1777 The Perfect Plant Pot Heater 

this guy is the science teacher we all wanted as kids , bloody awesome bloke. love the videos.

Today years old I learnt a Watt is a Joule/second. Casually dropping that into a conversation asap.😊 Thank you Mr Rob

Basically the same as the old Boy Scout heater, which I keep in my basement emergency survival station. A standard church-key can make draft holes around the top and bottom of a very large aluminum can; invert the can over a candle or two (tea lights and votives work as well as utility candles, but need to be replaced more often), and - voila! - you have enough heat to take the worst of the chill from the room.

When u use plant pot, u should wrap some wire around it. So if it crack, it still stay it form and not fall apart and u do not burn all stuff.

My boy scout troop used to go snow caving. We'd often heat the snow caves with a few small candles. The walls would turn to ice and then the heat from a candle reflecting all around seemed 10x greater.

But where's the vortex? Lol, thanks as always Robert! Your thinking is always just a little off of conventional, and that makes it genius. Simple genius.

Hi. I am using an empty glass sandwich paste jar (any flavor will do 🙂), punched a hole though the metal lid, and then filled with Bio ethonol, I pushed the wick through the hole in the lid and screwed the top on the jar, and placed in an old stainless steel bread bin. No need for plate at the bottom.. Works a treat and warms up my workshop/garage nicely

This is the stuff that benefits the poorest amongst us " Instantly " in dark freezing day's like these. Bravo Robert, keep the life saving stuff coming. Keep ya cuppa warm on top 2. 👍

I am 66 years old. And have been an electronics technician and electrician for most all my life. _How am I just now learning that a Joule and a Watt are the same, as far as heat???_ Oh. Right. I'm a Yanker... But, yes, stratification is the biggest problem for heating. Friend had a loft house, and was complaining about the heating bills, and the difference in temperature between upper and lower. The solution was a ceiling fan. I'm already looking at a couple modifications. Starting with a second and third leg to add stability and support to allow cooking on top. You will want a MUCH LARGER BASE to do this safely. Also, you penetrated the pie tin. It is now not a safe containment for spilled fuel. If you spread the offset on the support more, you can mount them to the cutting board, but then will also need multiple supports for stability. Three is the perfect number, here. And now I need to figure out how to make a wick adjuster easily.

I remember looking at the plant pot design & it's really no different than the Bell heat chamber in large home masonry heaters. Eastern Europe is known for using large stone bells on the wood stove after the burn box to hold onto & radiate heat over very long times. As for the wick I took some natural hemp twine & spun a wick out of that & held it with a wadded up ball of aluminum foil. I pressed the wick into the center of the ball after I crushed a pencil into the center to make a hole. This let me put the wick & holder into the mouth of a very odd shaped bottle. Since it's foil the heat never gets to the glass of the Crystal Skull bottle I used. Very spooky too ^_^

That heater works awesome Mr. Smith! I can tell because you went from wet hair to what looked to be completely dry hair in just minutes

Robert must be an absolute nightmare for his other half to go shopping with. "Oh, look. This stainless bowl would make a great heater....... And this cutlery stand could make a great heater....... Ooh, and these blocks of beef dripping just needs some wicks and an enclosure to become a really great heater..... And..... And...... And...... TOILET BOWL ROCKET STOVE !!!" "But look, there's REAL pre built heaters for sale, right over there." "Nah, it's alright, I don't need one......... But if we pass an exhaust place on the way home, can we pop in?......... I need some stainless pipe, because I've got an idea for a really great heater". 🤣🤣🤣

Once again, great idea well made. Thanks Rob.

