I use a tajine for cooking. Basically the same terra cotta. To prepare the vessel I was shown to wash well with water, no detergent, let it soak well, dry it partially and then rub olive oil into it, letting it dry again. Then again coating with oil and put it in a hot over for an hour. It seals the vessel. I shall try this ancient method on a lamp and see how it works. Great video btw,
Without using milk and boiling, another method to stop the lamp from absorbing too much oil is: before first use, completely soak it in water for half a day or few hours at last (3-6). then let it dry a bit about 15-20 mins before using take( Or if you are pressed for time, Pat dry with a rag or kitchen towel etc), then fill with oil and use as normal. This method has been used before using new lamps for Deepawali festival in India when they will be using dozens of lamps. If we have forgotten to do this before first use, second time onwards the lamp will abosrb less or no extra oil anyway, because during first use it would have absorbed enough. You can just still sit back & enjoy the beauty and vibes of the lamp.
If a lamp has not been sealed and used before and oil is soaked into the clay, can this way of sealing still be used after polymerising the oil in the oven to 'burn' te oil out ? Thanks. I love your video's.
Hi, It looks like you found the lam making video :) But here is the link for anyone else who might like to take a peek. th-cam.com/video/BTUOParyTRQ/w-d-xo.html
Thanks so much for this!!! I didn’t seal my lamp when I got it, and there’s so much oil soaked in! I’m going to give it a boil and then seal it with milk this time.
Thanks for this. I'm thinking of buying one of these and this is very helpful. What would happen if it runs out of oil whilst burning? Would it go out or would the wick all burn up? Would it be dangerous? Also, what happens to the oil as it burns? Does it cause grease to gather on surfaces in the room if it's going into the air? Thanks for any advice.
Hi, if it runs out of oil it will just go out, but it can shorten the wick more quickly, but not dangerous. I'v not bern aware of lamps causing grease on surfaces in the room.
Hi, I know it's a bit late but I was wondering if you could clarify something. You mentioned that after burning your oil and wick I presumed for the day, that you have to change out the oil. So is that a requirement after every time it's lit?
if you don't round the edge of your pouring vessel it'll do much better. rounded edges make liquids pull around and down the bottom of the vessel as in this video
Out of curiosity, would sealing it like cast iron work? (Rub oil into the surfaces, bake in the oven for an hour at the lowest possible setting, repeat for a few goes)
Couldn't they have also used the vessels as baby bottles, before they were used as lamps? You could add milk inside and put you finger on the top hole to build under-pressure and to keep it from coming out too fast from the nozzle, so it can be first placed to the mouth of the baby.
Absolutely. It's well known that during the Roman empire that babies drank lamp oil regularly, and breastmilk was used for lighting. In our over processed world we have forgotten how to feed babies from an oil lamp by metering out the milk with a gentle loving finger.
Hi, as far as I'm aware many cooking oils are formulated to be flame retardant so don't actually burn very well, although I must admit that it's not something that we have really explored.
@PottedHistory i use vegetable oil on my dyia lamps and works absolutely fine. Just wondered if there was a particular reason why olive oil...I can confirm vegetable/sunflower oil also works good!!
Very little does the trick, two or three drops per lamp fill should do the trick, although the oil that is already in the wick will be from a previous fill so it may take time for the effect to be noticeable and conversely, if you refill with plain oil it may take some time for the essential oil to go away.
I use a tajine for cooking. Basically the same terra cotta. To prepare the vessel I was shown to wash well with water, no detergent, let it soak well, dry it partially and then rub olive oil into it, letting it dry again. Then again coating with oil and put it in a hot over for an hour. It seals the vessel. I shall try this ancient method on a lamp and see how it works. Great video btw,
Thank you. I have never heard of a tajine before and think this could be a practical way to warm up or cook food in emergency.
Excellent and informative video - the milk and cleaning tips are really helpful!
A most excellent film, so professional, no ego involved, lovely lady.
Thank you Caroline
Without using milk and boiling, another method to stop the lamp from absorbing too much oil is: before first use, completely soak it in water for half a day or few hours at last (3-6). then let it dry a bit about 15-20 mins before using take( Or if you are pressed for time, Pat dry with a rag or kitchen towel etc), then fill with oil and use as normal. This method has been used before using new lamps for Deepawali festival in India when they will be using dozens of lamps. If we have forgotten to do this before first use, second time onwards the lamp will abosrb less or no extra oil anyway, because during first use it would have absorbed enough. You can just still sit back & enjoy the beauty and vibes of the lamp.
