Oil Lamp Conversion for the UCO Candle Lantern. Easy DIY Build Using Recycled Materials.
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
- In this video, I will be using recycled materials to make an insert for the popular UCO candle lantern to allow you to run it on Paraffin (kerosene) or lamp oil rather than the expensive 9hr UCO branded candles. The result is a highly efficient lantern that burns bright, has an adjustable flame and will run for up to 21hrs on a single fill for as little as 15p.
This is a simple, easy DIY project - ideal during the lockdown! Due to the nature of the materials used, caution needs to be exercised while adapting the canister - please use appropriate protective equipment (gloves, eye protection etc) and carry out the project at your own risk.
I hope you are all well during the current pandemic. Stay safe and take care.
Thanks for watching!
Links
Richard Outdoors on TH-cam
/ @richardoutdoors
Gas Nailer Fuel Cell
www.its.co.uk/...
Brass Tubing
www.amazon.co....
Chain Ring Bolts
www.highonbike...
Liquid Metal Paste
www.demon-twee...
Merchandise - Patches and Stickers
www.etsy.com/u...
Contact me at:
simonablokeinthewoods@gmail.com
Or by mail at:
Simon, a bloke in the woods
PO Box 384
Diss
Norfolk
IP22 9DB
UK
Facebook - Simon, a bloke in the woods
www.facebook.c...
Instagram - simon_a_bloke_in_the_woods
www.instagram....
Music:
Jenny’s theme By Audionautix
Front Porch Sitter By Audionautix
Hi Folks, thanks for watching!
Just thought I better add this in case people started asking me for empty Paslode fuel cells! I can’t send them out in the mail I’m afraid.
Sorry! 😁
:-) *
As a retired joiner I got loads of paslode cells and even both guns at home.... well a bloke can never be without his nailguns 😂
Tease.
I wonder If these are a product That's UK EU specific as Literally never seen one of these
Oooh wow never knew about these Hehe But i did find them.
I guess they work like the Propain pump tippman paint guns the BATFE decided were illegal Short barrel shotguns they Combust the gas in the canister To generate mechanical force? Like cause i learned 2 things from this video!
I like this mod/hack because having dual fuel supplies is always a big +, the longer burn time of the lamp oil is a benefit too. Now I just have to find the right materials to cobble one of these together myself!
Well done, Sir!! I love the UCO candle lantern, it's been a staple in my gear and all my friends since I was a teenager. Mine has been everywhere. Best candle lantern memory: Canoe camping in the Boundary Waters with my Brother and 4 others. Knife Lake. We got rained on so badly, and it was summer, but we all got almost hypothermic. We camped on an island and had a good sized fire to warm up. We set up 3 tarps overlapping and all slept underneath. We all had candle lanterns, so 6 to be exact, and we strung them around our tarps on the tie-outs. It was a glowing, blue, orange, green tarp Shangri-La!!! At about 1 AM we heard a crashing sound in the bushes, so we all got up to investigate. A bull moose was 10 yards from our tarp shelter and proceeded to amble straight through our camp site and into the lake to swim away into he night. Sick!!
What an amazing experience! I heard moose while I was in Sweden last year, but they are timid creatures and we didn’t get a peek at all. 👍
I have paddled 10 ft away from a moose in the middle of a big lake in the Boundary Waters, this behemoth was just chugging away swimming in the middle of a 50 mile long lake, awesome. I have some cool video that you may like of me encountering a bull moose while hiking on Isle Royale, MI. I will link it. beware... bad language included!
th-cam.com/video/bE7yxLrCJrM/w-d-xo.html
I chuckled when Tom went off calling, "Daaad!" How many of us have experienced Dad appropriating parts to make something else?
I was looking at something when I heard that and it sounded just like my boy and I looked around for him. Too funny.
I’m going to try this. I converted my uco’s using small bottles of vodka. They work perfectly but I like this idea which allows the use of the original equipment. Thanks 😊
I think a big part of your conversions or builds are your tool! And how you build! And the challenges of living with a Maker! I’m a quilter and have been known to steal ties and other clothing for the perfect piece of cloth!
Brilliant idea, I love the uco lantern they've been around since 71'. Never cared much for the fact of the consumable candles of somewhat odd size!
Have looked around for a candle mold and short of making your own there's not too many options.
The liquid parafin should give a much brighter flame as well.
What an excellent idea! Now if I can just find the candle lantern that I bought back in the nineties. Mine is made of brass and will have a nice patina by now. On with the hunt!
