Making an Indian candle, a wooden primus stove, a Finnish candle, lighting and adjusting the flame of an Indian candle, burning a wooden primus stove, description, review and test. Indian log candle

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When hiking or traveling as a “savage”, on a picnic or fishing, the task of preparing hot food is always faced. Someone makes a venerable fire, someone carries with them a primus stove or a bag of dry fuel.

I want to introduce you to one old method, or rather a device with which you can cook food, warm yourself, or light your way. According to legend, it was borrowed from the North American Indians by the colonialists of Christopher Columbus. In view of this, it received the name “Indian candle”.

Operating principle Indian candle very simple. As in a samovar, combustion occurs in the firebox, and the draft is provided by a pipe. A sort of mini-stove. But in an Indian candle, the role of both the firebox and the pipe is played by the fuel itself - wood, hollow in the middle. The inner walls of the log itself are burning.

From my travel experience, I can safely say that an Indian candle is one of the most effective and cheapest ways to prepare hot food.

Anyone can make a Native American candle in just a few minutes.

To make it, you need to borrow any log with a diameter of 10 cm or more. Up to 30-40 cm. It must be free of knots so that it can be split fairly evenly. The type of tree does not matter much, but you need to remember that resinous trees “shoot” and give off a whole series of sparks. It is not recommended to use a candle made of fir and pine for heating. Birch burns hot and does not shoot, but its fire is strong and you need to be careful. In addition, there is an excess of tar in the birch bark and the fire is slightly smoky, especially at the end of combustion. In fact, the ideal candle comes out of well-dried aspen. It burns extremely evenly, the flame is light and colorless.

In any case, it’s a good idea to exploit dead wood (but not rotten wood). Otherwise, the candle or its blank will have to be dried for a long time.

So, we cut a piece 15-40 cm long from a log. When you plan to use a candle for cooking, it is easier to take short but thick pieces. Here you can place the dishes directly on the candle, and it itself will stand firmly on the base. If lighting is important, then it is better to take a longer and thinner piece. To make it comfortable to wear. And when you need heating, you need to take a thick and long piece. Such a candle can burn for many hours.

1. The tree is split lengthwise approximately in the middle. That's why it has great importance use a piece of log without knots. They are very easy to split. If you come across a hollow tree, this is generally the best option! This is a ready-made Indian candle, just cut it into pieces 20-30 cm long and scrape out the rotten insides of the hollow.

Using a hatchet, the core of the tree is cut down so that a channel with a diameter of 5-7 cm is formed.

2. Both halves are folded again and fastened together in any way. Let's say, wire, adhesive tape, nails, glue... Thus we got wooden pipe. It is important to ensure that there are minimal gaps at the junction of the halves. Otherwise, the candle will burn out in an instant right along these cracks.

3. To light a candle, a little birch bark (birch bark) is stuffed into the pipe. At the same time, make sure that the unoccupied access of air through the pipe is not blocked, otherwise there will be no draft. When there is no birch bark, you can use several splinters for your own purposes. The candle itself is installed so that its lower end has a small gap for air to enter. For example, on stones or a couple of logs.

4. The birch bark is set on fire and pushed with a splinter into the pipe approximately in the middle. If it is in the upper part of the pipe, the candle will burn for a long time, but with a weak flame. A similar mode will be used for heating or warming up a small amount of food. And if you push the birch bark approximately to the very bottom (or light a candle below), then the candle will burn faster, but the fire will be strong. A similar mode will be used for cooking or lighting.

5. When a candle burns, it is quite easy to adjust the flame strength by blocking the access of air at the bottom of the candle (say, with earth or snow). For cooking, a flame height of 10–15 cm is sufficient.

6. The candle can be used as a torch. Wood is a brilliant heat insulator, and even if you can hold a burning candle with all your might, you can freely hold it with your hand, illuminating your way, or put quite a few of these torches to illuminate a tourist camp.

7. To heat food, keep it hot or for heating, it is important to be able to switch the candle to intense smoldering mode. In this case, the candle smolders from the inside with virtually no flame. At the same time, quite hot smoke comes out of it. This is achieved by blocking the air from below the spark plug.

8. To warm up, say, a can of canned food, even in winter time, it takes a few minutes in total. It is enough to place the jar on the candle so that there is a small gap for the smoke to escape. If you need to cook food in a pan, then place it on a couple of wood chips - spacers, like on a burner gas stove. When there is a cauldron, it is simply suspended above the candle at a height of 5-10 cm.