I've used the top off a gas bottle.. a big dog food tin fits nicely over the top

I've got a large cutting board, 2 bricks and a hamster bowl with 5x8 hour tea candles. Originally I covered it with a stew pot with handles, worked a tree then I saw your graphite plant pot and coloured it inside and out, covered the holes with aluminium foil to reflect the heat and topped it off with a little terracotta bonsai dish. I'll keep my eyes out for cracks. It was really cold one night so I put a glazed white plate on top to spread the heat outwards even more. Warms the whole room to an ambient temperature 👌🏻

this also works with an oil lamp and your idea to use stainless steel mesh as a mantle around it instead of a glass globe. great idea and it can be scaled up significantly. had seen a 55 gallon steel drum with one end removed set on cinder blocks open end down and a pan with fiberglass insulation in a pan soaked in ethanol as a burner. worked great as a shop heater

- if one were to wrap the original plantpot in wire - straight or chicken wire - the pot won't explode / collapse if it cracks - placing inside a bunded reflector increases safety no matter the "blackbody" used.

This is really clever. I think the carbon felt wick might be a really good choice but the cotton did the job by showing what can be done with less. You keep my mind engaged with possibilities and I love that. Now have several concepts in the works for my own projects. If I can just get around my work, farm and side hustles I might have time to try some. 🙂

You are one of a few people I like to see wacking things

Thank you very much Robert, I will test this in the ongoing dark and cold Finnish winter where strange things lurk in the shadows and peak in through the windows (even though I live in the fifth floor of our yurt). I have some anger issues so this will be a good project to distract my self from the inner malice that tries to force it self out through me. I was given a "calming" brew by the local medicine hag, but the brew has only made the things lurking around more aggravated and they have started to bang on my windows. I hope the extra warmth provided by this contraption will make my living space more hostile for the creatures. Ps. Love your positive presence, very jolly fellow.

Brilliant solution, but I'd be tempted to not cut a hole in the cake tin, just bend the strapping more, otherwise spilt fuel will go through the hole in the tin and wooden base.

Really taken by how you took on our comments about the flower pot heater and instead of just pushing the idea that it’s the user and not the design that’s at fault. you have taken the ball in to your court and gone and produced a new and more safer tea light heater. So nice advancement in the flower pot fire starter design. Will it make the nice click clicking noises that remind you that its time you started to feel warn? well done.

If you put a reflector behind the candle it it will also provide decent lighting.. I have an almost identical mop I bought just for wicks, I showed it in my recent mini alcohol stove vid

this is the only channel i don't cancel google ads, actually I click them so I can support this guy somehow. THanks pal

Brilliant video, I learned some things I did not know and had never considered about soot and clean burning. Makes perfect sense, just never thought about it before. Wonderful video.

Looks like it should be a nice little room heater for a winter emergency or power outage.

Robert, there is something this heater is not doing optimally. Shiny surfaces have low emissivity in the infrared spectrum. If you shot-peen or sand-blast the surface and blacken it, it will radiate heat much more efficiently. A shiny material will simply not emit as much radiant heat as a dull material at the same temperature.

Excellent candle radiator instructions.

This is best channel on this subject ive seen.

I made something similar, with a little more mass behind it. i still had the old breaking discs of the rear breaks of my old BMW layin around. they are rather deep dished because the handbreak goes inside them. also i put a "skirt" around them made from ravioli cans, so its even more volume. takes ages for it to get hot, but stay sooooo damn hot even hours after the flame is off (okay, its several kilos of metal) of course needed to clean them quite well so i dont burn old break pad dust etc. and break pads are made to withstand high temperature differences etc. so i dont see them giving in ever from my alcohol fueled "candle" (have something similar to your contraption, just use 99% alco) edit: thinking about to make a 2nd one, since i have another disc layin around. its pretty damn effective. so if someone wants to go "next level" maybe ask in your local scrapyard if they have rear break discs for cheap, or keep them when you change your own. can only recommend

Happy new haircut Robert.

Brilliant! it seems in the US, a stainless steel toilet brush holder will be plastic, with a faux metal facade. Going to get to work finding a good alternative

Perfect adaptation for my van👏👏👏 Thanks for sharing your thoughts 👍👍👍

there's a video out there someplace where someone placed a few tea candles under a cast iron skillet (supported by a couple of bricks) and placed a wood stove fan inside the skillet and off it went pushing air and continued to do so well after the candle went out.. He also did the same thing by using a can filled with sand and created some hot sand that still operated the fan for a while after the candle had extinguished.

