This is a guest post from Practical Parsimony. I am fascinated by this crafty little oil lamp! It’s really well built for a recycled project. For other ways to make an oil lamp, check out this bottle lamp instructable, and this jar oil lamp. Now on with your regularly scheduled post!
One of my very best friends, Barbara, was a Fulbright Scholar in Yemen in the early 1990s. She brought gifts to me that reflected her frugal nature and lack of money, my frugal nature and pleasure with handmade gifts, and the frugality of the Yemeni people because of their lack of money.
Please do not think of your displeasure with the Yemen government while looking at this object as I explain the oil lamp. I am not opposed to your views at all.
This lamp is crafted from at least two cans unless this were a very tall bean can. You will notice there is a funnel on top for filling the can, a holder for the wick, and a handle. Oh, I pulled the wick out and cannot get it all the way back in with only a half inch showing like it should be. Does anyone know how to push the wick back in?
My friend told me in response to my questions, that this was not a tourist item. This is what the people use who do not have electricity in Sana’a. She did have electricity, but many did not or used lamps to avoid using electricity.
Look inside the little attached funnel. Besides the bean can used, obviously a BP can of some sort was used for the funnel.
Curious as to how this was assembled, I have turned the oil lamp every way I could. Look at the right side of the picture under the rim. The top was assembled, it appears, by turning the top edge of the can outward so a tiny rim is horizontal to the bottom of the can, flat in other words. Then, the lid that is obviously about a quarter of an inch larger than the diameter of the can is laid on top of the can. It appears the round “lid” is crimped about an eighth of an inch or a bit more over and under the can piece bent horizontal to the can bottom. Am I correct about that? By the way, the little oil funnel and the wick holder were affixed to the lid of the lamp before the lid was attached to the bean can that holds the oil.
BP can strip used for a handle
The seam was welded at the factory as was the bottom. The handle is soldered/welded. The only part that is not soldered/soldered is the lid. Of course, the funnel for filling and the little chimney that holds the wick appear to be soldered, too.
See in English
On the can:
Net weight 390 gm
Ingredients: Broad Bean, Water, Salt.
Healthy, right? And, the cans have been recycled.
While I am not sure I can handle the labor involved….can you?
This is one of my treasures.
Your turn
Are you as intrigued with the construction of this used item made from cans as I am?
Keep preparing! Angela
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I may be wrong, but it looks to me like the wick holder is a two piece affair. Bottom part soldered to the top of the lamp and the top part just press fit over it. This would make sense because there needs to be a way to replace the wick when it is used up.
Try grasping the top of the wick holder and give it a little twist while pulling it away from the base. If it comes off (with the wick) then you can pull the bottom of the wick back in to the proper point or pull it all the way out and reinsert it from the bottom. Push the top part of the wick holder back on and you’re good to go.
I love these sorts of things too :)
Paladin,
I just saw this after Angela alerted me. I made a cursory search for the lamp. Where could it be? lol. When I have time to look for it, I will follow your suggestion and see if the top is just pushed onto the top. Getting ready for a doctor’s appointment is at the top of the list right now. Thanks for the suggestion.