Waste Veggie Oil Lamp/Candle

Veggie Oil Lamp made from stuff around the house!

I had been looking on-line for sustainable lighting alternatives and I found a lot of sites that had instructions for veggie oil lamps.  However, almost all of them used the wire coil method for holding the wick in place and many people complained about it being too difficult to raise the wick when needed.  So I came up with an easier wick holder.  This project takes very little time to complete. 

Items I used:

A glass jar
Used veggie oil (it can be fresh but that would be wasteful)
Cotton material for the wick
A metal bottle cap
Wire
A nail and hammer for making holes in the bottle cap
Needle nose pliers
A small bowl of salt water

Step 1: The Wick

Any cotton material will do: string, shoe lace, old clothing, etc. I cut 3 thin (10 inch long) strips off of a 100% cotton tee.

I then soaked them in salt water (using regular table salt) for a minute and laid them outside to dry in the sun.

After they were dry, I stapled the fat end (at the bottom of the 2nd pic) and braided it tightly.

Comments

[valleygirl08]

I am definately going to make this. At last a use for the used oil.

[Boingo]

“I read that if you are using galvanized wire, you need to rub it well with sand paper 1st. I don't remember why exactly, but I thought I should mention it.”

The reason you have to sand the galvanized wire is the zinc emits toxic fumes when heated, so it needs to be removed for safety's sake.

[klimb]

What is the salt water for?

[meddler]

This is how I solved the oil level dropping. I took a cork from a wine bottle and cut a disk from the end of the cork. about the thickness of a poker chip. Bored a hole in the middle for the wick and wrapped tin foil around it. Then threaded my wick through, about a quarter of an inch top and bottom. And I let it float on the oil. The wick burns brightly, and It drops with the oil.

[mrflumps]

i just brought some of these floating wicks/stands on ebay. pretty cheap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kj07QpHo1c

[EmcySquare]

kool !!

But here comes the question: once you light your wick it will start consuming oil. this means that the level of oil will drop. then the oil with have a hard time climbing upstairs in the wick to get burned in the flame. There is nothing "sucking" it up. this in the end causes the wick to burn (not the oil in it)...

Can you think of some way to let the wick holder FLOAT in top of the oil to prevent this?

[l8nite]

great idea for the wick holder ! Galvanizing gives off poisonous fumes when heated but if its not in direct heat I don't think it should be a problem