[Zen Garden Oasis] wanted to heat and light a space using a candle. But candles aren’t always convenient since they burn down and, eventually, you must replace them. So he built copper candles using a common copper pipe and an old glass jar. Of course, the candle still takes fuel that you have to replace, but the candle itself doesn’t burn down.
The basic idea is that the copper tube holds a high-temperature carbon wick that stays saturated with fuel. The fuel burns, but the wick material doesn’t. The copper part is actually concentric with a 3/4-inch pipe mostly enclosing a 1/2-inch pipe.
The inner pipe extends further, and there are several holes in each pipe for fuel and air flow. The extended part of the pipe will be the candle’s flame. The wick wraps the entire inner pipe, stopping when it emerges from the outer pipe.
The fuel is alcohol, just like the old burner in your childhood chemistry set. The flame isn’t very visible, but a little salt in the fuel can help make the burn more orange.
Of course, this is a flame, so you need ventilation. You’ll also want to take care to make sure the candle—or anything burning—doesn’t tip over or set something else on fire. These candles will store just fine, and they can even burn common rubbing alcohol, so they could be useful in an emergency to generate heat and light with no electricity. Even a small candle can generate heat around 300F. Bigger candles make more heat, and the video shows ways to capture the heat to make it more useful.
There are a number of useful comments about drilling a cleaner hole in the jar lid and better replacements for the JB Weld seal. We’d have suggested furnace cement, which is easy to find and cheap.
Okay, I’ll be that guy… what makes this a candle and not, you know, a lamp?
I mean, it’s a neat design for an alcohol burner lamp, but… isn’t it a lamp?
I think this is a lamp and a surprise flamethrower/incendiary device if it falls on its side.
*when
“What’s in a name? That which we call a lamp by any other name would burn just as bright.”
That’s another great post to help people get injured or lose their home.
Alcohol fires are among the most dangerous you can have.
Invisible flames that are hard to extinguish, and burn hot enough to start serious fires.
And all of that without any kind of safety considerations.
Great idea if you know some people you don’t like.
to cut a CLEAN hole in the lid.
take it OFF , flip it over then drill it over a piece of wood.
I normally try to offer constructive or positive feedback… but based on the title page of the youtube video, I just can’t do that.
Dude literally claiming to have invented fire.