How To Make an Emergency Oil Lamp
- November 30, 2009
- 11,801 Views
Writer
Hilary_White
Music
Matt Wiggers
Voice Over Artist
Sri Gordon
Perfect for blackouts, camping, or even creating ambiance, keeping an oil lamp around is a handy idea.
You Will Need
- A small piece of stiff wire
- A nail
- A small piece of cotton material or thick string
- A clean, empty tuna can
- Cooking oil
- A ceramic bowl
Place oil lamp in a safe location away from children and pets.
Step 1: Prepare the wick holder
Coil the wire around the nail several times to form the wick holder. The wick holder should be slightly below can height. Remove the nail, leaving the last coil wider so that it can stand up by itself.
Step 2: Thread the wick
Thread the cotton material or string inside the wick holder and trim it so that it stands about one quarter inch above the wick holder.
Step 3: Insert the wick
Insert the wick inside the middle of the tuna can.
You can substitute a tuna can with any empty can, a glass, or even a bowl.
Step 4: Fill with oil
Fill the can with the cooking oil to about one inch below the top of the wick. For added safety, place the can inside a ceramic bowl.
You can reuse leftover vegetable or olive cooking oil for your lamp.
Step 5: Light the wick
Light the wick and enjoy the warm glow.
Did you know? The earliest oil lamps were made of pottery and first appeared in Israel during the Neolithic Period.
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Comments (3)
i love this site
over 2 years ago by anitaj
it is not israel is palestine
5 months ago by Wolfpack_Oussama
as an alternative design, would it be possible to cover the top of the tuna/salmon can with aluminum foil, cut/stab a (cross shaped) slit in the middle of the foil and use a rolled up/twisted piece of paper towel as a wick which would be threaded through the slit(might need to soak the twisted towel with oil first and wash hands with soap after doing so before attempting to light the wick), I haven't tested this approach but I seem to remember hearing it described on the radio during the ice storm of '98 which affected northern NY, Vermont, Maine as well as eastern Canada
5 months ago by GetRichSlow
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