case - maybe notch it or something

jlb2012
01-27-2005, 19:14
first cut at the spoon oil lamp looks good - the lexan spoon holds about the same amount of oil as what I usually put into the soda can bottom and the wire loop holds the wick reasonably well - first attempt I drilled a small hole in the handle of the spoon that was just big enough for the diameter of wire I was using - the wire is just a loop on one end and a right angle bend in the other - slide the right angle bent end of the wire into the hole bend the rest to get a reasonable height over the bowl of the spoon and load up with the TP wick - fiddle with the wick until it is stable in the middle of the spoon - prop up the handle to get the bowl level - pour the oil over the wick and fill the bowl - light - as before a very nice light only now even lighter.

The next thing I'll be doing is to play with the wire shape to get one more stable and have the wire prop up the spoon handle (not that there is any problem with what I use now: my burner from the alcohol stove).

Stickbow
08-02-2006, 01:03
[quote=flyfisher]Another experiment I did was similar. I had been looking at photos of seal oil lamps used by the Inuit.

I took an aluminum soft drink can and turned it upside down. Into the concave depression, I put about 1-2 teaspoons of vegetable oil.

I cut out a 1x1 inch piece of cotton scrap and rolled it into a little log, tying it with a piece of thread from the cloth.

I soakded the wick in the oil, and laid that little wick so that one end was in the oil and the other end was hanging about a quarter inch outside the edge of the concave depression on the bottom of the can. quote]

These are called open wick lamps. When these were in common use (at least during the 17th and 18th centuries), they were called "**** lamps". As they got more sophisticated, models like the "betty" lamp(www.jarnaginco.com/18clanterns.html (http://www.jarnaginco.com/18clanterns.html)) came into use. Native people used a dished out stone with oil and a wick in it. You could just use the bottom of an aluminum can and any wicking material, along with any oil that will burn. The more pure the oil, the cleaner the burn.

The problem is that open wick lamps are a fire hazard. They're easily knocked over and the spilled oil will burn on the ground or floor of the shelter, fort, homestead, kitchen...

I'm currently testing a little oil lamp based on pepsi can stove designs. Will post photos after the JB weld dries tomorrow.

Stickbow
08-03-2006, 00:39
First pass at a wick lamp from drink cans dinna work well. Used cans like a standard "pepsi" stove, only 3/4 inch side walls to hold an ounce or so of oil. Put a wick and a fill hole covered with a screw. Had to fill it with a syringe, burned great, then as it heated the aluminum, the oil wicked into the pan and burned. This happened no matter how much -- or little -- oil was in the container.

Will try again with a larger container, but I think it's the lightweight, heat conductive material the lamp is made of, not the size that matters.

Bah, humbug.

Frolicking Dinosaurs
08-03-2006, 11:26
Has anyone ever figured out a way to carry an intact oil lamp which would carry the oil and wick? I'm thinking something like the container portion on a mini-tiki-torch.

I used to carry a piece of fiberglass wicking in a small metal tin with a screw on lid and used it to burn olive oil, but I can't find it.

StarLyte
08-03-2006, 11:42
Has anyone ever figured out a way to carry an intact oil lamp which would carry the oil and wick? I'm thinking something like the container portion on a mini-tiki-torch.

I used to carry a piece of fiberglass wicking in a small metal tin with a screw on lid and used it to burn olive oil, but I can't find it.

Wow-I'm laughing here FD because I actually carried something like this in my backpack, but only because my 8 year old granddaughter was with me at the time. It was an old aluminum tiki torch--remember the old ones? Very lightweight, had the old wick in it still, and I carried the oil in a sealed container. It illuminated the entire area at night. We fell asleep while it was burning looking out of our shelter. We were alone that night. I'm so glad I did that for her because she talks about this frequently with her little schoolfriends.

I bet if you look hard enough, and check out Pier One Imports-they carry a lot of stuff like that, you'll be able to find something very small, if not, I know you're clever enough to construct something, and when you do, post a picture of it will you?

