Hi all! I want to talk about how I developed my own version of an oil lamp, and what I ultimately came to.
The first, simplest option, I used in the 90s as home lighting during regular power outages. Sometimes I took such a lamp on hikes to check it out. field conditions. The design is extremely simple.
A tube with a diameter of about 7 mm is rolled up from a strip of tin about a centimeter wide, and a copper wire is wound to it. A wick made from a piece of bandage twisted into a flagellum is placed in the tube. All this is placed in a glass jar with a screw-on lid so that the wick, suspended on wire hooks from the edges of the jar, is located approximately in the middle in height. Sunflower oil is poured into the jar to the level of the middle of the tube. It is advisable to take refined, light oil. Dark, unrefined oil, burning on the wick, clogs it with products of incomplete combustion and combustion worsens. 
A wick soaked in oil burns inside the jar with an even flame, approximately the same brightness as a paraffin candle. The can protects the flame well from the wind, so the lamp also works outdoors. It is important to adjust the length of the wick so that the flame does not smoke. A high and bright flame can quickly smoke the glass, so the length of the wick must be reduced. As the oil burns, its level decreases and the lamp must be topped up. It is not necessary to top up with oil, you can also use...WATER! 
Water is heavier than oil, it will settle underneath it and simply lift the oil towards the wick. Even when a very thin layer of oil remains, it will burn on the wick, and water will not wet the wick because it is soaked in oil. In the “stowed” position, the wick with wires is lowered to the bottom of the jar, and the jar is tightly closed.
I recently learned from the Internet that Leonardo da Vinci, while improving the oil lamp, placed a tin pipe above its flame to enhance draft and combustion. I tried this too. I placed a tube with a diameter of 1.5 cm and a length of about 10 cm over the flame. The effect was zero. I took a larger tube: diameter about 2 cm, length about 20 cm. The effect is the same. I didn’t experiment further with the “chimney”; I decided that we would go a different route.
I decided to enhance the brightness of the lamp with a reflector. From an aluminum beer can I cut a rectangle slightly shorter than the height. glass jar. At the bottom, cutting on the right and left, I twisted a tube for the wick. To prevent the flame from smoking the reflector, I moved it away from it by about a centimeter. The photo shows how this is done. 
The rest of the rectangle, maintaining the cylindrical shape of a beer can, was a reflector. Place the reflector in a glass jar so that the wick is on optimal height, on the protruding part of the reflector from the sides I made two cuts and straightened the resulting “wings” so that they lay on the edges of the jar. 
Inserted the wick and filled in the oil. Ready!
The brightness of the lamp has increased noticeably. The picture shows that light is provided not only by the flame itself, but also by the reflector. 
The next step to improve the lamp was to increase the brightness by adding another wick. This time I twisted two wick tubes in front of the reflector. The reflector itself was made a little wider, changed a little top part so that the narrowing of the neck of the can does not compress the reflector. 
A little more fiddling with adjusting the length of the wicks - and voila: it burns! It became brighter. Compare the brightness in the photo. Which lamp has two wicks – you’ll figure it out! 
At this point I suspended my experiments for now. But there are still ideas!
This article describes a method for making an oil lamp, which is used in a variety of rituals.
To make an oil lamp we need:
- Vessel for oil.
- A piece of copper wire 20-40 centimeters.
- Wick.
- Purified vegetable oil.
Manufacturing instructions:
1. You can use a small glass or iron jar or cup as a vessel for an oil lamp. It is advisable that the vessel is not too large. Optimal size 5-10 centimeters in height and 5-7 centimeters in diameter.
2. The wick holder can be made from a piece of copper wire, and as a auxiliary tool we need a pencil. To make a wick holder, take a piece of wire 20-40 centimeters long, fold it in half and place the pencil in the middle between the two folds. Next, we twist the ends of the wire so that we get a twisted wire with a hole in the middle. The finished holder needs to be bent slightly so that the hole for the wick is slightly immersed in the vessel.
3. You can use regular cotton wool as a wick. To do this, you need to make a lace about 2-3 millimeters thick from a piece of cotton wool. One end of the wick should be threaded into the holder and protrude 1 centimeter upward from it, and the other end should be immersed in a vessel filled with oil.
4. Fill the oil lamp vessel with oil so that it does not reach 1 centimeter from the wick holder. Wait a moment until the wick is naturally completely saturated with oil and light it.
