Most movies portrait generations from 100 or 200 years ago as too clean. Just from some years to today some movies start to portrait them as dirty as they really was.
Thank you for this needed video for the newbies out there. I am old enough to remember when oil lamps were used with red globes at road construction sites. We also used them as Boy Scouts.
The globe gets hot because that's where the flame is. It burns the wick that absorbs the oil from the base, so the base does not get hot. BUT make sure you keep it far away from pets to avoid it being knocked over, especially by dogs with waggy tails
As a child (and I’m only 26) we used to often stay off grid and had these lamps as our only/primary source of light (the other being an outdoor fire). We preferred them to gas lamps if o remember correctly. And yes, we burned them low.
The metal part of the lamp that the wick burns in is actually a carburetor. It ensures the correct mixture of fuel to air. When the wick is allowed to burn outside of the carburetor, the air/fuel mixture becomes too rich (too much fuel) and the inefficient burn produces soot (basically unburned fuel). One also achieves a brighter light when the lamp is operated as intended. All this to say, the top of the wick should be below the top of the carburetor. It's a bit counterintuitive when thinking of the lamp in the same frame as a candle, which is the mistake most uninitiated lamp users make. A little trial and error will get it right. Oil lamps are great during a power outage. I always enjoy the ambiance. When the power comes back on, I'm always a little disappointed, and the electric lights seems harsh.
I accidentally learned this recently... freshly lit flame I was stopping up the top of the chimney with the wick just at the top of the brass mouth looking thing [carburetor] flame was like a big candle.... BUT when I removed my hand the flame got whiter and bigger.... I have never ran these things below the mouth before, Running the wick below the mouth (down inside the carburetor) I am rather impressed with just how clean it burns now and how white in comparison to how I use to operate
I just recently started getting into oil lamps (summer storms keep knocking power out) I knew not to let it smoke, but recently ACCIDENTALLY discovered keeping the wick below that brass mouth looking thing, that flame gets almost white and the smell goes away. I was thoroughly impressed that the light seemed to get brighter even though it was lower.
Reading all over the place, finally its a comment on a youtube video ... Yes, I am supposed to keep the wick below the brass thing, not sticking above it!
I inherited a lamp from my parents when they passed. It's my back-up plan for black outs (speaking of which, I should pick up some oil...). Just out of curiosity, how hot does the lamp get while it's lit? Does it need a piece of cork under it? - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi
Proper wick trimming (which is a raging debate among lampers), a clear vent hole and tuning the wick holder tube make a lot of difference. I prefer a wick trimmed to the shape of the burner cap. The vent is thru the burner body and will clog. The top of the wick tube has to be as tight to the wick as possible without pinching it. Just my two cents worth.
I had issues tonight with my lamp because the flame was really high and it didn’t help to turn the wheel down. Then I realized that maybe the flame get too much oxygen so I closed my window and balcony door that was fully open and now the flame is more or less perfect.
In movies they have strong lights pointed to sets and to actors. The light in flashlights and bulbs or even from oil lampshade need to be stringer to do not look ridiculous on the final film, since the strong lights on the set compete with the house lights devices.
LOL The music was a nice touch in this vid. If ever you work on a real movie set you will need dark goggles and a fainting couch....) Also, consider black and white.
Just got into oil lamps from the last year's storms that knocked out power for a week. But I get nervous. If you forget to blow out the wick, can it burn all the way down to the oil, or will it just go out?
My family had these when I was a kid, we used windex and newspaper to clean the chimney, though I imagine a solution of vinegar and water might serve just as well. You have to be careful, some of the chimneys are made of thin glass, and are delicate. You also want to wait until it is cold to clean it, and dry before you light the lamp again.
cut the corners off of your wick or round the tip. your lamp will be able to have a Much larger flame with less smoke and itll be a Lot brighter. its old and almost forgotten knowledge. enjoy the light from a nice round flame!
For a pretty long time, although I can’t say exactly. If done correctly, it should be the oil that’s burning, not the wick. In an emergency situation, I would be much more worried about running out of oil. Although you can use any type of oil. Even olive or canola.
Only if not handled properly. These are relatively safe when kept out of reach of children and pets and burned responsibly/with supervision and put out when no one is in the room.
I picked up one yesterday, just think they are a neat piece of history, my flame was low and it was only burning a few minutes and the glass chimney started to craze on the outside hmm 🤔 anyone heard of that ?
@@tinamoore5497 I fiddle with these things and old railroad lanterns. I have seen old red glass globes craze when overheated. They call it glass cancer. Theory is that certain era glass had a makeup that aged, deteriorated and reacted wit heat. Never heard of it with clear glass but I guess it's possible.
Proper wick trimming (which is a raging debate among lampers), a clear vent hole and tuning the wick holder tube make a lot of difference. I prefer a wick trimmed to the shape of the burner cap. The vent is thru the burner body and will clog. The top of the wick tube has to be as tight to the wick as possible without pinching it. Just my two cents worth.
