Oil (Pop-Soda Can) Lantern

This is an instructable of how to make a oil lantern out of a couple soda cans.

Step 1 Tools and MaterialsW

This is a list of recommended tools and materials. Two soda cans, scissors, pliers, pocket knife, glue, and wick material.

Comments

[thewayshegoes]

whats the wick made out of

[olvegrn]

What kind of Fuel do you use in this?

[arc20052000]

I use WVO(Waste vegetable oil) or SVO(Straight vegetable oil). However, It is a pretty standard wick lantern so I suppose you could use parafin, kerosene, or any type of lamp fuel. Thanks for the great question!

[aristide202]

Choice of fuel depends on smoke pruduction, avoid gasoline of course. Keep the wick well trimmed or the tank will get too hot and fuel will boil I wold fill the tank with steel wool to reduce fuel accidental pouring as i did in alcohol hobos stoves. Inserting the wick in one or two inches of any suitable metallic pipe or winding the wick with some copper wire or wrapping aluminium foil could help to control the flame. The whole thing once lighted gets very hot as you can easily find out.

[drewcybr]

you can add a wind screen by cutting a plastic water bottle and popping it into the opening

[aristide202]

keep the wick trimmed or the screen will dark, melt and burn quite easily , plastic fumes are a health hazard. As in middle age metal wind proof blind lanterns it coul be possible to cut small triangular holes, one cut on two sides, the free vertex of the lap downward and lifted a bit so that little light comes out but little wind gets inside

[aardvark]

Wouldn't that melt?

[arc20052000]

Could possibly melt in the one demonstrated here, it gets very hot. If you were to lower the wick enough I think a plastic screen would work.

[drewcybr]

there is always that possibility but i have used one with a tea candle lantern made out of pepsi can and it has worked perfectly for a year now

[rwilliams8]

You could also scratch the inside of it with steel wool to make it more reflective

[arc20052000]

Also a good option. Thanks for the comment.

[xallie]

Worked quite well. I think I made a to large container, since my lantern stop burning after a while, even though it's still quite a lot of oil in it.

[arc20052000]

Nice work. Yeah if you make the fuel tank too large the oil doesn't wick as well. If it burns out and you leave it, it will eventually fire back up. However, as the oil burns out of the wick it will start to consume the wick so you'll end up going through wicks pretty often. Good job though, I like the Red Bull cans.

[PSPerson]

Sodapop?

[arc20052000]

What would you call it??

[PSPerson]

Locally, Pop is used. I use both soda and pop. If I leave the midwest, I use sodapop or soft drink :D

[sokamiwohali]

Haha...i use either Soda. usually from where im from we us the proper name of the drink (ie. Dr. Pepper, Coke(or coca cola), pepsi, Mountain Dew, ETC.)

[wwhitt]

Mine smelt up my garage gonna try different tinder

[The Green Gentleman]

Nice build! I bet this would look killer with some green fire! I think that might be next on my to-do list. I'm sending you a patch for the inspiration!

[arc20052000]

Thanks. I appreciate the inspiration and the patch.

[Schooniedude]

How does the glue hold up to heat? great design by the way.

[arc20052000]

So far I haven't had any problems, burned for a couple hours without issues. I haven't burned it for any longer than that. If it starts to release I will rework with JB Weld.

[arc20052000]

Thanks guys!

[zazenergy]

great reuse!

[scoochmaroo]

So simple and yet elegant. Really well done!