Oil for oil lamp
As a lamp oil, it is best to use well-refined sunflower or olive oil. Depending on the purpose of the oil lamp, you can add essential oils or pre-infuse with herbs.
For home use For an oil lamp, you can add several calendula flowers to the oil - this will enhance the cleansing properties of the lamp and allow you to fill the room with warm and calm solar energy.
Words when lighting an oil lamp
Before lighting an oil lamp, mentally formulate the purpose it serves. The purpose of lighting a lamp may be to present it as a sacrifice to the Spirit or the Divine. When lighting the wick of an oil lamp, say: “I light this Fire and present the gift of Light... (to such and such an Ancestor, Spirit or God). Please be merciful to me and bless me!” and make a gesture of respect by folding your hands as if in prayer and touching your forehead.
You can ask your questions on our forum - “Questions on Fire Magic”.
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The oil lamp was created from a photograph found on the Internet.
What is needed to make such an oil lamp:
Step 1: Tools, Parts and Safety Equipment
The reason this product is not on sale or any variations there are light bulbs are very fragile. If you were to put this into production it would be made from scratch, the glass beads would need to be thicker.
I found a light bulb to work, but safety first. Eye protection And thick gloves or wrap the light bulb in an old towel. Use boxes, cardboard, or plastic to catch glass shards.
What do you need: 2 burned out light bulbs, 2 magnets, 1 steel plates, black spray paint, rubber feet with adhesive backing, and aluminum wick holders.
Fuel: liquid paraffin oil for smokeless lamp. At worst, sunflower oil, but it can smoke when burned.
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Every housewife dreams of her home being warm and cozy. But sometimes it’s not easy to choose accessories to create that very necessary comfort. The choice of lighting plays a special role in creating a competent interior. Today there are many options for this: sconces, original chandeliers and lampshades. And for lovers of twilight and a romantic atmosphere, an oil lamp is perfect. Unlike all the options listed above, it serves more as an original decorative element than as a lighting fixture. Although it all depends on the size and wick. Some of these lamps are quite bright.
What is an oil lamp?
A familiar name that immediately evokes a certain image in your head, isn’t it? In fact, the oil lamp was not always the way we used to imagine it. From the name it is clear that such a lamp works by burning fat or oil. The principle of its operation is similar to the design of a kerosene lamp - a container with fuel, a wick and physics, according to the laws of which oil or fat always rises along the fibers.
About the use of lamps
The first oil lamps appeared in the Paleolithic era, but they were then made from clay, stones, copper, and later other metals. Such lamps were popular among the Eskimos, and until the 19th century, slightly modified, they were used as fire clocks (similar to sun clocks).
In Russia and Canada, so-called kudliks are widely used - stone cups with a wick lowered into them and filled with fat, oil or lard. In some places they are still used, and the peoples of the north have learned to heat their homes with the help of such lamps.
Today, the oil lamp is no longer so popular, and it looks different: all kinds of candles, bottles, jars with decorations and even original lamps in the form of ordinary lamps and spirals. And its functionality has changed - instead of lighting - decor.
Wick and oil for the correct lamp
It doesn’t matter whether you decide to buy a lamp or make it yourself, it is important to choose the right oil for an oil lamp, since the quality of the product and the brightness of the lighting depend on it.
Today you can find special lamp oil in the store. It comes in two types: Vaseline-based (clean, transparent in appearance) and olive with impurities (more cloudy), and if necessary, even ordinary sunflower is used. But in order for the oil to rise and evaporate well, it is important that the wick for the oil lamp is of high quality.
DIY oil lamps
Any souvenirs self made have always been valued much higher than factory ones and those distributed to the masses. This also applies to oil lamps, which are quite easy to make with your own hands. Even if you haven't worked out before hand made, you can handle it easily, and your family and friends will be pleasantly surprised. To work you will need:
- oil container;
- wick or string;
- large needle or hook;
- support for the wick (wire, cap or plug).
Any container will do: it can be a beautiful small vase, Glass bottle or even a regular jar. As a decoration, you can use glue to apply it to outside sparkles, drawings, etc. In general, whatever comes to mind. While the container is drying, proceed to creating the wick.
To do this, take a woolen cord or a special wick, which you can buy in stores. If you are making a lamp in the shape of a bottle, it is better to use a cork or metal cover, and cork material is suitable for a vase, because it does not sink and almost does not burn. Using a needle or crochet hook, thread it through the chosen base so that the lace sticks out 1.5-2 cm upward, and the long end is no less than the distance to the bottom of your future lamp.