Hair cut looks good lol. Great job once again. 👍👍

Wow, you're smart, entertaining, and very educational!! Thanks for sharing.....

Confining warm air has been a "fun" challenge for me this winter, since the heat and air unit died. The small space heater works well, but it needs help. I obtained the lid of a disposable roasting pan (aluminum). I bent it over the arm of the couch to form an arched "duct". In front of the heater the flow of air can be aimed better. Sitting at the table I am quite cozy, with the heat aimed underneath and captured by some makeshift "skirting" around the table.

Great idea , you make the science easy to understand

Thank you for the excellent demonstration.

Really appreciate the data for calculations. Top job. Ta.

One of the best videos ive seen on this subject- again well done !

Another dose of common sense ……. So DESPERATELY needed in these times! THANK YOU SIR👍👍👍👍!

Put your metal toilet brush holder above a standerd oil lamp and enjoy the heat in the light. From a sunny warm South Africa 😊

As always excellent ideas, Your both an inspiration.

Thank you so much. An excellent little heater.

I love this channel so much! Great channel for all of us inventors. Much love everyone.

From Canada here. Cold as it gets frankly. This idea, although useable to heat a confined space can result in suffocation and or carbon monoxide poisoning. Homeless people die every year as a result of using candles in their tents without proper ventilation. So, I think it’s important to mention the safety issues that could arise as a result of using this to heat a confined space. Please ensure you have fresh air coming in and a place for harmful gasses to escape.

Well done good amount of humor along with the knowledge

and thanks for all your brilliant work. Mr. Murray-smith you are the best.

The only thing this is missing is a Stirling engine fan put on top to help direct the air. Or maybe one of those peltiers with a motor and a fan blade

Dankeschön für dein Video! Es ist wirklich sehr gut gemacht und super erklärt! Ich hoffe du machst noch viele weitere. Thank you mate for sharing your experience and wisdom!

I've subscribed and have been binge watching. Very clear instructions from a very informative guy.

Super Smart Simple Solution. I'll be building one of these very soon. Thanks for brilliant idea.

You are so fun! LOVE your videos...so informative and entertaining! Making my 'candle' now...thank you.

Made a mini one with a shallow tin, some tea candles, and tea infuser (LJUDLÖS) from IKEA. Brilliant idea

I'm seventy now, when I was young more people kept birds in sheds as pets and they used plant pots with a light bulb in a holder inside to keep the chill off the air so it is an old idea, but I really like the new methods and materials, thanks

Thank you for sharing your knowledge

Brilliant 🤩 what an awesome job 👍👍👍👍👍🕯🪔🕯🪔✅❤️🙏🏻

You could increase the heat in the chamber by drilling a few holes around the bottom of the chimney and lowering it on the candle. Thank you for the cool (pun intended) videos.

You are a legend Bob x

Another fine video, sir!

Great stuff!

Very good thanks best yet!

your a breath of fresh air i love your style and the communications of your instructions' are a blessing even with that twangy accent .. thanks for your help im never going to be board even started turning my spare room into a workshop .

Funny enough, I just picked up a toilet paper roll holder that would make a great cage to hold that toilet brush holder and potentially keep that burner in place! I had other plans for it, but now I'm positive I will try this.

I kept thinking about Hannibal Lectar watching this lmao! great video sir!

This is fantastic.I will try this with my simple glass,table top oil lamp. Maybe put a metal plate at the top on an angle,to force the heat coming out the top,to the front and sides. Can't wait to make it.I will gift it to my old mother to put in her bathroom that's always freezing.

Excellent video again,.

Thank you very much.

Looks like a good setup for the safety burner :)

Nice idea! I think that the radiator might radiate better if it was painted with a flat black paint. Also if you put the radiator can on a slide with a lever you could simply lower the radiator onto the top of the candle to smother the flame. My marginally ADD brain is getting a little of an overload watching your videos. So many things to try! So little time! I really do appreciate what you do and the way that you present and demonstrate such practical and useful ideas! Keep up the good work!

