Time stamps 0:40 history about candle lamp/lantern 2:24 uco product 3:00 make a candle from zero 3:30 3cm candle 4:18 “SIZE” 6:18 How to use a UCO candle lantern Great idea of converting a oil lamp to a candle one!!! Candle smells much better!!!!
Thanks so much I bought the three candle lantern because of you and got some cheaper candles from Amazon that I was able to easily cut the fit I really appreciate the help
"… or, in some cases, *hard to find* candles (in addition to the cost.)" Mail-Order-only works fine, *if* you can plan ahead good enough. Not everyone can (reliably.) Hence, want to make a mold or three to make them myself, buy in bulk, *AND* keep this vid's message in mind.
Good tips, and I've been using candles for light and heat when camping and backpacking since the 70s. I still have a virtually identical lantern by 'Markill' I bought late 70s or early 80s (a German outdoor brand, now under the Vaude brand) that is no longer made. The only difference to the UCO is that it has a flip top lid for lighting and the glass tube doesn't slide (you extend the UCO top section and slide the glass down to light it, then return it to the top), candles dimensions are identical as I've used UCO ones in mine. I've been looking for cheaper 30mm diameter candles online and in stores, and a possible solution is ecclesiastical stores for churches that use larger diameter pillar candles, and cut those down. I also been using 8hr burn T lights in a small jar having flattened out the concave base of the jar with some epoxy resin. I concur, to some degree with the kerosene insert in that they're a pain if they leak. I made a DIY one a while ago and I kept it in a zip lock plastic bag as it did leak slightly, but that's more down to the DIY aspect of my construction, and a manufactured one made for purpose one would be leak free. I decided to go back to looking for cheaper candles to get the Markill going again. If interested, here's a wee video of my lantern ( studio.ua-cam.com/users/videoe3vH9h2PxcQ/edit ), showing my oil insert and a way of putting a directional reflector on the lantern, made from a cut down soda can. All you need is your time and a pair of scissors. The UCO reflectors/shades are expensive too.
When my UCO gets gummed up due to miss use (usually hurrying) I put a sheet of tinfoil unter it and pop it in the (toaster) oven for 5 min. I take off the plastic and spring out and put the pieces in unassembled for best results
I agree with you about burning kerosene, it ruined alot of my childhood camping experiences. Thank you for sharing all the tips, makes it easier to decide.
Very good Mike. Until UCO reduces their prices, we will always find another way. I have been down the same road with respect to making my own. NEXT, take Mikes advice and find an alternative at the General Dollar stores. Hopefully what I find would be from the USA? Now if you could recommend a place to buy cheap new globes for my 2 UCO lanterns. Keep breaking them. My fault not the lantern. A tip you might try. Cut a sheet from a aluminum beer can and cut holes for the handles. Design a nice light reflector that slides up and down on the wire handles and stays with the lantern. IF ya don't want to cut up a beer can, try wrapping aluminum foil for your reflector. Both work well for me. Just do it with a cold lantern. Another worthless tip. As the lantern is lite and going, the sun fading, here come the bugs around that light. Drip a couple drops of bug juice on the top of the lantern. Some set a small metal bowl or metal screw cap filled with bug juice to get hot and vaporize. Be careful, most of that bug juice contains alcohol and will transform into flame. Don't want that. For me the best is a heated vapor. Hate those skedders, biting flys, spiders, biting ants, lo flying aircraft, drones, etc. Peace from The Great State of Texas
Just bring the metal bullet to the store and make sure they fit, easy breezy, no measurements. For the mini, Amazon sells regular tea candles 8 hr burning time, still much cheaper than UCO, less than $17 per 100, and they have citronella tea candles as well.
Yes, the tea candles work well in the special sized lanterns made for tea candles. They are cheap and work well. Sometimes you can buy the tea candle lanterns for less than $10.00
The authentic UCO candles are typical better, safer, and more predictable than thrift store candles. The authentic UCO candles burn clean without a lot of soot. The UCO candles burn for at least 8 hours. The WORST most dangerous and dirty burning candles are those made in China. Chinese candles sometimes burn with huge dangerous over-flames, burn dirty with thick soot collecting under the UCO lantern heat shield. This is why I buy old candles that are likely not made in China. The reason I don't use UCO candles is the price. They can cost around $3.00+ each. If you are an occasional camper, that might be OK, but I camp nearly every weekend and I use one candle every night. So, at $3.00+ per candle, the cost of operation is more than using Coleman lantern which puts out the same light as a 75 watt light bulb.
