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Question on turning a lamp!!!

J

Jonathon.C

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Sep 16, 2005
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Camas, Washington
Ok... I had a question about turning a fat lamp! It was a couple AAW Issues ago that they had a tutorial on turning a small dish that holds a tea candle. Well, I had the idea of turning a similar lamp with similar dimensions, but instead of putting a tea candle in the recess you could put a metal dish full of bacon fat in it and use it for a cool ancient style lamp. Does anybody know if this idea would work?? Would it get the wood to hot and risk starting i on fire or not?? If you think it would work, what should I use for a metal dish??

Jonathon.C
 
Jonathon I was just reading the other day that candles are one of the major sources of fires in homes. I would be very nervous about using one or your lamps if it didn't have a metal liner. As far as finding them I don't know. You will probably have to be inventive and use something that wasn't designed for that purpose. You might be able to find specialized stamped metal parts that were made for something else entirely.
You could always hammer your own. Get some copper discs and just hammer them over a form.
You could also try some metal spinning and make your own.
 
Cool idea!!!

Ok... the metal turning idea sounds cool!! What kind of metal would you suggest turning?? Like an aluminum?? And where would I be able to get copper disks or aluminum for turning?? Thanks for your suggestions!!!

Jonathon.C
 
Jonathon. Metal spinning takes some specialized gear but it's not outrageous. You can get the tools and the metal from any store that sells Robert Sorby.
There are classes occasionally on metal spinning at some of the symposiums. Dave Hout usually teaches it.
There is a place called (I think) Metaliferous that sells all kinds of metal discs.
If you do asearch on metal spinning you will find all kinds of places doing it but it's difficult to find actual videos.
 
HAHAHA!!!! Ya... I have never burned bacon fat (or any other fat for that matter) so I don't exactly know that I'll stay that attatched to the idea for long! I have HEARD that it smells pretty good, but I guess I'll have to find out!! I kinda wanted to try it because I liked the tea candle dish, but I thought it would add an ancient twist to it... so we'll see!!! 😀

Ok, yeah, I'll have to check into the metal spinning! It sounds like it could be kinda fun... or at least practical for things like candle or goblet inserts!!!

Thx for all the help!!!!

Jonathon.C
 
Aluminum and copper cast tea candles are not recommended for use in flamable holders because they transfer too much heat from the candle flame to the holder. I would be very hesitant to use a liquid fat burner in wood, because the fat itself can get hot and then it doesn't need a wick, it just burns from the entire surface. Not to mention trying to get the wick to stay right in the center to start with.

JimQ
 
Hey, yeah, I bet your right!! I was afraid of the fact that the wood might heat up too much !!! Good thought!!! Maybe I should try turning it out of another material!!! D'ya think that plasticized would work, or would the epoxy melt too easy? Thx, for the comments anyway!!!!

Jonathon.C
 
Typically the material of choice for these old oil lamps was a ceramic of some sort. I'd say that it's because ceramic doesn't burn in a normally aspirated oil fire...

I made one in my high school art class that was modeled after the eskimo seal oil lamps. I burned some Crisco in mine. YUK! And I don't even want to think about how long ago that was...
 
Yeah... I thought that ceramic or clay would be a better material... but I have seen recently a couple pretty candle holders. My thought was that if I turned a small dish and put a metal insert into it, that I could burn tallow in it! In my original post I said fat... I think that if you cook the fat and let the juice harden that it turns into tallow. I think that tallow burns a bit more like a regular candle. I thought it would be cool because it would looks sort of like an ancient Roman candle or something... I imagine they might of used wooden dishes like that back then!! Of course Rome did end up burning some how or another 😉 😉 😉
 
soapstone

Soapstone was a traditional material to use for the eskimo lamps. I hear that you can turn soapstone on a wood lathe. I don't have a source for it though. Good Luck!
 
Soapstone... yeah, that might do it. My co-worker says he's got some Alabaster and Talc that he wants to turn. Wonder how that works?

Many potters carve their partially dried pieces before they are fired.

I was wondering if you could turn partially dried clay....

Then fire it.


It would be tricky..


That gives me an idea though. You might be able to place a double walled holder in some turned wood. This would (perhaps) act as an insulator.
 
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Yeah soapstone would make a really cool looking lamp... Right here is a pretty cool tutorial on turning soapstone. The only thing that I would slightly worry about is the fact that some stones crack/burst if they are heated too much!!! But if the eskimos used it, it probably is a pretty good stone. Anybody know any place that you can get soapstone??? Would a craft store carry it???

I have seen a really cool web tutorial for alabastar... it turns up really cool looking!! I betcha that clay would be to crumbly to be turned though!!!
 
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Wow...I liked the look of those turned vessels.... I'm reminded that I actually have a block of soapstone sitting on the shelf at home.... I've had it for over twenty years, and it's just been waiting for an inspiration to do something with it. Sounds like something is about to happen to it.
 
Food for thought - the Traditional Roman lamp normally burned their abundant olive oil from a wick tapping a ceramic reservior.

Pork fat is lard, which makes great french fries, beef fat is tallow, which makes a fine candle. Render suet and pour into a nice turned mold around a centered wick for a traditional candle.

Question for you. Why not use a votive candle and glass insert? Space around the edge would insulate the wood if you want to hide your light source, though an eighth-inch deep recess would allow more light to show through the glass as the candle burned below the edge.

Glass votive inserts are about sixty cents at Wal-mart. I've used them inside a number of turnings. Just thought of another variation as I was writing. I'll let you know if it turns out.
 
Yeah, I think that a votive candle would make a pretty little "lamp". A confetti candle might also work for an oil lamp... I'll have to play around with it. I have some pretty pieces of spalted maple that make some nice lamps. Hey, I want to see how that variation works out... make sure you post pics!!! 🙂 🙂
 
Another point about turning soapstone. Be sure to give extra protection to all of the bearings on your lathe. The resulting cast off from soapstone is also known as abrasive grit. and the finer it is the smaller opening it can get through into your bearings.

JimQ
 
Yeah, that is a really good point (hadn't thought of it)!!! I bet a little bit of masking tape would work to seal up some of those spots. That would be irratating to find that out by experience 🙄
 
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