Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-03-24
CARING FOR OIL STOVES.


tHttts OF smoking.
Whenever | detect any odor i'll my
stove | always find Il cause for it,
either in the oil which has flowed over
the cd"" of the burner and is heated.
but not Lurning freely like the oil in
the wick. or in the half-burncd. oily
crust on the edge of the burner. or in
Il tiny Spcck of SCOT from Il previous
smoking. As soon as the cause is re-
moved the oder disappears.
10 clean the burners turn the wick
quite low. then wet Il bit of soft cloth
in hot. >napy water wiring quite dry
and rub ii we'll with kitchen mineral
soap. With Il dull-pointcd knife or Il
wooden SkcWrr rub the cloth into the
inside of the burner down about one
fourth of an inch. and Scour off all the
Drowned deposit. As in all other forms
of securing. Il generous use OF elbow
grease is essential here.
All that will not scour off can b.
Srraprd off with Il knife. Scour III"
outside of the burner and wip" off amy
nl, SCOT or charrcd wick that may b.
on the netting of the frame under
meath. Then wipe with Il dry cloth.
Turn up the wick and rub off any
bits of charrcd wick or sand that may
th" chimney. Brushing is not suttI
cicnt; it needs hard rubbing with Il
cloth. l'sc Il stick or Skcwcr 10 enable
you t" reach every spot. The wicll>
should he fitted so they will turn easily
in the burner. Cut them even with til,
edge of the burner, and clip the COZ
ucrS II lritlc lower.
Turn the wick up and down several
-
light it, and see that the flame is at Il
uniform height when turned as high
as possible. Should there be any points
that smoke. turn it out and trim again
until it is even. When once the wick
is even it will seldom need cutting.
Merely rubbing off the charrcd part
and clipping any loose threads is Sutti
Cicnt.
When ready to use the stove turn
the wick up gradually and begin with
a low flame: watch il carefully and
increase the height after Il little. but
do not turn it To its full height at first
for as soon as the water boilS in the
kettle the flame seems to be drawn up.
and it will surely smoke then if it did
not before. After ten minutes il may
be left with safety. but be careful that
no strong draught reaches it, and never
turn the wick SO low that the comhilS
ton is imperfect. When not in use
turn the wiclS down till the flame goes
out. and wipe off the oil from iii"
burners.
If this oil be allowed to accumulnlr
ii hardcnS and burns on to the burner.
and is difficult 10 remove. and the more
the stove is used the worse ii smells: ::
but after this crust is once thoroughly
removed il is comparatively easy To
keep the burner clean by simply rub
bling il with Il damp cloth and sand
soap every time before lighting it.
BY taking special pains that the stove
shall not smoke Il great amount of
trouble may be avoided; for just rs
surely us il smokes long enough to de-
poSit any SCOT on the stove Just S"
surely will you have the odor of smoke
until that SCOT has been removed
Merely lowering the wick does not re-
move the odor. and it is much easier
to prevent its formation than to cXtin-
guiSh the flame and delay your other
work while YOU clean off the SOot--Thc
Household