# Veg oil as lamp oil?



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I've been reading up on uses for veg oil and it never occured to me (even with my bio-diesel/straight veg oil thinking) it could be a lamp oil as well. (maybe this should be in survival and prep!) I was reading the wiki on sesame oil and Tamils use it as a lamp oil too. Anyone know anything about using veg oils in an oil lamp?


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## bluefish (Jan 27, 2006)

We've used olive oil. It sure smells a lot better than lamp oil. Unless you don't put it out correctly. It's not as bright as lamp oil, but it's not bad!


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

We have used olive oil also, and works ok , but yes it is not as bright, but neither am I. Thanks Marc


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## PyroDon (Jul 30, 2006)

Olive oil and seed oils have been used in lamps for centuries it wasnt until the last 150 years or so that parafin based oils came into the picture.
grease and whale oil lamps were the other choices


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

You know I suppose I have heard of using olive oil as a lamp oil, and you'd think I'd have more knowledge of it... since I collect oil lamps! Thanks!


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## MattPA (Apr 9, 2009)

Using vegi oil is easy. Fill a jar with the waste oil. Make a wick holder out of wire by wrapping wire around a nail and then bend wire straight down then around and up so it stands straight up in the jar. Next take white copy paper and soak in very salty water which acts as a retarder that keeps the paper from burning up.Then rip paper into four strips and roll into long wicks and let dry over night. Once dry cut to the proper size leaving it 1/8 -1/4 inch above oil and light. It will burn down slowly as the oil burns up. This is a great way to use up old vegi oil and helps in a storm when candles are not handy. There are plenty examples of this just google "salt wick".


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## greg273 (Aug 5, 2003)

I once tried this with biodiesel in a small wick-type lamp... it burned ok, but was smokier than the store-bought lamp oil.


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