Archive for countrytalkandtips.myfreeforum.org ........................ smallholding, crafts and country life ................................................... IN IRELAND .......................................................
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MrsL
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Non electric lightingWe are getting closer tow ehre we want to be by taking things a step at a time. One of my concerns is nergy, particulalry electricity, and we use as little as possible. I have 9 or 10 oil lamps now, run, until recently, on paraffin - not ideal. I am slowly changing them over to vegetable oil, and have found that burns very well, giving just as good a light. I need next to strain and clean some used oil to see how well that does, but I don;t use a lot in cooking, so that will take time.
I've also taken to knitting my own wicks, successfully - stop laughing  They do just as well as the commercial ones, whihc quite likely won't be available when tshtf. Be prepared!
Thought someone might find this interesting, if not amusing, but it's a worthwhile project. Reed lighting is on the cards for experimenting with too.
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blowin
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Reeds as in Bullrush ?
Don't you get a lot of smoke or soot on the ceiling ( not that you would notice it in our place anyway ! ) ?
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MrsL
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Yes, I believe so; two sides are stripped of the outer layer, leaving the other two for stability, dried for a while, then dipped in tallow/beeswax, etc. I think they can be snoky, but worth ane xperiment. Apaprently there's some more in Gilbert White's book, so I need to get on and find that somewhere.
I like to knwo what's possible, should a real emergency show up, and it's always interesting and good fun to try these oddball things.
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