Hangable Jam Jar Oil Lamp

This is a really easy-to-make oil lamp which produces almost no smoke and can be hung from a tent pole or tree branch. It is also very portable and you can carry the oil and source of ignition with you. This is an incredibly fuel efficient lamp because it provides light and a surprising amount of heat but can last around 150 hours on 1 litre of fuel. So you could run it 24/7 for a week and it would only cost less than a pound!!! Or it's completely free if you recycle oil that you have already used to cook with.

Step 1 Materials and Tools

To make the Jam Jar Vegetable Oil Lamp you will need:
A Jam Jar
A Jam Jar Lid (can be used to smother the flame out)
A Tea light
String (Natural fibres like cotton or it will produce poisonous fumes)
Vegetable Oil (or any kind of oil like sunflower oil)
Skewer (or other sharp pointy thing)

Comments

[HellaDelicious]

This is great, so simple and practical.

[sharlston]

i wish there was more ibles like this

=)

[Valster]

Great Instructable!!  I'll be making about 20 of these by summer!

[SIRJAMES09]

funny names for stuff? in my honest opinion, you're being too nice...

Here in America, we have some really weird names for stuff....or pronounce things in a weird & off the wall way...Example: laboratory.
I have always pronounced it the way the British do...why? cuz I have friends from GB. same with glacier.

I think the British people make more sense than the American people do...maybe it's because they have had a harder life than us Americans, I do not know.

[SIRJAMES09]

I don't know about England, or Europe, but here in America, you can buy end caps that can be soldered onto copper plumbing pipe....these end caps make awesome holders for tea candles & other types of candles as well.

we also have drill bits that will drill into & through glass...

maybe you could drill 2 holes in the jar & then use a small amount of wire to make rings from which cordage could be tied,,,,OR just use wire to hang the jar with....

These are just ideas, this Yank isn't trying to tell you what to do...

[I am in the shed!]

No offence meant, or taken but It funny how some americans seem to see England as almost a third world country! we were here first too!
we can buy the same stuff here and usually manufacture it here - you just have funny names for the same things ;-)
Now where's my club... I'll go catch us a hedgehog for tea!... tata!

[SIRJAMES09]

does England carry them long reach butane lighters that we Americans use for candles & fire places at Christmas time??
If so, that might be better for lighting this candle/oil burner....

[SIRJAMES09]

SHALSTON!!! I'm mad at you!! you stole my idea!! LOL

I was gonna mention that Olive oil burns clean & smells good, BUT SOMEBODY BEAT ME TO IT. LOL

TY Sharlston, you are so correct about that. :)

[Stanislaw]

Looks like a solid design... the only concern I have is that the flame looks like it would probably black out the jar with the smoke... is this the case?

[Scytheon3]

Eventually yes the inside of the jar will get a little dirty.

[knektek]

that tealight candle runs for about 5-6 hours! (i tested it out)

[djr6789]

i just made one like 3 hours ago and its so awesome and its been burning for like 2 hours now!

[Seth Black]

Greetings. I really like this design. It's simple, straightforward, and is very functionally sound. I am curious as to how tricky it is to: 1. Get the floating platform out the jar, if they oil has only been partially used. 2. Light the wick of the floating platform, and carefully replace it, while still lit, without burning yourself or inadvertently snuffing the flame out. It seems to me that the addition of some sort of floating placement / removal tool would really finish this off, and take it to the next level. Great idea. Great Instructable. Greatly appreciated. :)

[hitman_kiwi]

Really nice, The Water idea is smart but i don't think it would work because the oil will always float on top of the water.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7JzJlgNuU8&feature=related

[Scytheon3]

Exactly thats the idea the oil gets wicked up the wick (sorry there isn't any other way of explaining it) first and the when the water gets wicked up the wick it puts out the flame

[hitman_kiwi]

Oh ok. It sounded like the water was meant for if the jar fell and all the oil caught fire.

[Scytheon3]

No you see thats the beauty of olive and vegetable oil, it cant catch fire without a wick

[hitman_kiwi]

Really? I did not know that. Good to know. Sorry for the huge hoopla i made :P Great tutorial anyways.

[sharlston]

nice idea may i suggest olive oil is better than veggie oil

=)