Sometimes, to allow air to enter and gases to escape, appropriate cuts are simply made at the ends of the candle. But this is only possible for candles with a diameter of 20-25 cm or more. Tall and thin candles are not stable and there is no need to take risks.

When using a candle as a heater in a tent, care must be taken to remove combustion products.

And absolutely proper heating looks something like this. A burning candle is left outside. Suspended above it at an angle is a short metal pipe. The higher end of the pipe is inserted into the tent. The candle heats the pipe and, accordingly, the air in it, which enters the tent. This way the tent is heated hot, but fresh clean air, not smoke.

Once a candle is lit, it is not necessary to burn it to the end, until it dies. As soon as the food is cooked, the candle is extinguished by blocking the access of air both below and above. For example, by closing it with some non-flammable object, such as the lid of a pot, or throwing on a damp cloth. Thus, with the help of one Indian candle you can cook food several times.

Undoubtedly, such a candle is much heavier than a primus or a packet of dry fuel. But dry fuel is quite expensive. And unlike a primus, which needs to be lugged to both ends of the trip, and also hassle with a stinking canister of fuel for it, a candle has a one-way ticket. It dies, providing us with hot food, warmth and light.

But when traveling by car or other motorized vehicles through wild, and especially treeless and mountainous places, a candle will serve you faithfully. Spend a little time making it and you will always be full and warm.
Source - divanamnet.ru

The process of making a Native American candle that will help you survive in the wild.

This device, with which you can both cook food and heat yourself or illuminate your way, according to legend, was seen and borrowed from the North American Indians by the colonizers of Christopher Columbus. That is why it got the name “Indian candle”, and now it is also called “wooden Primus”, “Swedish fire”, “Finnish candle”, etc.

Such as in the photo, with a diameter of 8 cm and a length of 10 cm, is made within 15-20 minutes, “works” within 30-35 minutes and, due to its good efficiency, allows you to boil up to 2.5 liters of water. In general, in such small sizes This product is controversial and not for everybody.

Much more effective are “candles” with a diameter of 12 cm and a length of 18 cm. However, in in this case The sizes were chosen based on the fact that only the Victorinox Outrider knife was available; it would be possible for them to do something larger, but it would be somewhat difficult.

The type of wood from which this “wooden primus” will be made is not particularly important, but it should be remembered that, for example, spruce or pine “shoot” and give off a lot of sparks, so using such a “candle” for heating will not be very convenient and comfortable. Birch burns well and hot, does not “shoot”, but its flame smokes a little, especially at the end of combustion.

Dry aspen, which burns with an even and colorless flame, is most suitable. In any case, when making an “Indian candle,” you should use, if possible, as dry as possible, but not rotten wood.

The external proportions of the “candle” depend on the intended use - for example, for cooking, a short but thick one is most suitable, for lighting - a long and thin one, so that it is comfortable to wear, but for heating - a thick and long one, it will burn for several hours.

The process of making a “wooden primus stove” is very simple. We saw off the workpiece to the required length.
We split the round timber in half and then the halves in half again. I would like to note that it is not at all necessary to split the workpiece into four parts, the fewer cracks there are, the later the “candle” will burn out along these cracks, however, cutting out the core from the other halves of the workpiece is more tedious and more difficult than cutting off the corners of the quarters.

Cut out the core and make notches to make it look like this.

We firmly connect the quarters with wire, ensuring that they fit as tightly as possible to each other, and fill the middle with small pieces of birch bark, splinters or sawdust left over from planing so that the free passage of air through the channel is not blocked, otherwise there will be no traction. If possible, the “candle” should be placed on stones or logs so that there is a small gap at its lower end for air access. If not, then you should cut out a small side air duct in the lower part of the workpiece in advance.

Let's light it, it should be taken into account that if the main source of fire is concentrated in the upper part of the "candle" channel, then it will burn for a long time, but with a weak flame, and if you light the "candle" from below, then it will burn faster, but the flame will be strong. The process of kindling itself requires some skill and practice, each time it will turn out faster and faster.
The flame of a “wooden stove” can be simply regulated by shutting off the air supply from below. For cooking, a flame height of 8-10 cm is sufficient. When using a “candle” as a torch, you can hold it in your hand, even if it is burning strongly; wood is a good heat insulator.

Homemade log burner, cooking while camping

When hiking or traveling as a “savage”, on a picnic or fishing, the task of preparing hot food is always faced. Someone makes a fire, someone carries with them a primus stove or a bag of dry fuel. And there is one old interesting way.