Thank you , Simon .
🐺 Loupis Canis .
I think, rather than glue to hold the wick holder together, I'd silver solder it. I find this to be a very cool project, Thank you for the great ideas.
I think he used the least tool-dependent approach knowing that everyone is familiar with how to use epoxy-based products. I don't personally own a solder gun.
I agree. If you have the means this would be the quickest option.
It probably would be better, but it would be alot easier to use the metal weld which in his case was heat activated so it should be perfectly fine.
Excellent idea. Now I need to convert my "Bushlites"!
That’s brilliant…going to do this over the winter…
Great idea - I would just leave the brass pipe an inch longer to hold the wick by friction or use a vice to crimp it in a more controlled way. Would be perfect with a sealed screw-on cap to carry it full oil.
Your make it series is so helpful to me.I’ve copied your buck saw case,canoe trolley,zebra billy can mods,waxed canvas bottle bottle pouches and now I’m going to copy your UCO oil insert.thank you Simon.
I've always wanted one of these
Awesome DIY project!
Suggestion: Instead of emptying and filling the canister each time, you could put in a screw in place of the wick for transport and carry the wick separately or even have a wick compartment on the side of your lamp.
Cheers!
Good idea ! 👍🔥
Or simply put some cotton wool inside like Zippos have, keeps gasoline from dripping out and works with oily fuel even better.
But he crimped the wick tube.. making that impossible.
I'd just find a cap to go over it.
@@PETERJOHN101 I think he means unscrewbthe wick assembly and insert a solid screw in its place to cap it for transit, I had same plan, I'm even going to be posh and put an O-ring on it 👍
just like to say, i did this today and followed every step Simon said...and it bloody worked. one down, 7 more to go for me, but im so impressed that i actually finished it and i never have to pay £6 for 3 candles for under 27 hours use...here i can use paraffin, lighter fluid, veg oil etc. its just priceless
I've had my candle lantern since the mid 90's. Love giving old gear an upgrade! Brilliant Simon, brilliant. Thanks so much for your time.
Fantastic result! You realise there’s a nice little Etsy business there. I’ll buy the first one.
Whenever repurposing pressure vessels I was advised that the last vapours can sit inside almost indefinitely, and at a suitable low saturation to make it explosive not flammable, so it was advisable to fill the vessel with water before proceeding. Just a thought.
Good tip matey! 👍🔥
I'll buy the second! Fantastic project.
I would get one for sure
@@simonablokeinthewoods
Hello again, Simon, just read comment re new Etsy biz…if you started it, I’d love to buy one 🙏🏻👍
Stay safe!
Victoria
🇺🇸
I’d buy one too! :)
Lovely adaptation! I'd imagine if you can do a carbon felt wick, that'd be the only improvement you might be able to do on this project.
I have no intention of making one of these, but by eck its good to watch you do it
Excellent, thank you for sharing .
I like this idea. I had recently switched to a solar lantern for sustainability, but I really like the idea of an oil lamp. I've been thinking about this and I have two humble suggestions for improvements and two ideas you might try if you have the time to fiddle with it some more:
1) Get a small bolt of the right thread and an o-ring. You can then remove your wick and seal the reservoir for travel. Just keep your wick in a baggie in the upper part of the lantern.
2) Use cooking oil for fuel (I like olive oil). You will not get as much light, but you have a backup source of oil for cooking, and a backup source of lamp fuel in your cooking kit.
3) Braided jute twine makes a good wick. You could separate some fibres out as needed before braiding and find the perfect thickness to get the most out of the inside diameter of your brass tube. A thicker wick will give you more light, heat tolerances, permitting.
4) A piece of aluminum can, cut to fit the full height and 3/4 of the circumference of the glass can slip in between the glass and the metal of the lantern's top. Polishing the can's inner surface reflects more light out where you want it, costs nothing and doesn't shine light everywhere for everyone to see. If you want all round light, you can slide it down, inside the lower part of the lantern. This also packs way better than the razor sharp reflector sold by UCO.
I have been using beeswax candles in my lantern, but am going to start looking for a suitable container for this project now!
Great ideas, thank you! I’m going to use your drink can reflector idea! 🔥👍
Excellent. Thanks for sharing!
Great DIY... I burn tested the UCO candles. With two test, each candle burned right up to 18 hours each. The reason I did the second test, I assumed the first test was a fluke. 18 hours is better than the advertised 9 hours.
Awww. Cameo from Tom. Hope he's doing well these days.
"DAAAAD!!"
