Bacon Powered Lamp

Have you ever wondered what you would do for light in an emergency situation where you have no electricity or candles, but you do have a plentiful supply of bacon?

Of course you have! But wonder no more, I have the perfect solution.

In this instructable I will show you how to create your own Bacon Lamp , using materials that should cost nothing and are usually discarded.

Step 1 Assemble your Materials

Here's what you'll need:
- Bacon fat; about 1/4 cup.
- A stick, about 3-4mm thick; I used a basil stem. I thought it would smell nice but actually it didn't make any difference. Any non-poisonous stick will do.
- A small tin can. I used an empty baked beans can.
- A strip of cotton fabric. About 1/2" (15mm) wide and 6" (150mm) long.
- Some sand. 
- A stove and a pan to melt the fat in.

Comments

[itiger]

I' ve learned this by reading novels about northern territories where they used seal lard. Always nice to see old techniques revived by technogically enhanced stonetent inhabitants. If you wanna have a cleaner burn sieve and filter the grease and take steel/copper wire to fix the fabric, control flame height by simply pulling the wick out/in with pliers. Before that make sure to burn the zinc coating of your can completely away cause the fumes are to cause harm, especially for kids it could be lethal.
Keep up your good work, like them all,
itiger

[winniekate]

Re: "...and take steel/copper wire to fix the fabric, control flame height by simply pulling the wick out/in with pliers." Are you saying to use wire in lieu of the stick?

[itiger]

Hi winniekate,

sry for replying sooo late. Not in lieu of the stick but making a twisted holder embracing the wick with a spiral pattern foot ending in a spike which can be stabbed into the sand. Provides the wick with stability until fat is completely burned. Hope this description helps understanding the principle. Keep on trying and let me know if it worked for you,

itiger

[cammers]

Thanks for your comments. I'm glad you have enjoyed my work, I have certainly enjoyed doing it.
And I'm looking forward to doing lots more - I'm just waiting for the Autodesk lawyers to open up contests to international entries again.

[arikira]

This is absolutely disgusting, from a olfactory and moral perspective.

[cammers]

Thanks for your comment.
If you are disgusted by using animal fat you could perhaps try vegetable oil.
Personally I found the smell to be mild. And since the fat would normally be wasted I consider it morally Ok too.
Sadly there are not too many energy sources available to the majority of us that are morally perfect.

[winniekate]

how long does it burn? Is it faster than a typical wax candle?
and, about adjusting wick length - is that in direct correlation with the amount above the grease? I'm assuming that everything above the liquid would be flaming, correct? If that's the case, would it work as well to adjust the levels of sand / grease, or push the wick deeper into the can? Just want to make sure i'm understanding this. Anyway, looks pretty cool, and i'll try this, since I always save bacon grease, and I save tin cans for shooting BB guns in the backyard. Thanks for the instructable!

[bayyagg]

Geeez!
Do I have to buy bacon just to have a torch?

Why not use any cooking oil and water, oil is lighter than water thus the upper part will be oil and put any cotton cloth an put it on the rubber to float and light it up!

[apender]

I know vegetable oil works. thats what oil lamps use in midle east. i've used one too. and bacon just releases so much fat, i colleced it a long time ago and made a candle out of it. and it burns for a long time. what else to do with it?

[chuckr44]

Most vegetable oils from the US smell awful when burned, which is why I use olive oil. It has almost no smell. (I tried several oils in a lamp like this once.)

[cammers]

I only chose bacon fat so I could enter the bacon themed contest. I was surprised how well it worked.

[kbreen]

Would these be a good thing to take camping or would they draw in unwanted critters and bugs into my campsite???

[cammers]

I think they would be ok to make on the spot out of any fat you can get.
They might be a fire risk in dry country.
I don't know about bears. Do they like bacon?

[chuckr44]

A bacon lamp would certainly attract raccoons, bears, opossums, who are scavengers and omnivores. Try olive oil instead.

[cammers]

My lamp hasn't yet attracted any of those creatures. But then I guess I'm on the wrong continent for them. I really would get a shock if a bear turned up uninvited.

[jusy]

!;CH09

Reply

[origprod]

I'd love to vote for you, but I don't see your entry in the Bacon Challenge. Do you have a link?

[cammers]

I think you should be able to vote now. Thanks for support.

[origprod]

Done! Good luck!

[cammers]

Thanks Ogripod,
I don't think it has been accepted into the competition yet. That takes a couple of days I think.
I'll try to post a link when and if that happens.

[cammers]

New Just In... This Instructable has been accepted for the competition. Users can vote from May 9 - May 12.
Thanks so much for your support.

[yokozuna]

The contest is moderated, and it is likely it just hasn't been reviewed by the person over-seeing the contest. You should be able to vote once the contest closes on May 8.

[Civicalized]

You should build a small cooking rack and cook some bacon with it. Double-Bacon Whammy!

[cammers]

Here you go....
http://www.instructables.com/id/Bacon-Powered-Bacon-Stove/

[cammers]

Brilliant idea. If I remember right a similar technique was used with penguins by Antarctic explorers trapped in Antarctica over winter. They used penguins for food and fuel.

[ilpug]

yeah, and make the liquid bacon grease from the cooking bacon drip down and refill the lamp! genius! also, this is a great lamp.

[cammers]

This is a start...
http://www.instructables.com/id/Bacon-Powered-Bacon-Stove/
I was aiming for it to automatically drip back into the lamp, but there just weren't enough hours in the weekend.

[Green Silver]

So if the power is out, there's no electric to cook the bacon to get the fat... What we have here is a "catch 22" situation, otherwise known as "Sods Law".
:)

[cammers]

Here's an answer. All you need is a bit of fat to get you started...

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bacon-Powered-Bacon-Stove/

Thanks for your interest.

[Drigax]

Well alot of people still have a gas powered stove, or even an acetylene torch in their basement somewhere.

[aleji77a]

does this work with any kind of fat or lard?? could vaseline work as well?? :O thanks for sharing!

[cammers]

I first made one of these when I was about ten. I used mutton fat. It worked just as well.

[Tommunbeig]

Does the bacon fat light render that super enticing aroma of approaching breakfast?

[cammers]

Yes it does. At any hour.

[rtanner]

Now all we need is bacon powered bacon.... mmmmm

[twojima]

use bacon lamps to cook more bacon. use bacon to make more lamps. repeat

[cammers]

Consider it done. Or started anyway.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Bacon-Powered-Bacon-Stove/
Thanks for the inspiration.

[lallan1]

Great instructable, one issue, I need to lock it away when not in use as cats mistake bacon lamps for food.

[cammers]

Thanks Iallan. Good point.

[cammers]

Hi All,
I have just posted two more instructables to compliment this one. One is a stove to refine the bacon fat for the lamp, using the lamp to heat the stove. Mhe other is an ornamental windmill, whirly, spinning thing to attach to the lamp.
Please check them out and vote vote vote for them in the bacon challenge after May 8.
Thanks.