According to legend, it was borrowed from the North American Indians by the colonialists of Christopher Columbus. In view of this, it received the name “Indian candle”. The principle of operation of the Indian candle is very simple. As in a samovar, combustion occurs in the firebox, and the draft is provided by a pipe. Such a mini-stove. But in an Indian candle, the role of both the firebox and the pipe is played by the fuel itself - wood, hollow in the middle. The inner walls of the log itself are burning.

An Indian candle is one of the most effective and cheapest ways to prepare hot food.

Anyone can make a Native American candle in just a few minutes. You need to take any log with a diameter of 10 cm or more, up to 30-40 cm. It needs to be without knots so that it can be split fairly evenly. The type of tree does not matter much, but you need to know that resinous trees “shoot” and give off a whole series of sparks. It is not recommended to use a candle made of fir and pine for heating. Birch burns hot and does not shoot, but its fire is strong and you need to be careful. In addition, there is an excess of tar in the birch bark and the fire is slightly smoky, especially at the end of combustion.

Actually the perfect candle comes out of a well-dried aspen tree. It burns very evenly, and its flame is light and colorless. In any case, it’s a good idea to exploit dead wood (but not rotten wood). Otherwise, the candle or its blank will have to be dried for a long time. So, we cut a piece 15-40 cm long from a log. When you plan to use a candle for cooking, it is easier to take short but thick pieces. Here you can place the dishes directly on the candle, and it itself will stand firmly on the base. If lighting is important, then it is better to take a longer and thinner piece. To make it comfortable to wear. And when you need to warm up, we take both a thick and long piece. Such a candle can burn for many hours.

How to make a Native American candle

1. The tree is split lengthwise approximately in the middle.

That is why it is of great importance to use a piece of log without knots. They are very easy to split. If you come across a hollow tree, this is generally the best option! This is a ready-made Indian candle, just cut it into pieces 20-30 cm long and scrape out the rotten insides of the hollow. Using a hatchet, the core of the tree is cut down so that a channel with a diameter of 5-7 cm is formed.

2. Both halves are folded again and fastened together in any way. You can split it into 4 parts, or whatever you like.

For example, wire, adhesive tape, nails, glue... Thus we got a wooden pipe. It is important to ensure that there are minimal gaps at the junction of the halves. Otherwise, the candle will burn out instantly right through the cracks.

You can put sawdust inside, which was planed while you were cooking and splitting the log. The candle itself is installed so that its lower end has a small gap for air to enter. For example, on stones or a couple of logs.

4. The birch bark is set on fire and pushed with a splinter into the pipe, approximately into its middle. If it is at the top of the pipe, the candle will burn for a long time, but with a weak flame. A similar mode will be used for heating or warming up a small amount of food. And if you move the birch bark approximately to the very bottom (or light a candle below), then the candle will burn faster, but the fire will be strong.

A similar mode will be used for cooking or lighting.

5. When a candle burns The strength of the flame can simply be adjusted by blocking the access of air at the bottom of the candle (say, with earth or snow). For cooking food, a flame height of 10-15 cm is sufficient.

6. The candle can be used as a torch. Wood is a brilliant heat insulator, and even a very burning candle can be held freely by hand, illuminating your way, or you can place many such torches to illuminate a tourist camp.

7. To reheat food, keep it hot or for heating, it is important to be able to move the candle into intense smoldering mode. Then the candle smolders from the inside with virtually no flame. At the same time, quite hot smoke comes out of it. This is achieved by blocking the air from below the spark plug.

8. To heat up, say, a can of canned food, even in winter, you only need a few minutes in total. It is enough to place the jar on the candle so that there is a small gap for the smoke to escape. If you need to cook food in a pan, then place it on a couple of wood chips - spacers, like on a gas stove burner.

When there is a pot, it is simply suspended above the candle at a height of 5-10 cm. Sometimes, to allow air to enter and gases to escape, appropriate cuts are simply made at the ends of the candle. But this is only feasible for candles with a diameter of 20-25 cm or more. Tall and thin candles are unstable and there is no need to take unnecessary risks; they may fall.

When using a candle as a heater in a tent, you must take care of the removal of combustion products to avoid burning.

Perfectly correct heating looks something like this. A burning candle is left outside. A short metal pipe is suspended above it at an angle. The higher end of the pipe is inserted into the tent. The candle heats the pipe and, accordingly, the air in it, which enters the tent. This way the tent is heated with hot, but fresh, clean air, not smoke. Once a candle is lit, it is not necessary to burn it to the end.