You see you are just the man to come up with a workable camping distiller that somehow can use a charcoal filter that already exists for another product and isn’t overpriced, the charcoal to take out anything the distillation doesn’t.
I know you like a challenge.
That Nookie Ranger vest isn’t easy to come by I see?
Great video, thanks.
Man, that is a challenge! I’ll have to get my thinking cap on!! 👍🤔
Simon, a bloke in the woods You have the tools and the brains, if you set about it I have faith that it will be good, better than anything I have seen so far. I heartily look forward to seeing what you come up with. Cheering you on. Go Simon 😁
I was looking for a lantern to use for my solo camping and came across your video making this fuel insert and this has made my mind up to buy one of these lanterns and make this fuel cell for it loved the video very helpful thanks 👍🏻👍🏻
This is nothing short of bloody brilliant.
I'm definitely going to make a couple to convert my Northern Lights.
Thanks for posting.
Haha.. Was thinking along these lines for mine and came online to see what geniuses like yourself had come up with.
Id been thinking of a can with a bike inner tube valve stem tapped into the spigot and soldered to seal it... then pulling the guts out of a valve, threading wick through it.
The thought of using the screw on valve cap to seal the oil in during transport finishing the job off!
An easy adjustable wick escapes me for the minute.
Very good Simon, cheers!
(edit. Will go find and sub Richard👍)
I either missed this one or forgot it but I love the bit with Tom "trying" to ride the bike. 🤣👍✌🥃and this will be added to my make list. Thanks
I used to love that lantern. it was constantly clogging or spilling wax. I eventually gave up. it would be wonderful to go back and try again with this conversion.
Cool idea! This DIY candle can be used in multiple situations, even as mini heater with proper vent out.. 👍
Thanks for sharing idea!
Simon you have indirectly solved a problem I had. I have been looking for a nut and bolt with a hole through it for ages but could never find a suitable one. The chainring bolts look ideal for what I need. So thanks for posting the video which in itself was interesting but solved a different issue for me.
THANK YOU! I was looking at doing an equivalent to this almost a year ago, but work and life got in the way. Good info and ideas here.
I looked all over the Internet for the oil inserts they sold years ago and didn't find any, either. Too bad, as they were a good idea. Again, thank you for this example.
Such a good craftsman. It’s the attention to detail that makes the difference. Curse this virus. I need to get back in my hammock!!
On a side project, I used a cut down length of wick, placed it on its side drenched in cooking oil in a cat food stove and here is an excellent simmer stove. I'll usually carry 2 of these stoves as a backup for a twig stove, and this allows to preserve some fuel over time. Your tutorial game me the idea since I recently mod my UCO lantern and thought to myself : well, if I tealight doesn't throw enough heat, this will surely do !
Can't believe how much you puled out of that tin. the lower the wick the smaller it is too.
I also converted mine to a oil lamp ,using olive oil and a little glass bottle with paper towel rolled up for a wick. But the bottle is two small only burns a couple hrs. Your design is brilliant, when you said 20 + hrs burn time I got real excited ! Thank you so much, I hope your design will wick vegitable oil or olive oil. Again brilliant ! THANKS !!!
I made one from copper tubing fittings soldered together. Been burning it every night since January 31on liquid parafin.
Superb! Copper looks lovely too! 👍
Good idea, not got mine yet but hadn't thought about using 28mm or 32 is it? Thanks
That's an excellent idea, easy to get, do you know what size ? Thanks
Ingenious project, Simon. Well done. The added bonus of using the expended fuel cell canister is that it was designed and previously held fuel! So you know there should be any negative affects in using one this way.
The part where you nicked the bolt off Tom's bike made me chuckle! 😂Poor Tom! You want to hope that he doesn't hold a grudge and decides to do the same and steals a wheel nut off your car! 😜
All the best to you and your family Simon. Stay safe and thanks for helping to break up the monotony. ATB - Darby
I’d better start checking my wheel bolts!! 😂😂
Great video gonna be trying this!
Well....this is just brilliant! Don’t have to wait for the wax to re-solidify before you stow it in a vertical position. I love these lamps too. I bought two brass oil lamps for my sailboat and don’t use the candles as much anymore. If I’d seen your video, I could have saved a lot of $$$$. Thank you for posting.
Liked and subscribed. I have 4 uco's that I use in the winter time. Hate the price of the candles! Decided to sell them and search for another heat source. Not any more! Thanks for the excellent idea! I'm making 4 of these!
Did you say, you are aCarpenter? You have my respect sir!!