Casein is a milk product that's been around for thousands of years. Used for sealing and paint. I see the logic for using it to finish the lamps.
thanks so much for this great video!! Where is the link to the directions please?
So what if you painted the inside?. Wonderful video!
If a lamp has not been sealed and used before and oil is soaked into the clay, can this way of sealing still be used after polymerising the oil in the oven to 'burn' te oil out ? Thanks. I love your video's.
Great tutorial! Would love link.
Thank you - have just placed an order for my first :)
Please I would like to know the various techniques for creating a lamp Thanks
Hi, It looks like you found the lam making video :) But here is the link for anyone else who might like to take a peek. th-cam.com/video/BTUOParyTRQ/w-d-xo.html
Thanks so much for this!!! I didn’t seal my lamp when I got it, and there’s so much oil soaked in! I’m going to give it a boil and then seal it with milk this time.
Great. How did it go?
Thanks for this. I'm thinking of buying one of these and this is very helpful. What would happen if it runs out of oil whilst burning? Would it go out or would the wick all burn up? Would it be dangerous?
Also, what happens to the oil as it burns? Does it cause grease to gather on surfaces in the room if it's going into the air?
Thanks for any advice.
Hi, if it runs out of oil it will just go out, but it can shorten the wick more quickly, but not dangerous. I'v not bern aware of lamps causing grease on surfaces in the room.
@@PottedHistory I appreciate your response, many thanks.
If you use olive oil, it will extinguish if you tip it over.
Ah! I have been letting my wick be too long! This will make my life far easier!
Hi, I know it's a bit late but I was wondering if you could clarify something. You mentioned that after burning your oil and wick I presumed for the day, that you have to change out the oil. So is that a requirement after every time it's lit?
Just refill with oil. No need to change the oil. I top up my lamp.
if you don't round the edge of your pouring vessel it'll do much better. rounded edges make liquids pull around and down the bottom of the vessel as in this video
ive followeds all the steps but am still experiencing leakage through the bottom of the lamp. any ideas?? :(
Do u sell the pottery where u place wick to soak with or w/o oil 🪔 lamp, how much set how much spare?
You'll find both options here potted-history.co.uk/
Out of curiosity, would sealing it like cast iron work? (Rub oil into the surfaces, bake in the oven for an hour at the lowest possible setting, repeat for a few goes)
It possibly would, but it would also turn the surface black, and while there are black Roman Lamps, they've not been blackened in this way.
@@PottedHistory Excellent point. Thanks!
How did you discover/ think to try the milk trick?
We know that milk is used as a pot sealant in various cultures and milk lipid residues have been found in oil lamps.
there's a long history of using milk glue to seal porous vessels
obtaining the casein using either vinegar or wood ash.
This Roman Lamp is kind of shaped similarly like a Diya Lamp
Absolutely, the shape is very similar. It is such a practical design.
Couldn't they have also used the vessels as baby bottles, before they were used as lamps? You could add milk inside and put you finger on the top hole to build under-pressure and to keep it from coming out too fast from the nozzle, so it can be first placed to the mouth of the baby.
Most babies would've drank from the source back then
Hi, yes, they could have been used for both. I think humans have always been good at adapting a tool for their needs.
True.
Absolutely. It's well known that during the Roman empire that babies drank lamp oil regularly, and breastmilk was used for lighting. In our over processed world we have forgotten how to feed babies from an oil lamp by metering out the milk with a gentle loving finger.
Can I use vegetable oil? Dark times for living costs!
Hi, as far as I'm aware many cooking oils are formulated to be flame retardant so don't actually burn very well, although I must admit that it's not something that we have really explored.
@PottedHistory i use vegetable oil on my dyia lamps and works absolutely fine. Just wondered if there was a particular reason why olive oil...I can confirm vegetable/sunflower oil also works good!!
What if you don't have an oven? The sun for an hour ok? Microwave?
I have decided to abandon artificial light in favor of traditional so that means I will use a lot of oil lamps and candles.
What’s the ratio of citronella oil to olive oil when you mix it to use at the BBQ to keep the midgets at bay?
Very little does the trick, two or three drops per lamp fill should do the trick, although the oil that is already in the wick will be from a previous fill so it may take time for the effect to be noticeable and conversely, if you refill with plain oil it may take some time for the essential oil to go away.
If lipids waterproof the lamp, how does that prevent oil from soaking through? Lipids don't oilproof, I would guess. My money is on casein.
I dropped $350 on an early Roman lamp and plan on using it in the porch.