Bunsen Burner, Spirit Lamps, etc.
—The bunsen burner is, of course, the most convenient device for heating (when the bit is not in question); but failing a gas supply, a spirit-lamp must be employed. This is a small glass bottle with wick, methylated spirit being used. Plumbers and gasfitters make use of metal tubular lamps fed with spirit poured on cotton-wool, and having a blowpipe tube attached and coupled up to the lips with a rubber tube; they also use wax tapers.
Fig. 27.—Home-made Spirit-lamp
Fig. 28.—Another Home-made Spirit-lamp
Fig. 27.—Home-made Spirit-lamp
Fig. 28.—Another Home-made Spirit-lamp
A methylated wick lamp may be easily made out of a small “self-opening” canister, as shown in [Fig. 27]. The holes near the top increase the efficiency of the flame. Another spirit soldering-lamp is shown by [Fig. 28]. The container for the spirit can be made about 3 in. in diameter by about 11⁄2 in. deep, with a handle soldered on. A glance at the [illustration] will explain the burner. An outer wick surrounds a piece of tube, which itself contains another wick. The spirit in the inner tube is vaporised by the heat from the burner when the outside wick is lit. The spirit vapour issues from a 1⁄32-in. hole at A. At B a ring is slipped over the outer wick, holding it to the central tube. By lifting the central tube the height of the vaporising flame can be adjusted. The vaporising tube is a piece of 3⁄8-in. brass tube with a 3⁄8-in. gas cap screwed on the end, or a brass disc can be brazed in. The total cost should not exceed sixpence.
Fig. 29.—Swivelling Gas-burner for Bench Soldering