Posted on 08/17/2012 11:29:51 AM PDT by Kartographer
With the cold season coming to a close I wanted to share one more survival craft that you can do in order to provide some off-grid heat to a small insulated area with just a candle! I got this idea straight from the HeatStick.com site, where instead of ordering one of their “Kandle Heeters” I decided to make my own and share with you guys how you can too (it cost me about 15 bucks to make compared to 30 dollars (plus shipping) if you were to buy one).
(Excerpt) Read more at tacticalintelligence.net ...
does anyone know where ytou can buy good wax cheap ?
I want to make my own fire logs from old newspaper
if you have tried to burn rolled up newspaper you know its not easy
but I figure if you dunk it in wax, and press it into a nice roll, you would have a pretty nice fire log
and old newspapers can be found free all over
/johnny
/johnny
If you have any local bee keepers, you may be able to get the wax they cut off the combs to extract the honey. We used to put the wax back near their hives to reuse.
No, it wouldn’t increase the amount of heat the candle gives off but it should keep the pots warm for a short while after the candle burns out providing a few more minutes of heat for your hands and feet. Much like putting a rock from the campfire by your feet when camping. You get two for one with this contraption and no cost if you have those supplies already.
The article links to a bacon candle. Oh my, someone should market bacon scents!
“Which do you think would keep a room warmer?”
You’d be colder waiting for the water to heat up than if you didn’t try to heat up the mass of the radiator first.
Which do you want? You want to freeze to death before, or after the candle burns out?
What is the purpose of the different sized nuts and bolts?
Apparently I’m one of the few who actually read the entire article:
“Even though the heater doesn’t seem all that effective, making this contraption was far from a waste of time. I learned some important principles as well as came up with other ideas of how to convert a flame source to radiant heating (just think of a larger version of this heater combined with the rocket stove I reviewed and you’ll get what I mean).”
In short - it doesn’t work. The candle isn’t strong enough.
marker bump
During 22 years of military life I tried many things to help me adjust to unpleasant conditions around the world. One thing I discovered early on was that one small candle can heat a surprisingly large area if you can find a way to contain it. I used to drape a poncho over a folding field cot and put a small candle or tea light under it. As long as you can keep from having a draft under the cot you can sleep toasty warm, even in sub-freezing temps.
One to hold together the various size pots that make up your heat sink and two the steel heats up and transfers the heat to the pots more efficant than just the hot air raise from the cnadle would.
Personally I am think of combining a larger ceramic pot heat sink of the same basic design with a rockstove to provide emergency heating to a small area.
Way cool! Put your coffee mug (or soup) on top to keep it from getting cold. However, The smell of a bacon fat candle along with a steaming cup of Joe will almost certainly draw in the zombies.
I think I will take this to my kids school as a craft project.
I once moved into an apartment and had to wait a few days before the electricity was turned on. A few candles placed in front of mirrors helped for light and warmth.
#1 - Why unglazed ceramic?
#2 - In dry climates, you can use a clay pot as an emergency refrigerator. Invert the clay pot onto a surface that will keep it closed, pour water over the surface, and try to keep it damp. As the water evaporates off, it will lower the temperature inside the pot. Not a lot, but it will keep the milk a little fresher than just sitting inside a warm refrigerator when the power goes out. Of course, every time you lift the pot off your cold stuff, you let out what little cold has accumulated.
>>LOL! I’m not swiping my neighbor’s bricks, or undermining his wall. ;)<<
I owe you a response.
I am 100% sure your neighbors brick walls are safe and secure. Especially since you specifically stated you were baking your own bricks.
If you get a chance, head on South Mexico way. They seem to have all but perfected brick creation (very few Americans do true brick construction). I saw some pretty cool techniques.
I'm really happy that it turns out I have the materials on site and only have to put in the labor.
/johnny
If that is an incandescent light bulb, it will be way more efficient than a candle, except for the power requirement. Doesn’t take much and will keep pipes from freezing so it puts out some heat, captured by the pots. Think I would rather have a light bulb under my cot than a lit candle provided there was power to plug it in.
After I built and demonstrated a #10-can rocket stove, a friend described how his son made a warmer similar to this out of tuna and bean cans, and used to to warm his hands while sitting out in the cold hunting. Tea candle sitting in the bottom of a tuna can, with the inverted bean can that had holes punched into slosed end. Held together somehow with some simple bolts so that the bean can was not sitting flush to the tuna can. We still have to build one.
Soooo, I’m thinking that a bigger setup above an oil lamp would achieve much the same effect and get double use for the same amount of fuel.
Thoughts?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.