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Old 01-09-2016, 21:50   #1
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Olive Oil For Hurricane Lamps

Flicking through “A history of sailing in 100 objects” in a bookstore today – under 'hurricane lamp' they mentioned that early lamps ran on olive oil. Did a little bench test and olive oil burns brightly and cleanly. Price of olive oil is better than dedicated lamp oil, with the added extra that I do most of my cooking with olive oil already – using it in the lamps means one less thing on the shopping list. Why didnt I already know about this!?!
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Old 01-09-2016, 23:47   #2
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Re: Olive Oil For Hurricane Lamps

Hey, that's kinda interesting! I vaguely recall that lots of lamps ran on whale oil... that was one of the uses that drove the market IIRC. I like the idea of squashing olives a lot better than whacking whales! We may just give that a try!

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Old 01-09-2016, 23:51   #3
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Re: Olive Oil For Hurricane Lamps

Try Colza......
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Old 02-09-2016, 00:17   #4
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Re: Olive Oil For Hurricane Lamps

Genie in the lamp, for rich folk olive oil was what they burnt in them. Poor folks burnt mutton or goat fat in a wick which floated in a wooden or ceramic bowl. Really poor folks stumbled about in the dark.
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Old 02-09-2016, 00:32   #5
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Re: Olive Oil For Hurricane Lamps

Really poor folks went to bed and made more really poor people.....
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Old 02-09-2016, 00:37   #6
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Re: Olive Oil For Hurricane Lamps

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Really poor folks went to bed and made more really poor people.....
Oh, El Ping, that's not PC! Not that it isn't correct, of course.
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Old 02-09-2016, 00:43   #7
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Re: Olive Oil For Hurricane Lamps

dont think colza is common here but canola i s'pose is lots cheaper than olive oil. Could just get a floozy aboard and do as el p. suggests but in my experience that usually turns out to have serious hidden costs...
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Old 02-09-2016, 02:51   #8
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Re: Olive Oil For Hurricane Lamps

Costco used to sell gallon jugs of "pomace" , that's oil from the olive pit, quite cheaply. If one is set on oil lamps it might be worth checking out.
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Old 02-09-2016, 08:49   #9
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Re: Olive Oil For Hurricane Lamps

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Costco used to sell gallon jugs of "pomace" , that's oil from the olive pit, quite cheaply. If one is set on oil lamps it might be worth checking out.
Yes, I use this for cooking. It's about $8-9 Cdn for three litre tins, compared to $14-$19 for "extra virgin" (if you believe that). I can't imagine it burns less effectively. I should give it a go, as it's cheaper than lamp oil.

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Old 02-09-2016, 09:01   #10
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Re: Olive Oil For Hurricane Lamps

Qoute: "Why didnt I already know about this!?!"

Cos of a guy called Jaydee - J.D. Rockefeller. His daddy was into oil too - snake oil :-)

We see the origins of the "Military Industrial Complex right here: In 1910, as I recall, the first "oilburners" were authorized for the USN, viz USS Nevada and the USS Oklahoma, both commissioned in 1916. Alfred Mahan, he of The influence of Sea Power upon History felt himself vindicated and permitted himself an extra glass of port. Instant shock and awe, instant "total spectrum dominance".

The Pommies hadn't done so badly either with Jackie Fisher's Dreadnaught and their Anglo-Persian Oil Company.

Also: Unter die Sonne, nichts Neues. But that's why you didn't know, and that is why there are still - a few - sperm whales left:-)

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Old 02-09-2016, 09:03   #11
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Re: Olive Oil For Hurricane Lamps

Olive oil is so versatile, a couple of years ago on my boat in Turkey, someone introduced me to shaving with olive oil, I no longer buy expensive shaving gel's from Mr Gillette, and get the best shave ever with a face like a baby's bottom. 😆🇹🇷⛵️⚓️🇹🇷
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Old 02-09-2016, 09:07   #12
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Re: Olive Oil For Hurricane Lamps

If you are just going to use it for lamps see if you can track down olive oil for machinists. Very highly refined olive oil is still used industrially as a cutting oil for titanium and other highly galling metals. It's also cheap as blazes.
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Old 02-09-2016, 09:19   #13
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Re: Olive Oil For Hurricane Lamps

You get more miles per gallon with the Extra VO.
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Old 02-09-2016, 10:03   #14
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Re: Olive Oil For Hurricane Lamps

Does olive oil also work as a replacement fuel for kerosene lamps?
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Old 02-09-2016, 10:37   #15
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Re: Olive Oil For Hurricane Lamps

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Originally Posted by El Pinguino View Post
Really poor folks went to bed and made more really poor people.....
Still doing that nowadays.
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