Nicely done. I grew up with a UCO in my ruck. It always melted wax all over my gear. I’d have loved having an oil insert!
Great hack! I need to try this.
If you find something with a thread on both sides may be able to make some kind of cap/seal with a dome nut to save emptying it if carrying about in a bag.
Thank you Simon for sharing your skill and knowledge, my husband has successfully converted my green uco candle lantern. Ready to use on my next trip. I have made him watch your ammo tin stove together with the sweet corn and coffee stove, wish me luck lol. Thank you you again, love watching your videos 😉
"Dad"?!?
Lmao!
I just ordered the UCO candle lantern.
You sure made me fall in love with this little thing and I plan on modifying it just like you did!
Thanks Simon!!!
😊
Thanks for the video! Definitely going to make one. Also going to figure out some kind of screw on sealed cap so I can carry it full.
if you had some old winde up watch & take out one of the small cog's & probably a wider brass tube. You could make it with a bigger wick. So you could winde it up & down, like an old oil lamp. Could even use bigger cans & get some old oil lamp glass, or if you knew a place that scraps old wood stoves & get the old glass and cut it into strips. The oil works out alot cheaper than the candles in the long run. Very well made & explained. You would make a very good teacher. 👍👍
Great seeing your lad fit and well! Nice job on that lamp Simon. Great when you are able to travel with one bottle of paraffin that powers multiple pieces of equipment. 👍🏻
You're ever such a clever fella Simon.
That's brilliant. As much as I like the lantern, I'm annoyed at the cost of refills.
Well done for sharing such a great idea!
YES!! Thank you Simon. I saw one other similar conversion, (not anywhere near as well done) and have been thinking of doing this for a while. Now, as you say, is a great time! I have an excellent original Markil one of these I bought back in 1984 while living in Germany, still in perfect condition and beautifully made. I recently bought the brass UCO one and want to convert it....your timing could not be better! Brilliant instructional vid and has inspired me to get cracking. I just need to find the correct container to pop inside and scout through my odds n' sods boxes for the other stuff. Thanks again and hope life is ok in lock down for you and the family. Difficult times. Stay safe.
Have fun with the modification! 👍🔥
Keep well.
Love the UCO, great little idea....21 hours, nice.
Loved your choice in music at the end of the video, and thanks for both the video and the title and artist of the songs.
Just picked up a couple of pasload trim nailer cartridges. Vented them, headed to the bike store tomorrow to get the bolts. Have all the other parts and tools here. Awesome video Simon, thanks!!
That is brilliant, pun intended, I have one of those lanterns and use it on my occasional woods camps. If I can get a canister I’ll have a go at your conversion.
Fantastic! If you can find a vessel with a screw top for a lid that'd be perfect and you'd never have to empty the reservoir.
Just brilliant! I have never been happy with the flame on the candles. Superb instruction!
Nice work Simon. Things like this help keep us who would normally be out doors, busy indoors, yet still doing something worthwhile for when it's correct to return to the countryside. Many thanks. Cheers Wayne
My Uco lantern is old enough that the glass does not slide down for lighting. I guess thats a newer improvement? The oil conversion is ingeniously done, good on ya.
Another great project. Was looking for the original UCO but gave up. This is much better. Thanks
this is cool you could also make a silicone mould or a plaster mould of the candles that goes in the lamp and make new candles
Great video with clear instructions. I wanted one of these UCO oil lamps but they had stopped making them when I looked. The one you made looks and works as well.
This is a great idea for outdoors use, especially if it is a better price than those expensive UCO candles. Indoors I'd rather have candles and beeswax candles are even better.
Wow, pretty cool.That is a great idea. You could use Citronella oil to help keep the mosquitoes away. I am definitely going to have to make a couple of those. Thanks for the video.
I love how wholesome your videos are. I'm into camping myself, and love your making and cooking videos.
Keep up the good work, and keep safe!
I stopped using my lamp due to how expensive the candles are. Might have to have a play in the shed and make myself one of these. Cheers for the inspiration
Thank you so much. I got an UCO lantern around christmas and have been trying to make my own candles (with less success than I like)
I much prefer this oil conversion. Now to find a canister I can use...
Update: I used a travel size gillette shaving cream canister. And used the lantern when a breaker flipped in my apartment last night!
Absolute genius. Love the way you come up with these inventive workarounds Simon.
However, I'm not entirely convinced that sabotaging your sons bike is the best way forward, especially now he clearly knows what you've done!