You will! Turn the flame down yourself, after it smokes the room down, so no need to advise people on this. 😅 İn sets however, which are three walls and an open place, yes, the uninitiated might be able to finish shooting the scene before the studio air gets appreciably smoke filled before staff automatically turns them down. 😅🤣
Agree with just about everything you said, except the point that a lower flame emits the same amount of light as a large flame. A smaller flame emits *more* light and heat than a smaller flame because it's burning more efficiently. Every oil/wick/lamp has its own "sweetspot", and as you get to know the character of a lamp, you can find that sweetspot within a couple of hours.
I can't watch period dramas for looking at the lamps, often anachronistic lighting that wasn't even invented yet. Watched an 1830 film on Netflix Pale Blue Eye and saw an Aladdin mantle lamp and many other kerosene lamps, yet to be invented let alone the actual fuel wasn't used for lighting until around the late 1840s early 1850s... Also the wick being above the blaze cone annoys me, the lamp cannot burn correctly when people think this is where it needs to be. I agree, lamps would never be dirty, also, they always seem to have candles and lamps lit during to the day... or electrify lamps with flickering light bulb that are much weaker than the flame would be, plus they didn't flicker (at least indoor lamps). 😅
I still use those in power outages
Lots of movies and shows like to portray past generations as dirty, it’s bizarre.
It was pretty hard to wash ……
And you don't know why?
I mean I’m sure peasants were a level above dirty lol its easier than ever to clean AND be clean in this modern day, yet a lot of people aren’t.
Its a way of asserting the current era as superior.
Most movies portrait generations from 100 or 200 years ago as too clean. Just from some years to today some movies start to portrait them as dirty as they really was.
Thank you for this needed video for the newbies out there. I am old enough to remember when oil lamps were used with red globes at road construction sites. We also used them as Boy Scouts.
The globe gets hot because that's where the flame is. It burns the wick that absorbs the oil from the base, so the base does not get hot. BUT make sure you keep it far away from pets to avoid it being knocked over, especially by dogs with waggy tails
As a child (and I’m only 26) we used to often stay off grid and had these lamps as our only/primary source of light (the other being an outdoor fire). We preferred them to gas lamps if o remember correctly. And yes, we burned them low.
The metal part of the lamp that the wick burns in is actually a carburetor. It ensures the correct mixture of fuel to air. When the wick is allowed to burn outside of the carburetor, the air/fuel mixture becomes too rich (too much fuel) and the inefficient burn produces soot (basically unburned fuel). One also achieves a brighter light when the lamp is operated as intended. All this to say, the top of the wick should be below the top of the carburetor. It's a bit counterintuitive when thinking of the lamp in the same frame as a candle, which is the mistake most uninitiated lamp users make. A little trial and error will get it right. Oil lamps are great during a power outage. I always enjoy the ambiance. When the power comes back on, I'm always a little disappointed, and the electric lights seems harsh.
I accidentally learned this recently... freshly lit flame I was stopping up the top of the chimney with the wick just at the top of the brass mouth looking thing [carburetor] flame was like a big candle.... BUT when I removed my hand the flame got whiter and bigger.... I have never ran these things below the mouth before,
Running the wick below the mouth (down inside the carburetor) I am rather impressed with just how clean it burns now and how white in comparison to how I use to operate
@@Tibbs_Farm I agree. It's an impressive bit of rudimentary technology. They knew what they were doing!
Why use electric lights at all?
@@ImnotplayinganymoreFar more than rudimentary.
@@ImnotplayinganymoreWhy does adding the globe make the flame burn more brightly and cleanly?
I just recently started getting into oil lamps (summer storms keep knocking power out)
I knew not to let it smoke, but recently ACCIDENTALLY discovered keeping the wick below that brass mouth looking thing, that flame gets almost white and the smell goes away.
I was thoroughly impressed that the light seemed to get brighter even though it was lower.
Reading all over the place, finally its a comment on a youtube video ... Yes, I am supposed to keep the wick below the brass thing, not sticking above it!
My parents kept family oil lamps to use when the electricity went out. I have one or two around here.
I inherited a lamp from my parents when they passed. It's my back-up plan for black outs (speaking of which, I should pick up some oil...). Just out of curiosity, how hot does the lamp get while it's lit? Does it need a piece of cork under it?
- Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi
It shouldn't need any cork. The chimney gets quite hot, but the part that's on the table doesn't heat up that much in my experience.
Does your lamp have a mirror set behind it? We used to place mirrors behind our hurricane lamps in my house for more light.
@@sixwilldo6865 - No, lamp mirrors are hard to come by.
Proper wick trimming (which is a raging debate among lampers), a clear vent hole and tuning the wick holder tube make a lot of difference. I prefer a wick trimmed to the shape of the burner cap. The vent is thru the burner body and will clog. The top of the wick tube has to be as tight to the wick as possible without pinching it. Just my two cents worth.
Haven't seen that propaganda.
