lamp oil substitutes

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We have heard that in Amish country ,folks are now using mineral spirits,the kind you buy at the lumber store,instead of kerosene.

the reason we hear for that,is it burns much cleaner,and brighter,than kero.also it is hard to find good k-1 kero.

has any one had experience with this?

-- jess wagler (jesswagler@hotmail.com), April 19, 2002

Answers

Sounds deadly to me, but if someone has I'd still try it outside with an old lamp first. Actually no I wouldn't!! :^) I'd buy an alladin lamp and a big jug of K1 kero, hard to get or not.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), April 19, 2002.

In our experience, and it is many years, you can burn darn near anything in a lamp, as long as it burns. The most common fuel around here is plain old diesel. The only time you really notice it is when you blow it out.

Reminds me of the time we were given a 50 gallon drum of who knows what. I burned in our lamps as well as out aladin lamps. Guess we weren't too picky in those days

-- Tis I (really_tis_i@yahoo.com), April 20, 2002.


I tried diesel once, instant sooting of flue and stank. Also plugged wick quickly. Charcoal lighter fluid works. In emergency sometimes easier to get generic charcoal lighter fluid than it is kerosene.

-- Hermitjohn (Hermit@hilltop_homestead.zzn.com), April 20, 2002.

I think what you're referring to is the naptha lamp oil they're selling at WalMart. It's a hell of a lot cheaper than Kerosens now days. Burns clean, less buildup on the wick.

By the way, is anyone else but me as disgusted at the presentations of oil lamps in the media as me? You always see lanterns with smoked up globes. Doesn't anyone realize someone always had as their chores, even in yellow kerosene days, to wash the globes of the lamps/lanterns every morning? With light that dim, no one with any self respect would let a morning go by without them being washed!

Dennis

-- Dennis Enyart (westwoodcaprine@yahoo.com), April 21, 2002.


Rather than wash a shade, wipe it out with newspaper and only wash it when necessary. Better to have extra chimineys than have one crack or shatter, 'cause there was still moisture left in it.

-- lacyj (hillharmony@hotmail.com), April 21, 2002.


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