Simon I love these Videos! this one has been shared with Friends in Spain "Off Grid" and in the UK. I've had 2 UCO candles for years with all the UCO accessories. This video is just the ticket and ideal for so many of us. Well produced Pal, I and my friends are very grateful, Thank you and as Always, Blessings from Oregon! ... Mike.
very nice job,awesome. thanks so much
I have a couple of these lanterns and i bought the uco oil candle. It really wasn't expensive.
The classic "dad?..." reaction got me good
We have several UCOs we use when camping. Never occured to me to consider liquid fuel instead of the candle. Great mod! Thanks!
This is such a _clear_ explanation!
Nice project, thanks for showing. ....so, I’m in the hunt for a container👍🇨🇭
what a bloody great mod.
fantastic idea! Been subbed but just found this video as I just purchased the lantern
Hi Simon. I have just put my video up relating to your idea. Many thanks and you get a mention in my description. Cheers from George 👍
Thanks George! 👍
Thanks Simon, nice DIY project. Glad to see that you are up and about and keeping busy. Shadow and I are getting ready for some backyard camping this weekend. I managed to score a canvas Baker style tent several years ago. Old school from the Boy Scouts, and never been used. So, with the help of Shadow, I'm setting it up and creating a camp in the backyard. Shadow enjoys watching Maggie no her adventures. Cheers.
And very nice it is too! Hope you enjoyed your camp! 👍🏕
Great post pal, i will have a go at that. Thanks.
DAD.... his poor bike. Interesting! Good recycling. Thanks
Another well-done video. I certainly appreciate the clear, precise spoken word,
I'll never have the tools, knowhow or inclination to make any of the gear Simon makes, but I love to watch regardless. Kudos for your multifaceted skill set Simon.
Hi Simon
That is brill..what great idea for very little cost.. recycled material..low running cost and burns for ages..and great instructions how to make it..top man..love it👍👍👍😀😀
It's great to see you broke the old Baker tent out for this video. I do admire it, and think that if you had a certain application for this particular tent, it would be stellar. I have a UCO candle lantern you've highlighted, and have considered buying more candles; this video convinces me that I need not do so. Thank you. Keep up the good work.
Excellent- why not leave the tube longer to reach closer to bottom of the reservoir.
Enjoyed the film. Thanks Simon 👍😊
I hadn’t thought of that - good idea. 👍🔥
That's brilliant! I love the use of the threaded nippled for ease of refill and wick replacement.
I still have my original Candoil oil burner insert 🙂. Also used to be a stand accessory so you could heat a cup over it. Great lamps!
Good vid, thanks for posting 👍🏻
I liked it mostly because I've made many oil and alcohol candles at the same time as I was experimenting with alcohol stoves. The UCO unit is heavier than a small battery powered flashlight (or torch), and not nearly as versatile. They are good for melting frost from the interior walls of a tent, and lend an ambiance to the campsite, but probably not worth the weight for the average hiker. Nice work, however! One hack I discovered is that a threaded bicycle tube valve can be used as a handy pass-through for a wick on a number of small, light containers, and that plumber's carbon felt, cut into strips, makes a good wick which does not burn down. Again, brilliant idea to make that old UCO candle more efficient and versatile (citronella oil helps keep the mosquitoes away). 👍
Great tip with the tyre valve and carbon felt! I’ve got a load of that - I’ll give it a try. 👍
Agreed, there are lighter options, but I just like real flame and the warmth is an added bonus. 🔥
That turned out fantastic Simon, i might get one of these now, just to do this conversion:)
another great Project! I am lucky to have the original Inlets for my Northern Lights and Uco Lantern...
Thanks for this. I made one. The canister I have didn’t fit into the sleeve so I just attached it to the plastic base with a magnet 😎
Thanks for this video.
I just found my UCO lantern from the mid 90s and the original oil insert.
It's made from some sort of plastic with a brass wick holder.
But I think now I would like to try to make a metal tank, following your suggestions.
I do not have the candle insert anymore, so I could use a slightly larger canister, e. g. some travel size shaving foam.
Thanks again and greetings from Austria.
Nice job and good idea. I saw a video that used small booze bottles. He was trying to get longer burn and more heat to use it as a heater.PSC Camper Conversions
Liked this one Simon, clever 😃 well thought out, you and the family take care and stay very safe at this horrendous time.
A great conversion for someone who has the tools around. I like the paraffin idea better than candles: as a youth, my inexpensive candle lamps had springs that never lifted the flame high enough as the candle became lighter.
Your a bloody genius Simon!