Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Calcium Carbide

Anyone familiar with Calcium Carbide (CaC) like that used in miners lamps? I wonder of there is a way to use that in a stove? Maybe in a homemade can stove? It is available for purchase at Amazon and not too expensive.

Interesting subject, I had a little cannon that used it for making booms a long time ago.

Grandpa used to use a carbide light for coon hunting, I still have it. They need water and of course the carbide. The gas created makes a flame so in theory you might be able to use it for heating. If I recall they burned quite a while too.

Puts off acetylene I think

Yup. Used a carbide smoker to blacken the sights on my pistol before a match.

It's readily available but now it's called acetylene. Any welding shop will gladly sell you a bottle.

CaC is sort of like a rock. You put a little water on it and it instantly undergoes a reaction to produce acetylene.

Can’t be store in a container without acetone to stabilize it over 39 psi, can detonate.

Years ago, like 60, the machine shop had something like this for torch work.

Propane is much more readily available, and is stable, and is cheap. The same can be said for propane appliances.

There's a reason for the red bar above fifteen pounds on the Acetylene gauge.

Hell, I ran a cutting torch professionally for five years. For 98% of my work, I preferred the propane torch. Dirt cheap to run.

No danger of dpetonation with propane.

No the Calcium Carbide will make acetylene which has tendency to go bang if not controlled. My father worked in a coal mine in the early years.We use to make carbide bombs with it.Couple kernels, spit and a small hole in a can.I still have 2-3 carbide lamps around.

Last time I got my acetylene bottle filled it was $135 and that was about 5 years ago. 20# tank of propane is about $15

doesnt burn very clean

I knew a guy that made a packet of money rebuilding drilling bits. Cut them in half and replaced the bearings and carbide tips then welded them back up and had them remachined. He used lots of gas. Used oxygen wet tanks and made his own acetylene using calcium carbide. Got it in 50lb. Bags I think.

I was just curious. Thanks for the responses.

Seems like the drawbacks include;
1. Not stable above 39psi.
2. Doesn't burn clean.
3. Costs more than propane.
4. No problem obtaining some, but not as readily available as propane.

Might be fun to use in a homemade can stove but my homemade alcohol stove is probably better.

Think I'll stick to common camp appliances using propane, white gas or butane.

Those old carbide miners lights got a lot of men killed. It's an open flame and when natural methane in a coal mine hits it, kablooooooey. The whole mine can explode.

Acetylene generator

your alcohol stove is the way to go for weight and cold, butane or propane for convenance

Not to mention that 20# propane bottle will outlast several of those $135 Acetylene tanks.

I had one of the head lamps when I was a teen, it snapped onto a ball cap that had a metal bracket sewn into it.

Use to get the solid carbide at a local sporting goods/army navy type store.

Used most the carbide to make bombs outta mason jars.
Half a jar of water, a small handful of the rocks, screw the lid on tight and huck it and wait til it blew up.

The light worked OK too, just seldom used it.
Last time I looked you could still buy them.

I have some friends who are spelunkers and they still use the carbide lamps.

https://www.karstsports.com/minex-miners-carbide-lamp/

This time of year, I prefer calcium chloride.