I decided to come up with a simple grease lamp

I was reading more on the history of lamps, and I was on the topic of "Betty lamps." Earlier models were forged from iron, but later it became common to make them from "tin" which was the thin rolled steel (often plated in tin) like we see even in modern "tin cans." So I thought about possibly using a discarded tin can to make a lamp.

It's really quite simple. I just smashed the mouth of the can into a rather flat oval, made two cuts with some snips, and punched a small hole with the closest screw handy. I folded the two flaps out to act as reflectors, but they could have been simply removed as well. A simpler version could possibly be made with no cuts, but the narrower opening would make filling more difficult, and likely more messy, but could be a viable option in an emergency where no snips or other cutters are available. I placed the hole for the hanging wire at the mouth of the can and it seems to hold it at a decent angle, but moving it back could give a more shallow angle if necessary.

It would be really cool to have people make their own and post more pictures here. I would like to see all the different variations people can come up with, and just how far we can push the idea. It could be a good winter project, the materials are free, and it could be handy to know in case of emergency. It's also a good way to use up discarded cooking oil\fat. Go forth and illuminate, one and all!

I find this very interesting Jordan.
So I suppose you just fill the can to a level with whatever oil/fat you have. What did you use for a wick? Just a bit of cloth? I've read that people used to peel common rush for wicks (rush lights) but I've never succeeded in getting any length before the stem snaps. It's either a lost skill or takes a more gentle hand than I have.

Great idea, cool execution!

I hope to see other examples people make, and I'll try to get a variation made.

Thanks!

Nancy Reading wrote:I find this very interesting Jordan.
So I suppose you just fill the can to a level with whatever oil/fat you have. What did you use for a wick? Just a bit of cloth? I've read that people used to peel common rush for wicks (rush lights) but I've never succeeded in getting any length before the stem snaps. It's either a lost skill or takes a more gentle hand than I have.

Yes, I just used some spent cooking oil. It was a random mix saved in a can that was solid at room temperature. I melted it and poured it in. I burned it about an hour, and it didn't use much, so I don't know if the font is too deep to properly wick. The heat from the flame needs to liquify the fat, so as it burns down things could change.

For the first wick, I just took a few strands of heavy jute twine and twisted them together. It worked fine. Cloth was also widely used as you suggest. They were not too fancy, as the crude fuel fouled rather readily, and they were used up rather quickly as compared to a modern kerosene lantern wick.

I'm not sure of using rushes for wicks. The rush lights with which I am aquatinted were a different affair. They were a simple gravity powered forcep that would grip a single rush that had been treated by basically deep frying it, if I remember correctly, to saturated it with the fat. It burned like a very fast candle, only a few minutes each. I do not have rushes here, so have not tried one. I have wondered about other plants as substitutes, though. I have only seen one rush light that I can remember, but one would be simple to make.

That is a very impressive flame, Jordan!

There is a method for making rush wicks. You start at the base of a straw of rush, peeling off the shiny, green exterior layer, but not all the way around the straw. It's enough if you peel a bit more than half the circumference. If you try to peel it completely, the wick (pith) will break. When the entire straw is peeled half way around, hold the straw peeled side up, bottom of the straw facing you, and push your thumb nail through the pith. Hold your thumb nearly perpendicular to the straw, and pull the remaining exterior of the straw down past your thumb while maintaining pressure on it. The pith will compress and gather in front of your thumb nail, but not break. When you've done enough of the straw, the compressed pith will start "snaking" out of the groove of the straw. It looks funny. You can get rather long, intact pieces of pith this way.

I've actually not tried them as wicks yet. It's been on my to-do list for years, but well. That list is quite long. Maybe soon.

Eino Kenttä wrote:There is a method for making rush wicks. ...... It's enough if you peel a bit more than half the circumference. ..... You can get rather long, intact pieces of pith this way.

Ah ha! Thank you Eino! Maybe I've been trying to peel off too much? I forget where I saw the instruction I was trying to follow, but I'm pretty sure that left a sliver of the outside of the rush. Your method basically extracts the whole of the pith from the green in the end. Next time I have a go I'll let you know whether your method works for me.