Build the (Unofficial) Boy Scout Candle Lantern

(Page 2 of 2)

March/April 1984
By William Luke 
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With that done, go back to your two sections of coat-hanger wire and bend each one in the middle to form a "U". Insert the ends of the wires through the holes in the can—down through the top—so that the tips protrude from the bottom. Let about half an inch of each of the ends poke out, then bend them outward slightly . . . to form "legs" for the lantern and to hold the wires permanently in place. To make a carrying handle, use the copper wire to bind your stick of wood to the undersides of the two coathanger loops extending above the top of the can.

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Your final chore is to drive that inch-long nail through the center of the tin's bottom, leaving the nail sticking up as a spike upon which to impale the candle. It's not a bad idea to lock the nail in its hole by dropping a dab of epoxy glue onto its head.

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE

This make-do device can be safely set on a table or other flat surface or be carried by its wooden handle. You can also use it to light a tent or similar shelter by suspending the lantern in front of your abode's door. [ EDI TOR'S NOTE: It's best not to use any open flame inside a tent.] The shiny back (ex-bottom) of the can will serve admirably as a reflector, while the mouth of the lantern will act as a sort of barrel that allows you to aim the illumination. And if you keep its back pointed into the wind, this little light will shine even in a storm.

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