@@explorermike19 I just did some cost calculations on heating a tiny camper that I'll share here. Maybe this will help somebody out there... You definitely have an economical source of thrift-store candles but since I do a lot of camping, I need a reliable candle supply. In the winter months, i.e. when I need to heat the camper, I need about 12 hours of heat, which would mean I would need the beeswax UCO candles, 3 of them per night. They are $3.50 apiece, so that would be $10.50 per night. Ouch. If I bought beeswax to make my own UCO candles, it would cost $1.50/candle x 3 is $4.50.And, I would have to take a bunch of hours I don' t have to make the candles. Then there are the guys showing how to use Firefly Clean Fuel in 50ml bottles instead of wax candles in the UCO. The Clean Fuel is $38/gallon,and I need 8 oz per night, so that is about $2.50 per night. That's getting economical. Here is the likely best alternative, the one I am already using. I currently heat the camper with Coleman 1lb propane tanks which go for $5/tank. I have the Lil Buddy Mr. Heater. I need 2 x of the tanks per night to make it thru 10hours, so that is still $10. Now, if I do my own refills of the Coleman tanks, they are only $1 apiece, so $2 per night. Plus, it throws off tons of excess heat so I can have the camper at 82+ degrees F, although I prefer it around 65 degrees when I sleep.
Please speak in inches... I live in the USA and I'm not so into your metric system... Not bashing you, and I'm probably going to be the DUMB one... Lol... Give me inches, not centimeters
Time stamps
0:40 history about candle lamp/lantern
2:24 uco product
3:00 make a candle from zero
3:30 3cm candle
4:18 “SIZE”
6:18 How to use a UCO candle lantern
Great idea of converting a oil lamp to a candle one!!! Candle smells much better!!!!
Thank you!!
Thanks so much I bought the three candle lantern because of you and got some cheaper candles from Amazon that I was able to easily cut the fit I really appreciate the help
Glad to be of service, Utriedit215. Where did you buy your candle lanterns?
@@explorermike19 I got it from Amazon as well
@@Utriedit215 wonderful! I hope you enjoy your candle lanterns!
VERY useful information from a sympathetic guy.
"… or, in some cases, *hard to find* candles (in addition to the cost.)"
Mail-Order-only works fine, *if* you can plan ahead good enough. Not everyone can (reliably.)
Hence, want to make a mold or three to make them myself, buy in bulk, *AND* keep this vid's message in mind.
Good tips, and I've been using candles for light and heat when camping and backpacking since the 70s. I still have a virtually identical lantern by 'Markill' I bought late 70s or early 80s (a German outdoor brand, now under the Vaude brand) that is no longer made. The only difference to the UCO is that it has a flip top lid for lighting and the glass tube doesn't slide (you extend the UCO top section and slide the glass down to light it, then return it to the top), candles dimensions are identical as I've used UCO ones in mine.
I've been looking for cheaper 30mm diameter candles online and in stores, and a possible solution is ecclesiastical stores for churches that use larger diameter pillar candles, and cut those down. I also been using 8hr burn T lights in a small jar having flattened out the concave base of the jar with some epoxy resin.
I concur, to some degree with the kerosene insert in that they're a pain if they leak. I made a DIY one a while ago and I kept it in a zip lock plastic bag as it did leak slightly, but that's more down to the DIY aspect of my construction, and a manufactured one made for purpose one would be leak free. I decided to go back to looking for cheaper candles to get the Markill going again.
If interested, here's a wee video of my lantern ( studio.ua-cam.com/users/videoe3vH9h2PxcQ/edit ), showing my oil insert and a way of putting a directional reflector on the lantern, made from a cut down soda can. All you need is your time and a pair of scissors. The UCO reflectors/shades are expensive too.
Mike, you were right!! I found one!! Thanks so much for the tip!!
That's excellent, Benjamin! Shine On You Crazy Coleman Lantern!
When my UCO gets gummed up due to miss use (usually hurrying) I put a sheet of tinfoil unter it and pop it in the (toaster) oven for 5 min. I take off the plastic and spring out and put the pieces in unassembled for best results
@MoonbeameSmith yes. The toaster oven method works. I am afraid of melting the plastic base so I use the hot water method instead
I agree with you about burning kerosene, it ruined alot of my childhood camping experiences. Thank you for sharing all the tips, makes it easier to decide.
Rosa, i had the same experiences with kerosene not to mention the black suet.
Hi Mike!
I still use my candle lantern I bought about 40 years ago. Thanks for the memory!
Outa sight, Papa Bruce! You have had your UCO candle lantern for 40 years? You are the real deal, Bruce!
