primitive oil lamp

[Da Backwoodsman]

The idea of burning oil to produce artificial light probably dates backs hundreds of thousands of years, to when primitive peoples cooked meat by open fire and must have noticed the light given off by fat dripping onto flames. By 70,000 B.C., the Stone Age cave-dwellers of western Europe had invented the first oil lamps, which were made from hollowed-out stones that held a piece of moss or other spongy plant soaked with oil or grease. These lamps were likely used to illuminate caves and allow primitive artists to decorate the walls with paintings. Around 2000 B.C., Iberian (Stone Age English) flint miners used similar lamps made from lumps of chalk to illuminate underground mines. Today, Eskimos still burn walrus and seal oil in lamps comparable to those of the Stone Age. Some time before 1000 B.C., people learned to make wicks from dried rushes or other plant fibers. Typically, the stone or saucer-shaped oil container had a groove to support the wick above the oil. Throughout the Mediterranean world, ancient civilizations began to employ other containers for oil, made of shells, pottery, and metal. Some of these lamps were elaborately carved to portray primitive deities. The Greeks introduced more sophisticated lamps with handles and spouts or nozzles, which were used for receiving oil and holding wicks. Lamps made of pottery were sometimes glazed with black or red colors. Roman metalworkers created bronze and iron oil lamps with elaborate designs representing lions, dolphins, and other creatures.

Open saucers with a floating wick were most commonly used in medieval times, even though this type of lamp was less developed than earlier versions. One exception was Leonardo da Vinci's oil lamp, invented in 1490. The flame was enclosed in a glass tube placed inside a water-filled glass globe. Leonardo's lamp not only burned more steadily but also produced better illumination, due to scattering of the light by the water.

Beginning in the 1700s, oil lamps became much more efficient. A lamp invented by Swiss chemist Aimé Argand (1755-1803) in the 1780s used a round burner and circular wick. This design allowed a strong draft of air to reach the flame, which greatly intensified the light it gave off. One of Argand's assistants also found that the flame would burn more steadily inside a glass chimney, and reflectors were sometimes used to magnify the lamplight. Despite these improvements, however, oil lamps did not become widespread until paraffin oil, or kerosene, was introduced in the mid-1800s. British scientist James Young (1811-1883) pioneered the low-temperature distillation of kerosene from coal and oil shale. Around the same time, kerosene was produced from thick asphalt rock by Abraham Gesner (1797-1864), a Canadian geologist. Beginning in 1860, kerosene produced from large crude oil deposits in America was exported to Europe, where it quickly replaced whale oil and other oils as a lamp fuel. Kerosene lamps remained the primary light source in rural America until the 1930s and 1940s. Most modern oil lamps use a cloth net, or mantle, instead of a wick.


That was a brief history on lamps and although any lamp as an alternative to electric powered lighting is recommended to be energy efficient, I personally DO NOT recommend or advocate the use of kerosene lamps. For the obvious increase fire hazard but also the toxic fumes that can cuase severe respiratory problems.

As a result I thougt I would post on how to make your own primitive oil lamp using stuff around the house or at the most relatively inexpensive items.

The simplest and far more unique designs are made from ordinary glass bottles with a metal lid. You simply drill a whole slightly larger than your wick size in the cap, use a spent .22 shell as a wick sleeve through the whole in the cap, cut a small (1/16th in.) slice in the rim and fold slightly inward at cut corners, this acts as a retainer for the wick to hold at the desired hieghth.


Or if you want to go real primitive you can hollow out and old stone and add fat or lamp oil



And if you just like the nostalgia of it all you can purchase oil lamps from almost any commity store (wal & k mart, dollar general, family dollar etc.)

However let me just say oil lamps prove the rule that you get what you pay for. For the most part almost any oil lamp is affordable ranging from 5.00 to 35.00 (oil excluded)
However if your purchase the cheapest of the already cheap expect brittle to inferior glass on the globe and poor wick quality....

store offered lamps

[DandJofAZ]

Have some of those for looks..but for light when the power is out, you can't beat the Aladin lamp with its keresine mantle. As bright as any 100wat bulb and not blinding like a roaring Coleman gas lantern..I did have to get a high altitude chimney for use at my home..6800ft here in Flagstaff. 

[Pitchy]

Here`s a crusie lamp and a Betty lamp that i made.

[Ranger]

Good article!

Very nice lamps Lenn.

[Da Backwoodsman]

real nice lamps.. would you want to tell us how you made them?

[Pitchy]

I have pics of the building process, would you like me to post them here in this thread.  :)

[bull frog]

Yes please!

[Pitchy]

Ok, the cruisies first.

Draw the pattern on the metal.


Cutting pattern with the plaz.


pattern cut out.


Forming the pans in a oak block form.




Parts ready for assembly


Finished lamp.

[Pitchy]

Making the betty lamp

bending the sides od the lamp.


cutting the bottom and it welded on.






the top.






the spout for the wick.





top on the lamp.


finished lamp.




I changed the decoration on top of the lamp to look more like a wing so the whole lamp looks like a swan.

[FrankG]

Excellent Pitchy !!!!  Excellent !!

[Roaring Bull]

Those are very cool Pitchy.  I really like those betty lamps.

[Pitchy]

Thanks gents.  :)

[Da Backwoodsman]

thanks for the  pics and lessons pitchy...

Also I would like for anyone who can expand or extrapulate on a topic to feel free to post pics. This board is for anyone with a bit of backwoods tech to offer!

[Pitchy]

Thank you, glad to contribute  :)

[Ironwood]

Beautiful work there Backwoodsman!  Very good photography also!