I noticed that Zippo wicks have what appears to be strands of copper wire braided into them. I figure it is for wind resistance, the copper wire stays hot enough to keep the wick lit when the wind blows. I wonder if the copper wire braid idea would work for this too.

Wrap the paraffin forever wick strip in aluminum foil, or even copper foil and feed it through the paraffin lamp mechanism, just peel off a desired length to expose it for lighting. Experiment with how much is exposed at the bottom. The advantage would be no modifications to the paraffin lamp required and a wider use of more vicious fuels. Compressing the carbon foam to a higher density might be interesting too. Construct a copper or brass sheet channel for the strip to run through down into the tank that is half the thickness of the foam or try various levels of compression on the foam. My guess is the more compression on the foam, the more viscous the fuel the lamp will burn.

The wicking effect is also great for gardening. Used for simple drip irrigation systems.

I had good results using very fine steel wool as a wick burning vegetable oil. However it's peculiarity is it doesn't like to be bigger around than a pencil, and not too small it can't wick.

Very much as they did with whale oil lamps. They had that extended piping that went down to the oil and helped to preheat the oil in the base. Great visualization. Thanks.

Well that answered my question well and proper . I do enjoy watching the content of your video's with your infectious laugh and easy to understand explanation. Keep them coming .

Very interesting. I wonder if soaking the 'forever wick' in the fuel first will help. I had a similar situation when running my kerosene hurricane lamp on citronella oil. I needed to soak the standard wick a bit longer to make sure there was oil at the burn point before lighting it. After that it would burn as normal.

Very interesting Mate. That's amazing. Veg oil even new is 97p a litre in Lidl. A 4 litre jug of paraffin in about 7-8 quid so half the price on veg oil or free if you get it from your local restaurant

Thanks for your time for doing this experiment

How about using the standard wick in the lamp to wick the paraffin all the way to the mechanism AND then just replace or cover the burning TIP with the carbon felt?

As with many of your other projects I will be playing with this also. Thank you for your videos.,..

Interesting, thanks for the test 👏

So what about stitching some carbon felt around the burning part of the regular wick? Would that perhaps protect the wick from burning, while still working?

Yeah I always play with the length of my Wick LOL

How's this for a tangent? I am learning how to keep bees and they've been looking for the best material to soak-up and then slowly release oxalic acid and glycerol mixture as a treatment for the deadly varroa mite. Trouble is some materials fall apart from the acid, and others get nibbled to pieces by the bees etc etc. Others don't really hold enough... there's always an issue. Nobody has thought of using this stuff yet!

I have done the whole forever wick the past 2 years, even your naming is my naming of the wick . So the best solution for the wick part was diamond mining mesh about 0.5mil grid . Forever and ever. And the best eco fuel for it was normal candle , but have burnt also from car oil to cooking oil no smoke . But money wise and available to non oil users , normal candel. This mesh also allows for an baby mini rocket pipe stove 😂

I took copper wire and sewed it into the carbon felt. Only thing I have to do is tip the lantern a bit to prime the wick, then light it. Thermal feedback from the copper wire is enough to make it work. Cotton wicks get used up. Carbon felt does not. When you run out of the cotton wick, your lamp is useless. To clean carbon felt if it ever needs it, remove it and burn it hot in a fire. Then it works again with no problems. Oh and I was using Kerosene in that lamp.

Just ordered my carbon felt. I will use it in my Survival pack,,,Thanks

Would it work with one of the old round wicking heaters like the Valor Junior 56? They have a brass or copper (not sure which) central metal wick depressor to make the flame go full circle.

I loved this guy in Harry Potter.

i used burned steel wool (rolled) to make a small rubbing alcohol lamp as the wick

But can you burn it at both ends?

olive oil and an accelerant in a small squeeze bottle to get the burn started works and no smoke

Can you please send me a specific type of carbon felt that you used in the forever candle with vegetable oil. I bought several types of the carbon felt and got ignition... but can't figure out how you can get it from producing sut to none with a chimney. I am not done trying but any information would be appreciated.

Maybe the graphite felt was too loose in the original lamp wick holder. so maybe the fibers must be put closer together to get the wicking effect and pull the parafin up... Just try it again and put more layers of felt in there and please see, if this will work, Many thanks. Regards .Stefan.

Interesting I just tried this on a lantern last night. Aside from itching from the carbon fibers for several hours I have nothing to show for it. Also noticed the the wick adjustment doesn't work on the carbon.

How long did you wait after changing the wick to the carbon felt, before you tried to light it? It might take 10 minutes or more to wick up the kerosine to the top of the wick.

How long would that take to make the DIY sand heater hot and how long would it last

I always pick up something from your videos and for that I thank you. So what did we learn today boys and girls? I've come to realize that you and I are pyromaniacs but in a good way. lol Merry Christmas from Tennessee USA.

you need to presoak the big flat carbon wick in fuel media (kerosene) for at least 24 hr then try to light.... with eye dropper try dropping a few drops of alcohol on the wick as primer and attempt to light.... once capillary action is established on the fuel side the carbon wick should work..... just some thoughts.

