Lamp wicking

S

stitchawl

Joined
Jul 26, 2008
Messages
2,849
I tried to make a fire candle out of the mini Tabasco bottles but kept having problems with the length of the wick due to its thickness. I was able to get it adjusted using tinfoil but I wasn't happy with that... I tried Zippo lighter wicks, flat lamp wicks, twisting up my own cotton wicks.... Nah...

Well yesterday I passed by a chemical supply place and noticed some Bunsen Burners on the shelf, and right next to them nice thick round braided burner wicks! They fit snugly into the Tabasco bottles, stay right at the length I want for the size flame needed, and now I'm a happy camper! Thanks for the Tabasco bottle idea!

Stitchawl
 
STITCHAWL!!!!!!! may i beg, plead, ask, grovel for one or two of those thick wicks??? they are perfect for soaking in wax and sectioning into 1" firestarter rounds.

I will of course pay shipping!
 
Bushman - Here is a source. I've been planning on making some wick and wax firestarters after reading this month's Backwoods Home article. My plan is to use my vacuum sealer to enclose them with a couple of Lifeboat matches and scatter them throughout my gear.

-- FLIX
 
Bushman5 said:
STITCHAWL!!!!!!! may i beg, plead, ask, grovel for one or two of those thick wicks??? they are perfect for soaking in wax and sectioning into 1" firestarter rounds.

I will of course pay shipping!
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Hey, I'll be happy to send you as many as you want, but buying them here in Japan would cost you a LOT more than if you bought them on-line from
http://store.b2bprofessionaltools.com/1429214292-jpg.html I paid a hell of a lot more for them!! About five times the price! Had I only known... but then... this was just an impulse buy. I saw them, realized they would solve a problem, and bought them. At the time I was actually shopping for some epoxy for buffalo horn/white micarta scales for a new knife I'm working on. This place might be cheaper, and has 1/2" wicks.. Bundle of 12 pieces of 7" long, 1/2" diameter wicks.

If you want one like the one I got, let me know and I'll send it. Shipping won't cost much as they are light weight and can go in an envelope. It's the cost of the wicks here that would be nuts!

I just googled 'Bunsen Burner Wicks'

Stitchawl
 
BOOMSTICK said:
can you post a picture of yours? how much was the burner you bought?
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LOL! Actually, it wasn't a "Tabasco" bottle at all that I used... It was a mini bottle of soy sauce, cost about a buck at the 100-yen shop. But the size was about the same as the mini-Tabasco bottles. That was why I was having trouble with the thinner wicks. The opening in the neck was larger than the Tabasco bottle. I'll try and get a photo for you this afternoon.

Stitchawl
 
I made one just recently. I too had a problem with the small round wick (which was all I could find) So used about 3 or 4 inches of wick and just shoved it all into the tiny bottle. The extra wick in it supports the part of the wick that is being lit so I can adjust it up or down and it stays in place. Only down side is that all the extra wick, even being saturated in oil is still taking up room where more oil could be, so I don't think it will burn for as long between fill ups as a better fitting wick.

IMG_7847.jpg


 
Rockywolf said:
Excellent. How are you keeping it from leaking?
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Well, keep the cap for one... ;) Also another member here said once he caps the bottle he dips it in wax to seal it from loosening and leaking. I havent done this yet, but I plan on dripping some candle wax around the cap before I put it in my pack for storage. I went on a hike with it Saturday w/o wax on it and it did fine. No leaks.
 
How does the Tabasco lamp compare to a small backpackers candle. I've used one of those for years and it works great.
 
go2ndAmend said:
How does the Tabasco lamp compare to a small backpackers candle. I've used one of those for years and it works great.
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The candle isn't nearly as much fun. :p

I think the only difference really is that you can control the size of the flame with the bottle, it's cheaper, and you make it yourself.

Stitchawl
 
Loosearrow said:
Does the cooking oil smoke? Corn oil or exra virgin olive oil, use is oil lamps for years.
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It only smokes if I allow the wick to be too long. Otherwise no smoke and no smell from the corn oil. Olive oil seems to have a bit of an aroma though.

Stitchawl
 
How about trying a Brass ferrule from a plumbing compression fitting? They are used when connecting plastic pipe to a brass fitting to keep it from collapsing.
Most oil lamps run the wick through a metal tube.

Also, if you have the correct sized copper tube, you can flair the end, then place in the bottle so that the flaired end keeps the copper tube from falling into the bottle.

The ferrule is the small peice in the center, shown below.

1c1faa60.jpg


Can someone tell me what size copper tube fits into a tabasco bottle mouth? 1/4"?? 3/8"??
I can easily whip up some tubes to fit. i have tubing and a flairing tool. and probably a handful of brass ferrules too.
 
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