Rebuilding my Deck at night

I had great use out of my Petromax for something other than camping. Last week I spent four nights working on rebuilding my deck. At night the temperature is cooler. This makes it comfortable to build the deck. I work all day, so night time is the only time that I have to rebuild this deck. I was also fighting against a rainy forecast for the weekend. I used my pressure lantern to light the area. As an added benefit, I mixed citronella oil with the kerosene to keep away insects. The light is very bright and it can be moved to the area where it is needed. My house light is not bright enough for detailed work. Up here in the northwestern of the USA, the nighttime temperatures cool off rapidly after the sun goes down. The lantern kept me warm.

Starting the job:


Deck finished:


Working on the stairs:

 

That's fine neat work!

 

Did it burn fine? I only use citronella with "wicky crap" and it makes a lot of smoke.

 

Yes, please give more detail about the citronella process. I live in NW PA, and the bugs are fierce at night.

 

I add Citronella to my fuel. It burns clean. It is heavier than Kerosene, but if it is mixed (try 25% citronella) it will burn fine. Stick with kerosene and some citronella oil and you should be fine. If you mix more of the citronella oil, you should preheat longer. Do not use it indoors. The vapor from the burned citronella will cover a large area. Insects attracted to the light are often turned away by the odor and heat.

I have burned it at 100% citronella oil before however, the effect on insects is the same. The light output and smoke is the same. Lots of light, no smoke. Since it is a heaver fuel, you may find that preheat times are longer and the carbon will build up quicker. Knowing this you should use a lower percentage (25%) and be fine. Your citronella oil will last longer this way.

By the way, I lived on the East Coast before. I know what you are putting up with there. After the sun sets, the Mosquito Air National Guard deploys itself.

 

One other note. The citronella candles and tiki torches are a complete waste. When you use a lantern to burn a mix of citronella, the coverage is far greater and much more effective.

 

Good job! You can continue here!

 

Thanks. Nice to be part of the group. These types of lanterns are awe inspiring. I have had my kerosene pressure lantern since 2007. 20 years ago I had a dual fuel Colman lantern. I hated the idea of using gasoline because it is so volatile.