Once the food is cooked, the candle is extinguished by blocking the air from both below and above.

Thus, with the help of one Indian candle you can cook food several times. Of course, such a candle is much heavier than a primus or a packet of dry fuel. But dry fuel is quite expensive. And unlike a primus stove, a candle can be quickly made when needed. It burns, providing us with hot food, warmth and light.

Spend a little time making it and you will always be full and warm!

Well, a few additions - about matches for the road

Experienced tourists know many secrets that make life easier for nomads. When getting ready for a hike, they will not forget, for example, to dip a bunch of matches into melted paraffin or wax.

Matches after such an operation are not afraid of dampness and light up even in the rain.

The original mini-bonfire is also called taiga, Indian, Swedish candle. Thanks to the peculiarities of making Finnish candles and the use of intense flame, they successfully replace traditional fires on hikes, at picnics and evening gatherings in the yard. You need a minimum of tools and skills, 5-20 minutes of simple effort, and you will get a source of vertical flame with a burning duration of half an hour to 7 hours.

4 ways to make a Finnish candle

Using any method, a Finnish candle is made with your own hands from chock, sometimes replaced with a block of wood logs. Acceptable use small stumps, if only one piece of log is required. The duration of combustion depends on the length and diameter of the workpieces.

Method 1. Candle with paraffin wick

Burning time: from 30 minutes.
Production time: 20 minutes.

Tools and materials:

drill with drill 20-30 mm;
saw (manual, electric or diesel engine);
sawing sawhorses;
lighter;
block for a candle;
a block of larger diameter for counterweight;
paraffin or wax;
paper or newspaper.

To get a fire with vertical burning, just light the wick. We recommend installing Finnish candles away from trees on paved or concrete areas, cleared ground, fire-resistant tiles, or a metal stand to prevent the surrounding vegetation from catching fire.

Method 2. Candle made from logs

Burning time: up to 2.5 hours.
Production time: 7-10 minutes.

Tools and materials:

axe;
a log or four logs.

Manufacturing sequence

The whole lump is split into four equal parts. The logs are installed vertically in the form of the original log. When a Finnish candle is made from ready-made firewood, logs of the same length and cross-section are selected, which together form a solid log. The design provides good air flow, but is not wind resistant enough.

Method 3. Three logs

Burning time: from 7 hours.
Production time: 5 minutes.

Necessary materials: 3 logs of the same height. No tools required.

Manufacturing sequence

Simplest a way to make a long-burning Finnish candle with your own hands. The blocks are installed in a circle with a small gap between them. Then a fire is built in the inner “well.” Unimpeded access to oxygen contributes to an intense flame, and thanks to large diameter the burning time is extended.

More heat is generated than with other taiga candle designs. It also ensures the greatest stability of a disposable oven. Disadvantage (the flame can be blown out by the wind. Tip: as it burns out, move the logs to the center to maintain the burning intensity.

Method 4. Primus

Burning time: up to 3 hours.
Production time: 20 minutes.

Tools and materials:

axe;
saw (optional);
wire;
a log or several logs.

Manufacturing sequence

This design provides intense hot flame. In the first two hours after ignition, you can cook or boil water on the mini-oven. The optimal size is considered to be when the length of the block is twice the diameter. You can create mini-bonfires with a height of 20-30 cm.

Tip: if you plan to cook, then make a Finnish candle with two shorter logs to improve air flow to the flame. Useful uses of a disposable stove in the household

The design represents a vertical furnace pyrolysis combustion. The peculiarity of this type of flame is the simultaneous combustion of both wood and the resulting wood gas. As a result, less soot and ash are formed, and the heat transfer of the flame is higher. Even a two-hour use of a Finnish candle helps solve many problems of arrangement and relaxation.

Culinary uses of Finnish candles

In the absence of summer kitchen and on hikes disposable ovens easy to adapt for the following tasks:

cooking in cauldrons;
singeing carcasses poultry, game;
boiling water;
heating food.

Unlike a stationary summer kitchen, a Finnish candle can be used anywhere on the site, or taken with you on a picnic or on a trip.

Landscape decoration

Mini bonfires are convenient to use for temporary illumination of dark areas without landscape lights. They create a warm cozy atmosphere and can complement the decoration of outdoor seating areas for special events. Finally, the spark plugs will be replaced street fires and fireplaces will help you relax by the fire during your evening relaxation.

