The Forever Wick - simple stove that can burn nearly any liquid

I don't know who follows Robert Murray-Smith, but lately he's been doing some impressive experiments with something he calls, the "Forever Wick" - because it basically is never consumed.

In its simplest form, a wick stuffed into a copper pipe fitting can create an improved plant pot heater


Or add a couple of food cans and some misc odds and ends to make a complete radiant heater that can run several hours on a cup or two of methanol.


Impressively, you can burn nearly any flammable liquid with it, up to even things like diesel fuel, vegetable oil, and paraffin.



Could be a great trick to have up your sleeve for energy crises, emergency greenhouse heating, or kotatsu heaters (providing fire and carbon monoxide precautions are taken, of course).

Somehow, you had the foresight to post this as I was preparing to change the oil and hydraulic fluid in my tractor. Hmmm...... waste oil heater? Thank you.

Michael Helmersson wrote:Somehow, you had the foresight to post this as I was preparing to change the oil and hydraulic fluid in my tractor. Hmmm...... waste oil heater? Thank you.

Well designed waste oil heaters run so clean that the neighbours will never know. It's common on big farms and in mechanic shops.

Hydraulic oil is amazing as a lubricant and all around handy rust preventer. Also makes great firestarter on a little paper (wick). Penetrating oil? And I'll bet you could use it in a kerosene lantern. I would always keep some of the hydraulic oil, though if you were using it for heat it would mix nicely with 30wt. motor oil and  flow better in the cold.