Update!! A Meatloaf Oil Lamp

Posted in: Featured, Skills

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By John A. Heatherly, Author of The Survival Template

As a stay-at-home dad, occasionally I feel the need to reach beyond the realm of diapers and sippy-cups and remind myself of my ultimate survivability. Last night’s meatloaf project is my latest excursion into super-masculinity (my wife gave me a few strange looks but I think she understands?)

1. I started with the drippings from my Top Secret Meatloaf Recipe.

2. We didn’t have any soup cans available, so I cut an aluminum soda can in half. *Note that the sharp edges are folded over. A larger can would have been a big improvement but remember I was in “Cave-man improvise”mode.3. Next I filled my improvised metal container with drippings.4. I added wicking material – a piece of cotton or other flammable fabric would also have worked.5. I used a small piece of a skewer to hold the wick in place as the drippings hardened into tallow.6. The next morning I had an oil lamp!7. As Harry Potter would say, “Incendio!” It works!

So I am feeling much more manly today. If a tropical storm or hurricane knocks our power out, I will be able to change diapers by the light of my new improvised lamp.

**Update!! In the spirit of “work smarter not harder,” I made the following discovery after Taco Night at our house:

For a small amount of drippings, a smaller aluminum can works just fine. Note that the pop-top is just turned around to hold the wick (no need for a skewer or to wait for the tallow to harden.) It also works!

(21) Readers Comments

bob
January 14, 2012 at 10:05 am

Meatloaf scented candle ALLRIGHT!!!! Can I order three and how about a bacon scented one also! Just goes to show you that almost any type of oil or grease can make a candle or lamp.

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Todd
January 14, 2012 at 10:34 am

Very cool. Very manly! It feels good to grunt!

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RightWingMom
January 14, 2012 at 11:19 am

John,
Congrats on your ingenuity! Preppers are such creative people.
Just wondering about aroma??? You could name it Spiced Angus.

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John A. Heatherly
January 14, 2012 at 11:48 am

Haha – maybe I could market these to the candle/scented oil store at the mall?

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millenniumfly
January 14, 2012 at 2:58 pm

That's cute. I'm sure my wife would appreciate a meatloaf-scented "candle", but probably not.

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Mike
January 14, 2012 at 6:58 pm

I have often thought that kitchen grease was an unappreciated energy source but never have tested it.
All it takes is looking at what we do daily a different way. Bravo!

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Kelly
January 15, 2012 at 9:40 am

I like your creativity, and you made me laugh. I wonder if you could make a Nacho candle?

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Katie
January 15, 2012 at 5:18 pm

Jabbing a wick of some-sort into a can of shortening also works like this, and burns forever!

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- TheSurvivalMom
  January 15, 2012 at 7:40 pm
  
  Love this! You\’ve inspired me to stock up on smaller containers of shortening and wicks.
  
  Reply
ldjohnson
January 16, 2012 at 11:28 am

I have been wondering if anyone knows…would medical alcohol work in oil lamps? They are running on special the double packs at cvs, and after your extra bucks they end up being a $1.00 a bottle or free if you have other extra bucks!

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- RightWingMom
  January 19, 2012 at 11:23 am
  
  Use extreme caution when burning rubbing alcohol, it gives of virtually NO visible flame!
  
  Reply
mike
January 16, 2012 at 3:49 pm

How long do would this burn for?

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John A. Heatherly
January 16, 2012 at 4:51 pm

Another reader, Hillbilly Mom, mentioned one time that she uses alcohol and a roll of toilet paper in a large #10 can as some sort of lamp. Interesting stuff but I don't know all the specifics. I have never tried rubbing alcohol as a regular oil lamp but have used it to start fires on occasion.

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Cynthia C
January 17, 2012 at 6:58 am

I LOVE the lamp! A great reminder to think outside the box and make use of the items on hand and some exelent recycling going on there!

Here is a link to a "hobo stove" that uses med alcohol and a roll of toilet paper for fuel. http://preparednotscared.blogspot.com/2010/01/pre…

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Stephanie
January 24, 2012 at 12:01 pm

Be care with tallow candles (i would still use them in a heartbeat but) the container will get HOT whatever its sitting on needs to be heat resistant – and if you spill it on accident the liquid oil will ignite in a difficult grease fire. Also know that tallow candles give off more smoke than wax candles that may present a cleaning challenge keeping the wick trimmed helps this. To put them out – tallow candles need to be snuffed out instead of blown out because of the whole hot grease thing.

You can also drizzle meat loaf grease over chicken food and feed it to your chickens in the winter when extra calories are needed and our dogs also appreciate the extra calories of drizzled grease when the temperatures reach down around Zero. Just a thought if grease candles aren't your thing and you don't want to waste the grease.

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Lizette
May 8, 2012 at 6:52 pm

Wow, so simple a caveman (or cavewoman) could do it. LOL. Now I am going to HAVE TO try this. And to think, I have been throwing all that grease away.

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J. Acevedo
August 24, 2012 at 9:15 am

The possibilities are endless! Think bacon fat, chicken fat, pork fat, …

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Carol Thompson
April 23, 2013 at 7:25 am

Friends with the local donut shop.
I make lye soap from the reclaimed oil, and before you add the lye
it does smell like a giant donut.
Think I’ll give this a try.

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