spirit lamps

[rosiegbh]

HELP
I need to put new wicks in the spirit lamps. The ones with the metal screw top and the wick is so big and I can't seem to get it in. Do I burn the wick first or cut it somehow?

Rosemary

[rae]

You could try binding the end quite tightly with sticky tape and then threading it through

[MHourigan]

You could of course cut it on an angle then maybe dip it in the spirit eg: Metho and twist whilst pushing the wick through.

[Robbie]

Another way you could try is to use a very small gauge knitting needle to push the wick through.

I have found thin, long knitting needles useful for all sorts of things!

Cheers

Robbie

[matchstick]

I use a wooden skewer or a nail(the head part)
Matchstick

[pkij]

Excuse my ignorance, I have spirit lamps in the back of a cupboard here, never used ....... what do you use them for

[smiley]

Fill them up with different types of alcohols - propan-1-ol, pentanol, meths, eths, etc - weigh them, burn them to heat 100mL of water, and work how how much energy each type releases.

[rosiegbh]

Thanks everyone for all your ideas I will try them all

Rosemary