Frolicking Dinosaurs
08-03-2006, 12:08
::: grins and winks at Marsha while LOL :::

While I'm not a-skeered of the dark, I do have mobility issues that make it wise for me to be able to see roots, rocks, ect. at night. I will post pics and detailed instructions if I find a way to do this.

I carry two of those mini-tiki-touch canisters when car camping - they are wonderful. They provide a soft, warm glow without being too bright and they don't blow out as easily as candles.

Skidsteer
08-03-2006, 18:32
Has anyone ever figured out a way to carry an intact oil lamp which would carry the oil and wick? I'm thinking something like the container portion on a mini-tiki-torch.

I used to carry a piece of fiberglass wicking in a small metal tin with a screw on lid and used it to burn olive oil, but I can't find it.

Yes. I'm going to add a wick to one of these(below) for just this purpose.

I'm thinking of some sort of 'floating' wick that won't interfere with the lid and will just pop up to the surface when the lid is removed.

These are made from a single 'Rockstar' energy drink can. I make them like a standard soda can stove with a bit of JB Weld on the inside rim of the top half. The cap comes with a gasket that is completely alcohol-proof so far. It should be fine with olive oil.

The example in the thumbs is 2 7/8" diameter x 3" tall. Weight is .9 oz.

I think these will pan out as a decent bottle for denatured alcohol, too. The biggest advantage is being able to customize the height for the amount of alcohol you wish to carry.

As a bonus, I see no reason why you couldn't use the olive oil from this 'lamp' to add to your food.

Skidsteer
08-04-2006, 22:21
Yes. I'm going to add a wick to one of these(below) for just this purpose.

I'm thinking of some sort of 'floating' wick that won't interfere with the lid and will just pop up to the surface when the lid is removed.

These are made from a single 'Rockstar' energy drink can. I make them like a standard soda can stove with a bit of JB Weld on the inside rim of the top half. The cap comes with a gasket that is completely alcohol-proof so far. It should be fine with olive oil.

The example in the thumbs is 2 7/8" diameter x 3" tall. Weight is .9 oz.

I think these will pan out as a decent bottle for denatured alcohol, too. The biggest advantage is being able to customize the height for the amount of alcohol you wish to carry.

As a bonus, I see no reason why you couldn't use the olive oil from this 'lamp' to add to your food.

I got it built this evening, then discovered we are out of olive oil. Disappointed! :eek: At any rate, here's some photos.

Tomorrow we test!

Skidsteer
08-05-2006, 15:13
Tomorrow we test!

It works really well. The whole setup weighs an ounce and a half. For comparison a Uco candle lantern weighs close to three and a half ounces!

Here's some photos in action. First one is in broad daylight, second one is in a dark closet.

Stickbow
08-05-2006, 23:19
These are made from a single 'Rockstar' energy drink can. I make them like a standard soda can stove with a bit of JB Weld on the inside rim of the top half. The cap comes with a gasket that is completely alcohol-proof so far. It should be fine with olive oil.

The Rockstar cans here and on their website http://www.rockstar69.com/products.htm (checked the web to see if they have different lines in different parts of the country) have that resealable top--what is it?

The problem I had with my aluminum soda can oil lamp (couple of posts above yours in this thread) is the oil boiling and pouring out the top around the wick -- how much are you putting in the can, and is it 'sizzling' (boiling) in your can? I guess your wick isn't tight in the hole in the aluminum foil, so pressure wouldn't build up. Hmm.:cool:

Skidsteer
08-06-2006, 08:12
The problem I had with my aluminum soda can oil lamp (couple of posts above yours in this thread) is the oil boiling and pouring out the top around the wick -- how much are you putting in the can, and is it 'sizzling' (boiling) in your can? I guess your wick isn't tight in the hole in the aluminum foil, so pressure wouldn't build up. Hmm.:cool:

The resealable top is brand new, Stickbow. My son found it in a grocery store two weeks ago.

The wick is not 'tight' in the can at all. In fact the wick assembly can be pulled out of the can fairly easily (for cleaning, refilling, etc.)

Maybe these photos will help: