Oil Lamp question

Hello All,

Oil Lamps for a survival light source. I was at Wal-mart and they had a couple, but seemed a little cheap. Does anyone have experience with the ones at Wal-mart?

A second question, Can I use kerosene instead of lamp oil?

Dave

Don't know about the WallyWorld ones, but an oil lamp it pretty much an oil lamp. My wife collects the damned things, back home we must have 50 of them. And yes, you can use kerosene, in fact that is what I grew up burning in the lamps/lanterns I played with as a kid...

Anything from Walmart is likely chicom and cheap. Do a websearch and find Lehman's hardware and the Cumberland General Store. These folks serve the Amish communities and have the real deal. You can also buy large rolls of LAMPWICKING from SIR mailorder up in Canada. This stuff makes for marvelous native style snowshoe bindings, safe and comfortable neckknife lanyards and--- wicks for oil lamps. Please remember that any oil lamp requires good ventilation.

Wallyworld used to carry Lamplighter Farms lamps which were fairly well made but it's been 20 years since I bought a lamp there so who knows what they sell now.

Give a thought to fuel storage. A gallon of lamp oil will get you through a few days of a power outage (depending on how many lamps you're using) but if it turns into a couple weeks (like large parts of Oklahoma after their last ice storm) you'll need more and a safe place to store it.

There was a thread a couple of months ago on oil lamps, with some good info on use and sources of quality lamps. Kerosene is fine. If I did this right, this link should take you to that thread:
http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.ph...true#Post106634

My buddies and I have a primitive hunting camp, and assorted propane and Coleman white gas lanterns abound. We almost always revert to the 4-5 cheap (yep, WalMart or Target) oil lamps and we use kerosene.. not more refined "lamp oil."
We appreciate the gentle, quiet light. We may have an occasional leak or problem with the kerosene lamps, but no more often than we've had with the higher-tech ones. And spares are cheap. The lamps have survived outdoors, in all weather and temperatures from well below 0 to well over 100 F. We just put a little aluminum foil cap over the open top. And the 7gal. can of kerosene (sitting in a corner) is safer by far than any other liquid fuel source.
Kerosene is available at the pump of virtually every country gas station around here. One fill of a small lamp will burn, reliably, all night. In fact we use one as a night lite because of geriatric bladders. The kerosene has other uses in our camp, too: we've used it to assist in campfire starting when we're lazy. I've used it to "degrease" a rifle disabled by frozen lubricant in sub-freezing weather.

Lehmans is great, and one of the things that make them that way is they are up front about when things are "imported." I believe nearly all their oil lamps are imported now. The glass ones, anyway. They are also the best resource for replacement burners, chimneys and wicks.

I had a very inexpensive Lamplighter lamp, and found an identical one at a discount store a fews weeks ago - made in China. As much as i didn't want to buy "imported," when I took it home, any quality differences were miniscule. Glass is glass, and with so few parts there's not much to mess up.

Be careful which fuel you use. I had several kerosene devices and found that common kerosene releases some sort of irritating fumes, even in small fires. It has been almost 40 years so I won't trust my memory about the types of kerosene or the type of fumes, but do check it out.

Thanks every of your thoughts and opinions. I am interested in using kerosene as that is what we use to heat our house here in Minnesota. We keep it a nice 75-80F, even when it is -20F outside. :-). It is reasonably cheap compared to NG in our old house.

If you use K1 grade kerosene and keep the space heaters adjusted right and dry burned when needed, no stinky fumes. A little smell at start up and shut down.

Dave

I really prefer paraffin oil in my glass lamps for inside the house. They burn a lot cleaner than Kerosene and I don't end up with burning eyeballs after a few hours. The oil is more expensive than Kerosene, but not so much that a couple gallons will set you back at all. I've a couple of the ones from Walmart in my collection of maybe a dozen or so. They will work okay, just stamped metal parts and glass like the rest of them. If you want fancy, go to the Lehman's site like Chris recommends and find whatever suits you.

Thanks Benjammin! Maybe I will pick up a couple of gallons just in case and plan on switching to the kerosene if we run out.

Dave

Much more than anyone cares to know...stolen from various on-line sites:

..."The term paraffin oil is used in Britain, New Zeeland, Australia, and some other countries for the same fuel as is known as kerosene in the U.S. and Canada. There are two grades of kerosene: 1-K and 2-K. The former grade is low-sulfur kerosene, with a maximum sulfur content of 0.04 percent by weight, and the latter can contain up to 0.30 percent sulfur. The sulfur content is important because the sulfur in the fuel forms some pretty nasty pollutants when the fuel is burned. Keeping the sulfur content as low as it is in 1-K kerosene allows the fuel to be burned without a flue to remove the exhaust products from the room (such as in a kerosene space heater). 2-K kerosene must be burned only in appliances with a flue. Other than sulfur content, the two grades of kerosene have identical properties.

Lamp oil has been further processed and refined so that it doesn't produce as much harmful smoke, soot and other pollutants. Manufacturers, under pressure from eager consumers, decided to distill kerosene further so the fuel could be burned indoors without as much inconvenience. Now you can find "ultrapure" or "ultraclean" lamp oil at many outdoor suppliers and camping stores."

We've experienced no discomfort using 1-K (K-1) in lamps and in a heater in our cabin. HOWEVER, our cabin has been anything but air tight since Gilbert ventilated it that day with his H&K MP-5. (We don't let him play with us anymore!)

Olive oil works really well for indoor lamps. Lehmanns sells olive oil lamps, pretty much a jar, a wick and wick holder. After seeing theirs, I made one using a glass jar, paper clip, and a cotton wick. Gotta say it works really well and there's no smell or residue. I wouldn't use an olive oil lamp camping in bear country (might as well ring the dinner bell) but for the home its a great alternative to paraffin.

Thanks Guys! We are using K1 currently in our space heaters without much trouble (Smell smoke). It is really a preety nice way to heat the house and sooooo much cheaper than NG. Our house was built in 1895 and when I re-modeled the living room I found scorch marks on the lath under the plaster from gas/oil lamps. Some of them looked like they almost had a house fire.

I am going to check around town before I mail order anything.

Dave

"...his H&K MP-5..."

As long as he will let me play with it (the MP-5), Gilbert can come visit any time he wants...

is parafin oil safer than kerosene ? I am referring to fire hazard. Kerosene release stinking smoke & toxic odor.

Shop at your local flea markets, yard and garage sales, thrift stores or estate sales. Thats where I picked all mine up, they are all older ones and tend to have heavier globes and the lamp itself is usually sturdier, I picked all mine for 10 bucks or less, well worth the investment. I should also mention that in my opinion the glass ones are better, no chance of leaking. If your planning on moving them around a lot you might want to chose a metal one.
_________________________
Shadow out !!!

Prepare Or Not To Prepare That Is The Question. The Answer, You Better !!!

Thanks Shadow and everyone. Maybe I need to make the rounds and do some shopping at the thrift stores. I haven't heard of flea markets in the twin cities area. Maybe I just don't know.

Dave

Micro...i don't know of any flea markets around here either.
i look out for vintage camp gear--which you would think
Minnesota should be full of--zip--zero--it all seems to be
yard sales in the summer or "antique" shops out in Stillwater.

I picked up two old brass ship lamps for 5 dollars apiece, they didn't have chimneys but thats an easy fix.

Other useful accessories for oil lamps include a fire extiguisher and an escape route in case things go horizontal.

I'd say paraffin oil, lamp oil, and kerosene all have about the same fire hazards. The ultra-pure (as marketed) lamp oil to me seems like it isn't worth the higher price than that for paraffin oil for essentially the same effectively clean burning flame. Maybe it doesn't soot out as bad as paraffin, but I find that simply adjusting the wick keeps my chimneys fairly soot free.

Of course, nothing is as nice to me as my dual fuel coleman lanterns. They are more complex and can be temperamental, but they sure put out a nice light.

lol!!! Soem of the pro's here seem like they would be great for boyscouts but i dont know, any opinions?? We curently use propane lanterns (not funa all to carry huge bottels of propane ): ) Just wondering, any advice helps.

i think a lamp with a glass base is a fire bomb waiting
to happen..looks nice for "cottage" decor but thats about
it..a "storm" or "barn" lamp..the metal ones with the wide
base are better..with just about everyone being brought up
with electric power using anything with an open flame and
liquid fuel is very iffy--if you don't spill fuel--if you
don't have kids and dogs that might know it over..if you
really know how to use it...back in the real old days
oil lamps were outlawed from use in stage plays because
so many theaters ,and the people in them..were burned up..
candles went out when knocked over and were allow--that might
give you something to think about..

I have been using glass oil lamps my whole life and have never had a problem, now granted they are always up where they can't be bumped by children or animals, and are always used inside and I have never spilled oil when filling. I surely wouldn't use them outside or in a barn or other outside situation. For outside the home I would agree that a hurricane or railroad lantern made out of metal would be better suited.

When I was a kid (as in really young) I used to "play" with my mom's old oil lamp (which I still have), and a oil lantern that an uncle gave me (step-daughter now has it). I went so far as to use in inside of my closet (you really need darkness for it to work well), and never had a problem. I really like the smell too...

Hey OBG did you know that kerosene fumes will make your hair fall out?

Shadow...those are the prime words--using glass lamps ALL MY LIFE...for those folks who just got one at the mart last week
i would advise caution and i think MOST adults could do that.

Oh I agree I was just saying in a controlled situation their ok and with a little training, as you said in a less controlled situation as in untrained or in hostile weather I would recommend the metal hurricane or railroad lanterns.............I would advise proper education.

I have used these since I was a kid and they are great. The best lamps (IMHO) are the Aladdin lamps are great. They put out ~ 60 watts of white light silently (when adjusted correctly). The downsides is that they have gotten ridiculously expensive if purchased new and they are slightly radioactive (like Coleman lantern mantles). We’ve always used K1 kerosene (paraffin oil outside the US) in the lamps and space heaters, minimal odor if wicks trimmed and adjusted correctly (can’t teach how, just takes practice).

I have bought several of my Aladdin’s at end of season sale, at farm auctions, and at flea markets. If mantels or chimneys are broken, easily replaced. Lehman’s is good source, but there are others on the web. Locally if there is a large Amish or Mennonite population, some store should stock parts.

Of course, cation is needed when using any kind of fire. Just take the space heaters I use to heat the house. The darn things are very hot. You will get a serious burn if you touch it, let alone knock one over. I have yet or anyone in my house for that matter done any of these things. It is all about pre-cations. I recommend a CO detector. I just bought a new one even though the old one was supposed to be good for another 2 after 3 years of use, just in case and I have yet to detect any CO on both read outs. Our house is really drafty. :-)

I also recommend a fireplace grate if you have little ones running around or maybe dogs.

Dave

So THAT is what happened! And all these years I have blamed my ex...

Either that our your brain is running low on anti-freeze. :-)

Dave

Some models of Dietz oil lanterns will go out if you tip them over. The Jupiter model has a relatively wide base too.

Vodka doesn't freeze, got enough of that onboard to stay alive...

"Vodka doesn't freeze, got enough of that onboard to stay alive..."

There is a difference between being alive and being preserved.

sue

But there is preserved, and WELL preserved. When my back acts up (which is pretty often), I have found that vodka (even the cheap stuff) works as well as prescription meds, and tastes better.

Merry Christmas!!!