Alcohol lamp?

Alcohol is an inexpensive, clean and renewable fuel source.

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Benredbeard
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Alcohol lamp?

Post by Benredbeard »

I can't seem to find the strength of denatured alcohol (only the strength of the methanol).

I assume ethanol can be used in a laboratory alcohol lamp but at what proof?
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Yummyrum
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Re: Alcohol lamp?

Post by Yummyrum »

Methylated spirit is Ethanol that has been denatured by adding a bit of other stuff to make it unpalitable . But it is basically just Ethanol and has an abv of 95% typically . The denaturing agent varies from country to country but the product has the same purpose .... something that will burn and clean as a solvent .

So yeah , 95% ethanol will work in a spirit lamp .

At work they use denatured ( methylated ) spirit in the Spirit burners ..... thats what they are designed to be used on .
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kiwi Bruce
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Re: Alcohol lamp?

Post by kiwi Bruce »

Yummyrum wrote:Methylated spirit is Ethanol that has been denatured by adding a bit of other stuff to make it unpalitable .In the US methanol is used to make the ethanol very toxic, other countries now use isopropyl alcohol, which will make you sick but not kill you. Isopropyl alcohol is cheap, clean burning and a good lamp fuel also, if used by itself But it is basically just Ethanol and has an abv of 95% typically . The denaturing agent varies from country to country but the product has the same purpose .... something that will burn and clean as a solvent .

So yeah , 95% ethanol will work in a spirit lamp .

At work they use denatured ( methylated ) spirit in the Spirit burners ..... thats what they are designed to be used on .
Isopropyl alcohol at Walmart is 75c a pint.
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hpby98
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Re: Alcohol lamp?

Post by hpby98 »

Google “penny stoves” Or “backpacking ethanol stoves”

https://www.outdoors.org/articles/amc-o ... ter-stoves" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I did a test with my penny stove against a buddy with his tri-mix

Was within seconds to boil 1 liter of water while camping
OtisT
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Re: Alcohol lamp?

Post by OtisT »

Here are a few little penny camp stoves I made for fun. Once lit, these things crank out the heat.
Penny stoves
Penny stoves
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hpby98
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Re: Alcohol lamp?

Post by hpby98 »

OtisT wrote:Here are a few little penny camp stoves I made for fun. Once lit, these things crank out the heat.
668AEA3F-9B67-4D4D-9915-400E29C6F9CB.jpeg
Otis
I agree. Back in the good old days when you could find Heineken cans as barrels.

I even made a few out of the large cans too.
seamusm53
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Re: Alcohol lamp?

Post by seamusm53 »

Alcohol stoves are amazing as light-weight and simple backpacking stoves. The only down-side is that burning alcohol is almost invisible in the day and dangerous.
hpby98
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Re: Alcohol lamp?

Post by hpby98 »

seamusm53 wrote:Alcohol stoves are amazing as light-weight and simple backpacking stoves. The only down-side is that burning alcohol is almost invisible in the day and dangerous.
A little salt adds color... but I find I get blue / yellow flames with mine
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