Looking smart today

Thank you for this video. Looks like a great idea. Subscribed.

Great idea in this bitter cold thank you

Progably worth mentioning to avoid chromed containers - very dangerous when heated.

Brilliant idea !

This looks like a great topping for a Bright Betty lamp!

Hi Robert, I’m new to your channel and particularly took inspiration from this video as I’ve often thought about making my own plant pot heater. My design consists of an 8” diameter Panettone tin which is 7 1/4” tall. It is inverted so that the tea light candles can sit within the lid and act as a tray. I initially punched 4 small holes around the side, just above the lid’s lip but I noticed there wasn’t enough airflow. So I increased the quantity of holes to 15 which are just under 2” apart. This still wasn’t enough so I got my step drill out and cut 7 1”holes whose centres are 2” from the bottom. This seems to be working well now. I’m currently running 3 tea lights inside and it is giving a surface temperature in the middle of the upper surface at 114 degsC. The sides are warm to touch but not hot enough to burn me. I’m going to add a 4th candle to see if it improves the output and see how it fairs. Does anyone have any further suggestions for improvements please? Update: Adding the 4th candle takes the upper surface temp to 130degsC.

nice one Rob.

I must have gotten lucky👍🏼i used my double plant pot heater for 5 years at least for a foot warmer under the computer desk. 3 small tealight worked fine. But!! This version will heat faster and longer. 👍🏼🍺

Always Quality !

Thank you

I may be repeating what others have said- but if a contained wax or oil burner raises the temperature of the wax to flash point then whoosh! Another factor is if bits of match or any other matters such as crane flies & moths serve as extra wick the temperature can rapidly rise faster than can escape by convecting and radiating away. If the candle is near anything flammable it can rapidly spread. It can also spit globs of fire if encountering drops of water (moth juice). This is the similar principle as a chip pan fire except a naked flame is already present. You could deliberately explore this in a safe place in the garden - but either let it burn out or lid/smother it, Dont use water or try to carry extremely hot wax. Awareness of danger is consciously responsible safety. But we are not all educated to any practical degree of responsibility - but towards a sealed unit with no user access.

Great video

Robert would be a great leprechaun for this year's Halloween

You could also add some insulation on the back side to make it a directional radiator(heat the person not the space and all)

Clever design. Thinking about household trash common in the US: aluminum pie plate, peanut butter jar, coffee can. I hadn't thought of a mop head for wick, nice improvisation! If we're parking it in an existing fireplace, we could hang the radiant can from the existing damper with a bit of chain or wire; can't knock over something that's hanging, right?

You need to find a project involving toilet brushes. You must have quite a few lying around by now.

6 inches of fresh wet and heavy snow since last night , in south central Upper Michigan

I can't stop thinking of Del Boy....

You're AWESOME!

the pot heater reminds me of the 12volt diesel parking heaters that have been the new crave.. the plant pot with a intake and output.. and a fan going over the container blowing it out..

So this is why I keep candles in my glove box. Winter storms in Western New York often catch people unprepared. When your car runs out of fuel, people freeze. The blizzard that started on the 24th of December saw more than 27 freeze to death. A candle in a tin could have stopped this. I also carry an emergency blanket.

Bit of curio, those types of candles are actually called "värmeljus" in Swedish, meaning "Heat candle"

The saying 'necessity is the mother of invention' springs to mind, I have lots of empty jam jars, 🤔

Thank you :)

Great idea! Takes me back to shared student houses with one paraffin heater that was passed around! You could rough up the stainless with fine sandpaper then spray it with black barbecue paint to make it radiate more heat. Thinking of trying something with one of those steel triangular axel stands that have a tube at the top

Pretty neat 👏

Nice one Robert, l may look for an old storage heater as their bricks are a decent size for this

I think the reason that planter cracked was because that guy used over a dozen candles, instead of just a few candles.