Repair and construction use

Concentrated combustion has determined the advantage of using a Finnish candle compared to conventional fires for the following work:

firing, heating of metal;
melting of roofing felt or lump bitumen;
firing and drying various surfaces and blanks.

Easy to manufacture, disposable ovens are compact, simple device, intense combustion and easy transportation. This enhances the attractiveness of Finnish candles for home or tourist use.

Video instructions for making a Finnish candle

Updated 11/29/2019

India is a land of smells. And as soon as you step onto the plane, a stream of smells will follow you always and everywhere. Where do so many rich aromas come from that it is impossible to hide from in any corner of India? It's all because of Indian incense or incense sticks.

Where is incense used and what is it for?

Local residents have been using incense in their lives for many years. Previously, they were used for various rituals and ceremonies in the form of roots, leaves, fragrant flowers, essential oils, as well as cake. They were thrown into the sacred fire to appease the gods and goddesses.

They cleansed the space of their homes with incense. They are also used in India in ancient times and in modern times. It would seem, what could be the benefit of aromas? In fact, they have a very beneficial effect on the human body, but not like drugs. Yes, scent alone cannot cure an advanced cold or intestinal problems, not to mention more serious diseases such as heart disease, liver disease, lung disease and many others.

When buying Indian incense, you should take into account their quality; do not think that if they are from India, then they are of the highest quality. But if we are talking about high-quality aromas, then we can emphasize that they still have some effect.

The harm and benefits of aroma sticks, what you need to consider when purchasing

So, what is the benefit of incense sticks? Indian incense exudes incredible exotic scents. It can be a pleasant, soft aroma of vanilla, or musk, sweet, spicy, mint, fresh, a huge number of them.

Modern manufacturers have made sure that people can choose the scent they like when purchasing. By filling the room with the aroma of your loved one, sandalwood sticks create a pleasant atmosphere. They cleanse the mind, put thoughts in order, restore, calm, and create a spirit of peace. Especially often used during and others.

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Rickshaws in India

But do not forget that aroma sticks can also cause harm to your body. If, when purchasing incense, you did not take into account their quality, then the result will not be long in coming. Low-quality sticks emit a too strong aroma that can be felt without opening the packaging. Of course, it is not advisable to buy such a product, since the incense probably contains artificial flavors.

Ideally, high-quality incense is made from natural ingredients such as sandalwood, oils, aromatic herbs, flowers, spices, roots, and tree leaves.

Hence, of course, the conclusion is that you should not buy sticks with scents such as strawberry, vanilla or rose.

Such Indian incense can lead to respiratory diseases, headaches, and also cause allergies and disrupt your sleep. Allergies can also be caused by using them too often. So don't overdo it.

Of course, the main indicator when buying incense sticks will be their price. Incense with a low price tag, of course, leaves much to be desired, because they contain artificial flavors.

It is also worth considering that incense comes with a base in the form of a bamboo stick, and without a base. Baseless ones are much better because they give off a clean, natural scent.

Types of Incense

There are different types of incense and so are the methods of their production. There are both traditional and modern. It depends on this where and how they will be used.

Indian incense with bamboo base. These are the most common types. They consist of a bamboo stick and a mixture of coal dust and sometimes some herbs. Of course, this type of sticks is not of particular quality and is used in bad-smelling, dirty rooms. In addition, charcoal incense produces too much smoke, which often distorts the aroma we were expecting to smell.
Chips incense. They are closer to natural and are more often used in their production. natural oils. They have a distinct floral scent. Most often, such incense is used in temples.
Baseless. Positive quality this type is, of course, the absence of a bamboo base. The aroma is clean and natural. Unlike other species, they are very fragile. Most often, this type of incense is used in Buddhist monasteries and temples.
Plasticine incense. They are very popular in India as they emit an intense aroma and can fumigate large areas. The downside is that they smoke a lot.

Read on our website:

Beggars in India

How to use them

Everything is quite simple. But before you start using incense sticks, it is important to take care of the so-called stands. The bamboo stick requires a horizontal holder (pictured on the left), and the baseless option (cone) requires a different type of holder (pictured on the right). It is extremely important to be able to quickly ventilate the room if you suddenly feel that the smell is too much for you.

Today, the use of incense in the life of Indians is considered ordinary, just like sleeping and eating. And what to hide, we all understand perfectly well that the aroma of incense perfectly covers unpleasant smell which are present on the streets of India.

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