A tin can lamp uses one small can, about 8 cm across, with a hole in the centre of the lid and a wick holder made from a strip of tin bent into a tube and crimped or soldered over the hole. Each centimetre of fuel depth in a can of that width holds about 50 ml, so even a shallow fill lasts many hours. Add a second, larger can with air holes near the bottom as a wind shield.
Part of Oil Lamp Construction
A small tin can with a wick tube fixed over a hole in its lid makes a sturdy lamp from salvage. A second can around it can shield the flame from wind.
A Tube Keeps The Wick Centred At The Right Height
The overview’s build:
- Use a small can (tomato paste size, about 8 cm diameter).
- Punch a hole in the centre of the lid for the wick.
- Make a wick holder from a strip of tin bent into a tube; solder or crimp it to the lid over the hole.
- The holder keeps the wick centred and at the correct height.
- Fill with fuel, thread the wick through the holder and light.
For a more refined version, add a second larger can around the first as a wind shield, with ventilation holes near the bottom.
What You Need
- A clean can with its contents removed and any label burned or scraped off.
- A hammer and a nail for the hole, a strip of tin for the tube, pliers or solder.
- A 100% cotton wick.
Worked Example
An 8 cm can has a radius of 4 cm, so its cross-section is π × 4² = 50.3 cm². Each 1 cm depth of fuel is 50.3 cm³ = about 50 ml. A fill 5 cm deep is 5 × 50.3 ≈ 251 ml. At 25 to 30 ml/h (tallow to vegetable oil at a moderate wick), that is 251 ÷ 30 = 8.4 hours to 251 ÷ 25 = 10.0 hours. Measure your own can’s height; this is only a template.
Wind Shield: Air In Low, Gas Out High
The outer can works only if air can get to the flame and combustion gases can leave. The holes near the bottom let air in, and the open top lets gases out. Do not close the top.
Common Mistakes
- Leaving sharp burrs. Tin cuts. Press the burr away from the hand.
- Soldering with lead-containing solder. Use lead-free solder or crimp, since the holder is next to a flame.
- Leaving the lamp where the lid can be knocked off. The base should be wide and flat.
Safety
Hot tin and loose flame
The lid and holder conduct flame heat. Do not touch them lit. Keep the lamp to fat and vegetable oil rather than kerosene, because heat conducted down the holder warms the fuel. If fuel ignites, smother with a plate, a lid or dry sand or earth, never water. A smoking flame is incomplete burning and makes carbon monoxide; keep the room cross-ventilated.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Glass Chimneys — a chimney improves draft and cleans the flame
- Combine with: Wick Sizing & Brightness — sizing the wick to the holder