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Not a new idea at all, but a good way to use up any kind of old oil you want. (rngine/cooking/etc)

Simple take a can (beer is best ) cut out a small window roughly halfway, then chop the top section of a second can and insert into the first. Fill the false bottome with oil, bend the ring pull over and place a piece of old rag/cloth into the oil reserve, allowing the ring pull to act as a stabaliser.

Using just a basic soft drinks can, I can normally get around 3 hours of use out of one of these, thats around 5 tablespoons of veg oil.

The advatange they have over candles is the fuel is self contained so no mess. Also since only the wick is ever alight, the oil researve never gets hot, so you can happily carry one of these round in your hand at the base, with nothing more than a mild warmth. In addition you can knock one of these up in about 10 minutes start to lit, compared to the time to melt and form candles.

Granted not all of us will use drinks cans, but there are plenty of other folk out there who do, it's not hard to get a sackful, and any leftover bits of tin can always go back into the recycle bin afterwards.

Next on my agenda is to knock up a small wooden base holder for them with a handle for easier and safer carriage.

looks good - what oil do you use?
Good excuse to drink beer - OH would be happy

That sounds like a really great idea, I think I will give it a try.someone I know makes wood burning stoves from old (and empty) calor gas bottles, they work out realy well I think all that is required is basic welding knowlege

Green Aura wrote:looks good - what oil do you use?
Good excuse to drink beer - OH would be happy

Any type you want, as long as it's still in a liquid form then it should catch a flame. In theory you could even use a solid oil base(the type chip shops use), this would make it that much safer when not in use.

I have litres of used engine oil - would that do?

shame I don't drink beer or pop

Should work fine, the only things you need to ever think about is the original use of the oil and if it now contains anything toxic. Obvioulsy that would give off dangerous fume, though to be honest I can't think of anything other than industrial uses that may taint oil.