Make an Oil-burning Candle

I had extra cooking oil that was used to fry tortillas for enchiladas. I couldn't just let it go to waste, so I made this support for holding a cotton wick.

This can be used to make any oil holder into a nice candle. If you are careful with the oil level, the wick will be consumed very slowly.

Use an all-cotton string for the candle wick. Synthetic fibers will not burn cleanly. I am using a kitchen string that is used to truss poultry and tie up roasts.

Any kind of wire can be used for the wick support, but I had a spool of copper wire on hand. A large paperclip may also work.

Loosely wind the wire around the matchstick.

The coil should be made loose enough to slip off the matchstick. I use a fingernail to separate the turns of the wire slightly.

If the wire is packed closely, it will wick enough oil to burn along the entire copper sleeve.

Adjust the spiral base to place the coil in the center, slightly suspended.

The length is not really important. Just so it is longer than the wire coil.

Adjust the wick so only an eighth of an inch projects past the copper coil.

The oil may be a little difficult to light, compared to a wax candle.

Unlike a wax candle, the wick of this oil candle is supplied with fuel as the oil level goes down. The flame remains constant until the last of the oil is burned.