I wonder how long it would take to boil some water or if it’s possible to create a boiler that can run from a candle wicking method 🤔

That's a neat idea. however, really is it practical I have hurricane lamps that I use when the power go out I've used them on and off for 30 years still have plenty of wick left I have one lamp my grandma used with the original wick still in it yes it's not used 24/7 but I can get replacements for about a dollar

Can you preheat the original wick holder to get the oil vaporised prior to ignition at the top? Thereby allowing an (almost) direct replacement?

Wouldn't it be possible to use the normal wick, and only next to the flame use the alternative? Just for fire resistance?

That's wicked! 😆

will it get a better/hotter flame if you add pieces of copper wire (non flex..maybe even flex?) while rolling/coiling up the "wick"

What is the top hight of the wick from the liquid and does that change for different fuels? Oil/ paraffins. ???

Hi Rob you said you can buy this felt in your shop unless I heard wrong? If you can, any chance of a link?

I’m wondering if you could hammer out a small section of copper pipe or fitting into an oblong shape just the width of the carbon felt…and place it on top of the lamp with the fiber extending above that….since the lantern doesn’t have a preheated section. Make one. The preheat chamber is accomplished…you may have to use a set of needle nose players to adjust the wick at first and every so often I suppose. Any comments?

Can you soak it first then put in wick mechanism.

true but I bet it would also work the first way U tried it if U use a little accelerant to squirt on the top edges of the forever wick to get it started

Just asking. Could it have been the way you cut the carbon felt? Something like with and against the grain.

Why cant I get my carbon felt forever wick to light? And once alight how to keep it alight?

Could you not put copper pipe beneath the surface to the feed of the original wick?

Hi there have tried to buy carbon fibre and can't find it I have had 3 tries at amazon and it's NFG can I buy it from you and where do I find your shop that sells it?

Could it be used in an oil lantern?

could you not put the copper pipe inside the stock burner head? ie. flatten down the pipe so it acts like a sleeve over the ribbon and take out the dial for the wick you wont need it anyway.

When it is compacted by being put into the copper pipe, does this change the capillary properties of the carbon mat ?

Does it have to be a copper pipe? Could it be just a metal pipe?

There are many videos using that felt to make alcohol stoves

I have achieved a similar result with glass fibre rope, as used for sealing stove doors. Now, like this result, I have to solve the problem of the smoke/soot it produces. I tried using a stainless steel scouring pad, but the weave is too coarse, to slow the flame down and get hot enough to burn the soot. Any suggestions anyone? .

Based on one of your older videos, why not electroplate the heater mechanism in copper?

How much is the wick to purchase pr MTR £

Is there a risk of the copper pipe transferring too much heat to the fuel causing vaporization or ignition?

Geez I know so many guys that’d be excited if their girl was tired and the weren’t.

I'm thinking about using it in an old kerosene heater in my basement. If I can run it on oil then I can save on fuel costs.

Amazing how temp/ viscosity can be played around with to give unusual results! The one I am thinking of is running a 2 stroke engine on crude oil. "What!" I hear you exclaim! ..... Well just look at your average heavy shipping. They use 2 stroke engines ..... BIG 2 stroke engines to be sure and they do have pre-heaters on them, but it still stands!

Do you know of an indoor safe fuel to burn? I don't know what this off gases.

In this video you used parafin, why did you not try cooking oil?

Hej from an Ex Pat again. Where can i buy some of this carbon felt so i can make a few projects that you show ? I dont need a big roll just some small pieces or squares. Do you have a link to such a site maybe in the uk etc ? Thank you.

Rolled stainless steel mesh works too.

Great vid and really good to SEE the demonstration. Some of us (me) aint to good on the theoretical side of stuff. So basically then, as my feeble braincell attempts understanding, the copper pipe is a primitive *pre-heater*. it contains, "conditions", and directs the flow of the fuel to the point that oxygen is able to mingle freely with fuel and complete the fire triangle? AM I RIGHT?

Can you make iron battery

What if you used Isopropyl Alcohol to make your biodiesel fuel so it has a longer chain molecules?

does anyone know of any issues of combustion (explosion) using vegetable oil in a heater like the one Robert is showing? would this create carbon monoxide?

I would try sandwiching or even weaving several strands of copper wire into the wick to see if it will do the job of preheating the oil.

I tried the forever wick in a small bit of copper pipe, running on vegetable oil, on my terracotta pot heater. However it gave off a load of soot, after a while. Which lined the inside of the pots. I immediately put out the flame. And had to scrub the pots clean. Is there any solution to this soot?

Possibly needs a lot longer time to soak in the vegetable oil fuel

Someone has just put a patent on it for candles.

interesting that it doesn't work..... is that because the wett-abilty of the carbon is less than the cotton wick or perhaps the random fibre orientation of the carbon felt doesn't wick as well as as one with continuous fibres in the vertical direction it would be interesting to see if a suitable carbon cloth would work as a direct replacement.

The forever Wick… Also know as John

The carbon wich is certainly peculiar, but it's better in some ways.