All that remains is to fill the container with oil, secure the wick and let it soak for a while. Your gift is ready!
Kerosene and oil lamps were widely used at a time when electricity did not exist. But even today, in the event of a power outage, as well as during a hike or stay at the dacha, you can use an oil lamp. A rarity that was popular in old times, today it will be difficult to find and purchase, but you can learn how to make an oil lamp with your own hands.
For oil lamp lighting to be effective, certain conditions must be met:
- Not any oil is suitable for ensuring that the wick burns evenly and for a long time, and, moreover, brightly. In this case, you need to choose an oil intended for aroma lamps and candles, or sewing machines, it is also good to use lamp oil. IN hiking conditions, in the absence of anything else, you can use vegetable.
- The wick should have a large diameter. You can even use rolled cotton wool.
- A container that is too wide, such as a saucer, is more fire hazardous than a small one, especially when lighting an oil lamp inside a tent.
DIY oil lamp
A DIY oil lamp can be very useful in camping conditions to illuminate the area inside the tent. However, you need to know how to make it correctly.
The basis of such a lamp is oil and wick. To make a miniature oil lamp, you will need the following materials:
- Match
- Copper wire
- Wool thread, preferably thick
- Oil
- Tin stopper
A thick woolen thread will act as a wick, and the thicker it is, the better. It absorbs any substance well, be it liquid or oil, lifting this substance upward. The basis for the thread should be a support, which is used as a match, on which copper wire is wound in tight rings. When the match is completely wrapped in wire, it is removed from the loop. You should end up with a copper spiral, the end of which needs to be bent slightly to ensure stability. After this, you need to wind the thread tightly onto the resulting spiral from bottom to top, threading it between the rings. The end of the thread should remain free at the top; it needs to be fluffed up a little.
Next, you need to take a tin stopper and pour in a small amount of oil, enough for the thread wick to be saturated to the top. In addition to cork, you can use any metal container, into which you need to place the manufactured wick.
Another option for making an oil lamp is to use a regular light bulb. For this you will need:
- Old or new light bulb
- Cotton fabric wick
- Syringe
- Steel or copper wire
- Oil
- Set of tools
The light bulb will serve as a container for oil with a wick. To prepare it, you need to make a hole in the base: hook the protruding contact of the lamp with pliers and pull it. After this, you need to remove the black polymer around the contact and everything else that was there from the glass bulb of the light bulb.
Next, you need to check the wick for suitability: set it on fire and look at the result. If it produces loose ash, then the wick will burn well. If the fibers begin to turn into something resembling plastic, the wick is not suitable for an oil lamp. You need to measure the required length of the wick so that it is completely immersed in the bulb from the lamp, protruding about 1 cm from it.
To fill the glass flask with oil, you can use a 10 ml syringe. When the oil in the flask runs out, you can always add it.
You need to make a wick holder from the wire. To do this, use pliers to bend the wire into a spiral with a wide base. You need to make a slight curve on top of the wire so that it holds onto the top of the bulb from the light bulb.
After making the base, the wick is soaked in oil and lowered inside the flask, secured with wire. If the cotton wick on the wire does not stick out about 1 cm from the bulb, it will create a lot of soot. The oil lamp is ready, you just need to light the wick and make sure to change the oil on time and tighten the wick as it burns. By the way, such a lamp will be an excellent interior decoration. But for this it is necessary that it be located on a stand. To do this, you can use a metal hanger or a piece of copper wire, twisting it into a wide spiral, and securing the light bulb to the top with electrical tape or double-sided tape.
Another option for making an oil lamp is to use a glass container and the bottom of an aluminum can. The concave part of the bottom is cut off from the can, in which two holes are made - for the wick and air outlet, in order to slightly reduce the buoyancy of the wick. A wick, for example, from a bandage, is threaded through one of the holes. It is moistened with oil, set on fire and lowered into a glass container with oil poured into it. You can make three or four wicks instead of one, but in this case you will have to make the float from the aluminum bottom more convex so that it does not flood with oil inside the glass jar.
The advantages of a lamp inside a glass jar: the flame is not blown out by the wind and is protected from accidental overturning, it is convenient during transportation, and does not require constant supervision. And the use of several wicks allows you to adjust the brightness of the glow and the duration of the lamp.