Excellent. Keep these coming. Subscribed from Central, Minn.
Thank you very much for subscribing!
Very good Mike. Until UCO reduces their prices, we will always find another way. I have been down the same road with respect to making my own. NEXT, take Mikes advice and find an alternative at the General Dollar stores. Hopefully what I find would be from the USA?
Now if you could recommend a place to buy cheap new globes for my 2 UCO lanterns. Keep breaking them. My fault not the lantern.
A tip you might try. Cut a sheet from a aluminum beer can and cut holes for the handles. Design a nice light reflector that slides up and down on the wire handles and stays with the lantern. IF ya don't want to cut up a beer can, try wrapping aluminum foil for your reflector. Both work well for me. Just do it with a cold lantern.
Another worthless tip. As the lantern is lite and going, the sun fading, here come the bugs around that light. Drip a couple drops of bug juice on the top of the lantern. Some set a small metal bowl or metal screw cap filled with bug juice to get hot and vaporize. Be careful, most of that bug juice contains alcohol and will transform into flame. Don't want that. For me the best is a heated vapor.
Hate those skedders, biting flys, spiders, biting ants, lo flying aircraft, drones, etc.
Peace from The Great State of Texas
Abdulla, see my video on making unbreakable globes ua-cam.com/video/DgBfD-ZYg2s/v-deo.html&lc=UgyWASUaNO_Ek_k7AXZ4AaABAg
Abdulla, thanks for the advice to make reflectors. In your experience, do reflectors actually increase the light projection?
What a great tip! Thank you!
Thanks. Join us sometime!
Just bring the metal bullet to the store and make sure they fit, easy breezy, no measurements. For the mini, Amazon sells regular tea candles 8 hr burning time, still much cheaper than UCO, less than $17 per 100, and they have citronella tea candles as well.
Yes, the tea candles work well in the special sized lanterns made for tea candles. They are cheap and work well. Sometimes you can buy the tea candle lanterns for less than $10.00
That is cheap!! Thanks for the teapot trick!
real wax only....u r correct. thanx 4 yr time. no need 2 reply..
Plumber's Candle 🕯️
You will have luck finding these things at a Church/Cathedral supply company.
good thinking!
Do the thrift store candles burn faster than the UCO's? They're supposed to be made with magic or something and outlast common candles.
The authentic UCO candles are typical better, safer, and more predictable than thrift store candles. The authentic UCO candles burn clean without a lot of soot. The UCO candles burn for at least 8 hours.
The WORST most dangerous and dirty burning candles are those made in China. Chinese candles sometimes burn with huge dangerous over-flames, burn dirty with thick soot collecting under the UCO lantern heat shield. This is why I buy old candles that are likely not made in China.
The reason I don't use UCO candles is the price. They can cost around $3.00+ each. If you are an occasional camper, that might be OK, but I camp nearly every weekend and I use one candle every night. So, at $3.00+ per candle, the cost of operation is more than using Coleman lantern which puts out the same light as a 75 watt light bulb.
@@explorermike19 I just did some cost calculations on heating a tiny camper that I'll share here. Maybe this will help somebody out there...
You definitely have an economical source of thrift-store candles but since I do a lot of camping, I need a reliable candle supply. In the winter months, i.e. when I need to heat the camper, I need about 12 hours of heat, which would mean I would need the beeswax UCO candles, 3 of them per night. They are $3.50 apiece, so that would be $10.50 per night. Ouch. If I bought beeswax to make my own UCO candles, it would cost $1.50/candle x 3 is $4.50.And, I would have to take a bunch of hours I don' t have to make the candles. Then there are the guys showing how to use Firefly Clean Fuel in 50ml bottles instead of wax candles in the UCO. The Clean Fuel is $38/gallon,and I need 8 oz per night, so that is about $2.50 per night. That's getting economical. Here is the likely best alternative, the one I am already using. I currently heat the camper with Coleman 1lb propane tanks which go for $5/tank. I have the Lil Buddy Mr. Heater. I need 2 x of the tanks per night to make it thru 10hours, so that is still $10. Now, if I do my own refills of the Coleman tanks, they are only $1 apiece, so $2 per night. Plus, it throws off tons of excess heat so I can have the camper at 82+ degrees F, although I prefer it around 65 degrees when I sleep.
10x
Rock on, Eli!
Please speak in inches... I live in the USA and I'm not so into your metric system... Not bashing you, and I'm probably going to be the DUMB one... Lol... Give me inches, not centimeters
i only sub 2 support good info.. ttnkx again 4 yr time.