Anyways, I am getting an oil lamp because I am abandoning modernism.
The shape of the globe is a magnifying glass, to expand more light.
I had issues tonight with my lamp because the flame was really high and it didn’t help to turn the wheel down. Then I realized that maybe the flame get too much oxygen so I closed my window and balcony door that was fully open and now the flame is more or less perfect.
In movies they have strong lights pointed to sets and to actors. The light in flashlights and bulbs or even from oil lampshade need to be stringer to do not look ridiculous on the final film, since the strong lights on the set compete with the house lights devices.
LOL The music was a nice touch in this vid. If ever you work on a real movie set you will need dark goggles and a fainting couch....) Also, consider black and white.
Just got into oil lamps from the last year's storms that knocked out power for a week. But I get nervous. If you forget to blow out the wick, can it burn all the way down to the oil, or will it just go out?
It will just go out. The flame will be deprived of oxygen before it can reach the kerosene.
Anyone have a preferred way to clean the shades?
My family had these when I was a kid, we used windex and newspaper to clean the chimney, though I imagine a solution of vinegar and water might serve just as well. You have to be careful, some of the chimneys are made of thin glass, and are delicate. You also want to wait until it is cold to clean it, and dry before you light the lamp again.
cut the corners off of your wick or round the tip.
your lamp will be able to have a Much larger flame with less smoke and itll be a Lot brighter.
its old and almost forgotten knowledge.
enjoy the light from a nice round flame!
Great tip!
how long does 8" wick generally last if using lamp daily during emergency?
For a pretty long time, although I can’t say exactly. If done correctly, it should be the oil that’s burning, not the wick. In an emergency situation, I would be much more worried about running out of oil. Although you can use any type of oil. Even olive or canola.
@@AdelaideBeemanWhite Can rancid oil be used? if So does breathin it have adverse health affects?
@@alha7178 - I don’t know, but I don’t imagine it would smell very nice at any rate.
Is it any oil, or petro oil?
I use paraffin, it is the cleanest, but you can use whatever oil you please.
looks good on Camera in old westerns and such. Would burn the place down in reality.
Only if not handled properly. These are relatively safe when kept out of reach of children and pets and burned responsibly/with supervision and put out when no one is in the room.
It's crazy that this needs to be explained to people. I would think common sense would tell you when to stop raising your wick.
Well, it's a little counter-intuitive actually. Common sense would say the bigger the flame, the more the light.
@@SevenStarBibleQuest And when it starts smoking profusely, are people that dumb to keep going higher?
Poz
Can the glass break if the flame gets too high?
Yes.
@@AdelaideBeemanWhite Well, isn't it fireproof glass?
It might be now, but it wasn’t back then. Fireproof glass was invented in 1978.
I picked up one yesterday, just think they are a neat piece of history, my flame was low and it was only burning a few minutes and the glass chimney started to craze on the outside hmm 🤔 anyone heard of that ?
@@tinamoore5497 I fiddle with these things and old railroad lanterns. I have seen old red glass globes craze when overheated. They call it glass cancer. Theory is that certain era glass had a makeup that aged, deteriorated and reacted wit heat. Never heard of it with clear glass but I guess it's possible.
Tell them Adelaide!
Proper wick trimming (which is a raging debate among lampers), a clear vent hole and tuning the wick holder tube make a lot of difference. I prefer a wick trimmed to the shape of the burner cap. The vent is thru the burner body and will clog. The top of the wick tube has to be as tight to the wick as possible without pinching it. Just my two cents worth.
do you have a general idea how long an 8" wick would last if used daily
You will! Turn the flame down yourself, after it smokes the room down, so no need to advise people on this. 😅
İn sets however, which are three walls and an open place, yes, the uninitiated might be able to finish shooting the scene before the studio air gets appreciably smoke filled before staff automatically turns them down. 😅🤣
Agree with just about everything you said, except the point that a lower flame emits the same amount of light as a large flame. A smaller flame emits *more* light and heat than a smaller flame because it's burning more efficiently. Every oil/wick/lamp has its own "sweetspot", and as you get to know the character of a lamp, you can find that sweetspot within a couple of hours.
I can't watch period dramas for looking at the lamps, often anachronistic lighting that wasn't even invented yet. Watched an 1830 film on Netflix Pale Blue Eye and saw an Aladdin mantle lamp and many other kerosene lamps, yet to be invented let alone the actual fuel wasn't used for lighting until around the late 1840s early 1850s...
Also the wick being above the blaze cone annoys me, the lamp cannot burn correctly when people think this is where it needs to be.
I agree, lamps would never be dirty, also, they always seem to have candles and lamps lit during to the day... or electrify lamps with flickering light bulb that are much weaker than the flame would be, plus they didn't flicker (at least indoor lamps).
😅
Thank you for sharing.
We still use those during power outages 😅
Power just came on after five days. Used them a lot.
I love Americans
Coal smats 😂😂😂
That is really what they are called, ha ha.