Does it wick up because it is almost gaseous or is it a sort of capiliairy effect?

Can you make a fireplace log out of that

I have the same problem, wanted to get my Petroleum heater running yeasterday, but the wick does not pull up the petroleum oil and just the wick burns out at the top... Unfortunately I had also used half a liter of petroleum with a gel inside for barbecue starters...which normally also is just petroleum, but this brand was coming with encased or with a gel added to it... Damn... Maybe it clogged the wick, alhough I poured another 2 liters pure petroleum into the tank.... So I probably will try to also order these carbon felt material and experiment with it. Would be great, if one can just use the cheapest Rapseed oil from the super market... As it has been getting cold over here in Berlin Germany now and the winter will be coming soon, I really have to prepare for the worst in this times of war and rising energy prices.... Thanks Rob, all ideas really welcome you are really God sent... Regards ,Stefan.

And if you do the copper pipe under the wick adjuster.

Not convinced by the explanation or hypothesis that the sustained combution is due to the pipe conducting heat downwards. It lit too quickly for that. The flame shield (the top dome cap with the slots for the wick) is to reduce (shield) the wick from too much heat. I would say that the carbon felt was compressed in the pipe thus enabling capillary action by increasig the force. 𝜋(𝐷/2) squared 𝜌ℎ=𝜋𝐷𝜎 cos 𝜃 𝑐 Could this flat felt be permently compress thiner? Perhaps by passing it thru a steel mangle, in the hope that it wicks better in the stove’s proper wick winder? P.S. When did you last check the workshop’s smoke alarms? 😉

but then again the half inch copper pipe is probably the most perfect way and it may not work wit accelerant on Ur first attempt no doubt

👍🙏

Does this wick have asbestos in it

0:38 maybe not enough time to wick up to get started

That is so cool, it's hot!

"play with" the 10 year old in my head has rude jokes for days.

Have you tired modifying a UCO lantern with forever wick?

Wow long is copper pipe to be for wick to burn

In the perfect fuel video, would copper oxide powder liberate its oxygen to iron the way iron oxide will to aluminium but in a more controled fashion? Is there a way to transport oxygen ions to an electrode made of compressed carbon powder that is porous. Is it possible to make a porous iron dust core? A porous electrically conductive iron dust core? How fast can iron powder be made to rust by chemical action or electrolytic chemical action? I think we're back to the iron battery again.....

Why fill it with paraffin?!? You could have used used veggy oil instead, because you're using a felt wick.

If the wick is in a container harmonics are partley cepte inside and translated bi the mantel.💜 If heat was the source option 2 would not burn too🙏💜🙏 As it have nevver burned bevore💜🙏💜 As there was no heath to create these conditions the furst time you lighted it🙏💜🙏 Like water 💜 Has caputulair behavieure inside the tiseuw of the plants. But if I lower the space thention of the atmosphere the plant is within the water is not able to counter that hight💜 Do to a lag of natural thentional diverentional of the dimentional space behavieures of the total set of conditions💜 Look to the video I shared whay water behaves if it drops out of the tap Wraping space💜 and diverentional. Tube inside smal volume . Around the tube bick volume boths the same thention onley one with more volume is more thention. So inside starts releasing to the shaft dimention as the shaft dimention starts to release to the outside dimention. Ratio carbon exeteration capillary oils inbetween the carbons 💜

Robert, I really enjoy your videos but lately you've often used a liquid you call paraffin. To me, that's a sealing wax, solid at room temperature. What is the fuel called in the U.S. please. Thanks.

Soot is bad ...lungs ...surrounding stuff gets covered ....just thoughts

Can you just keep the original wick as low as possible and WICK the carbon felt on top. Since the carbon felt WICK doesn't burn? So cut a small portion of the carbon wick so that it touches the original. Why replace the whole wick?All you need is the carbon felt touching the original for wicking purposes. Like a zippo lighter. Why replace the cotton when only the wick burns. Just asking.

Are you saying paraffin and is that similar to American kerosene? Sometimes my tinnitus does strange things with your accent. LOL

Is there a way to write to you and show you something That I believe you're gonna like And maybe help me and you can maybe also make a video off I have an aquaponic system That I want to make sustainable That's my dream I'm sorry for my English I'm from Uruguay... I'm trying my best and I will speak to you in English. It's been like 2 months since I'm diving up in your videos and my head is broken up by them haha

What if you pyrolize the ribbon wick and then used that? You can pyrolize it by putting it in a tiny tin can (such as those empty paint tins sold at hardware stores) punching a hole in it, and placing it in a fire until all the volatiles are burned off. Would a pyrolized ribbon wick work? I don't see why it wouldn't; The weave is tight enough, and the only difference is that it would be carbon rather than cotton if you pyrolize the wick to make it into char-cloth. Maybe the copper pipe you squeezed the carbon felt into is squeezing the fibers close together so that the capillary action can actually work, whereas when loose, the fibers aren't close enough to actually wick the parafin. The ribbon wicks are woven, so the fibers are close together. Could you test this theory?

didn't you two watch the Queens funeral 😢

Very sooty like kerosene lanterns.