Meths is a canny pint but it's getting expencive. Are there any cheaper alternatives for lighting our lamps.
Hi Ozzy If you have a toolstation nearby they sell 2L of meths for about £6.95 which if you bought the 500ml bottles you'd pay more than double that from the big hardware chains. Stu .
Not an alternative to meths, just a cheaper source, perhaps. I got my last lot at Tool Station, which worked out at around £6.70 for 2 litres - so a decent saving over B&Q and the other rip-off merchants...
Thanks lads I have been paying £3 for 500ml at asda so even with my asda discount Tool Station will be a big saving.
I bought 5L at an old-fashioned ironmongers last week for £17.50. He still has some left, so I may just go back and clean out his stock. It's probably been there for thirty years! Steve.
Take a trip to Holland and buy it for less than €1 a liter. Probably about as cheap in France and Belgium I guess. ::Neil::
I do both. We rather like the Netherlands and try to spend at least a week there visiting friends and searching antique shops. We also visit every supermarket we can find and strip the shelves of WasBenzine as well as a few bottles of spiritus. Came back last year with around 45 liters of Wasbenzine and maybe 6 of meth. Easy to do because the sat nav knows the names of the supermarkets so we can do the shopping on the way to wherever we are going that day. Makes a big difference because I can happily run any of the gasoline lamps I have without worrying about the cost of the fuel. I don't have any working alcohol lamps so I don't need so much of that but I probably have a couple of gsallons of the stuff here. ::Neil::
HI everyone i am now using methanol to light my lights it is a lot cheaper around £1.90 a litre. john
Hi John. Is'nt methanol a bit dangerous, Dose it burn clean and is'nt it difficult to get hold of Ozz
Hi ozz It is very clean burning and very easy to obtain. Also the supplier is only around the corner from me.
I'm also using methanol here in Canada. It's very cheap and clean-burning but it produces less heat than ethanol (the main component of the meths, which are usually 85% ethanol, 15% methanol, hence the name). And speaking of dangers it's OK as long as you don't drink it. And it's less poisonous then kerosene, for example. Just treat it as any other fuel.
Yes j. coleburt, It dose burn clean and it has no smell. I aquired some from a friend and tried it out and it dose make good alternative. However I have no Idea where to buy it so I'll be sticking to the meths for now and toolstation sell it for half the price so that's a help Cheers Ozz
I wanted to resurrect this thread for a further questions. As far as I understand it meths is alcohol (distilled from organic fermentation.) It's colour and smell are added, designed to stop people drinking it. Which is fine if you think we need a nanny. I hate the smell and it's unnecessary because I would never forget that there are better things to be drunk! I'm looking for an alternative for this reason. I've found a bio ethanol fuel that's made for posh alcohol burning fireplaces. I'm wondering if this would be suitable? Or maybe just isopropyl alcohol?
Bio Ethanol works fine for pre heating. I bought a 2lt bottle a while back to find out what it burnt like and it behaves just like meth. ::Neil::
http://www.diy.com/nav/rooms/fires-surrounds/bio-ethanol-fires/La-Hacienda-Bio-Ethanol-Fuel-1-Litre-Bottle-Pack-of-12-13388564
Yes I've been using it for a while now, but looking at the link above that now seems rather expensive too ...
Ebay £31.40 with free next day delivery for 12L Posted the link because B & Q. Was mentioned. someone will probably know of a better deal.
