Making oil lamps and candles for free

Step 3 Making a paper wick oil lamp

This sort of oil lamp works well with all sorts of used cooking oil. The wicks have a wire stand and handle so they can easily be lite and lowered into the lamp. And since they can be closed they don't spill when storing or moving them.

1. Select a jar.

2. Make a spiral out of wire as before so it pinches onto the wick pointing it up straight.

3. Bend the far end of the spiral into a handle so the wick can be pulled out of the oil for easy lighting. When you make the handle, make it so it sits above the oil and below the jar lid.

4. Fill the lamp so it leaves about 1/8 an inch of wicking above the oil.

5. Pull the wicking up, hold it sideways and light it.

6. Lower the wick into the lamp and enjoy.

Comments

[Fenris The bbw]

A suggestion for your CD reflector. If you dip a c.d. in hot water for a few seconds it gets floppy and shapeable. It quickly dries into whatever shape you had it in, and if you don't leave it in too long, it retains it's reflectivity.

[lukethedog]

Is that a cd-rom you are using as a reflector ???

[steam_cannon]

That's what it is. :) The lamp hangs on a nail on the wall and the CD is just hanging off the same nail. A lot of people use CD's as candle reflectors on tables with the candle in a glass candle holder on the CD. They're great for outside candles. And there are other uses, you can toss a few CD's in your garden to give it a bit more light, hang them on a fence to brighten things up, there are so many uses...

[lukethedog]

I get them with equipment at work every now and again. I was thinking if you cut one in half and used JB Weld etc or even on the edge of a table and back against a wall you could place a small candle in the middle and the light would reflect from the bottom and the back. You are right about the uses. Nice Instructable on making the oil lamp. I never would have thought about using salt and paper for wicks. Great ideas, thanks for sharing.