Uh oh, I might be a lampie!

A collector of lamps that is. This is the enclosed porch on our house, they all Coleman here, right to left we've got a 117a, CQ, 152 and a BQ.
Now that I look at it I think the 117a actually has a CQ burner, its fitted with an R55 generator which doesn't make sense, the 117a had the new roto type burner assembly that used a 220 type generator with built in pricker. The 117 had a slant burner assembly that could potentially have sported an R55 generator but not in the orientation this one has.

The BQ is probably a little bent, the shade tips way forward in the picture and at first I thought it was just that the hook is too far from the wall, which it is, but no even with the base tipped out the shade still tips way forward. Theres a solder joint at the fount where somebody has obviously repaired a leak of some sort so I'm hesitant to mess with the tube since the lamp does burn nicely.

I just finished the CQ today, I'd pulled the burner a couple weeks ago to clean it and managed to bust the stud that holds the shade holder to the burner. I got a replacement burner from a nice guy on Facebook, then drilled and tapped the nut that holds it on. I cut the head off a 10-32 screw to use as a stud and it works fine. It burned good before I started, I should have left well enough alone.

Not in the picture is the Kerosafe lamp which started all this obsession or my other BQ which is on the bench now as my next project. It passes air through the R55 generator so I don't think it will take much to get it running. I want to polish up the nickel before I go too far getting it going.

The Kerosafe in its glory

Had the Kerosafe burning this evening with its globe on. I got it lit and burning good with the globe off, then got the globe on before it cooled off too much.

These pictures are lousy I know but you get the idea.
I'm beginning to think that this lamp has been converted to burn naptha (Coleman fuel) as its tricky to light and hard to keep lit. Even with the globe on it needs more heat every couple minutes. Granted it was in the mid '50s outside.
I also don't think its as bright as it should be, its maybe as bright as a 40 watt bulb and very yellow. Either the generator is really dirty (a distinct possibility) or somebody has set it up for a lighter fuel. Its got a distinct smell of kerosene when burning (if you hold your nose over the top) which makes me think it may be running rich. Tomorrow I'll drain the kerosene and try it with Coleman fuel. I've heard that since today's K1 is different than the kerosene of yesteryear it may want a 50/50 mix of K1 and Coleman fuel. I'll have to mess around and find out.

Kerosafe - So CLOSE!

Last night as I was farting around with all my projects in the garage I tried the check valve in the Kerosafe again and finally was rewarded with the sound of silence...
Meaning I pumped air into the tank and it didn't all leak out again immediately. This is a big win, I've been soaking the check valve in various substances (most recently carb cleaner) for a couple weeks now and while its improved a little every day I didn't really feel like I was getting anywhere.
The valve still leaks some, apparently the ball inside the valve has a sweet spot, but no where near as bad as it did. So tomorrow I'm going to pick up one of the hideously expensive ($12) gallons of kerosene at the hardware store, tie on a set of mantles and give this thing a shot!

In other news

The pump for the Kerosafe FINALLY arrived. USPS took their sweet dang time getting it here. Of course the leather was all dried out but a little time in an ATF bath fixed that. The next problem is the check valve leaks badly. Its possible a little soak in PB Blaster will free that up. I'll do that when I get back from California in a couple weeks.
Actually if I was smart I'd get it into the Blaster now....

Lamp pictures

Bob over on the Old Town Yucca Coleman forum asked for pictures of my Kerrosafe with the shade off. I'm going to post them here as its easy to link them over that way.

AGM 2572

The double mantle lantern is an AGM 2572, its in fairly rough shape, most of the paint on the base is compromised and the top has some significant chips out of it. The pressure pump and gas cap seem to both work correctly (a first, usually the pump's leather is dry) but the packing around the valve leaks. I'm going to try gently tightening it but it'll probably need replacement. Assuming its the same size as the Coleman 220F I've got it's easily obtainable.

I haven't found out much about this lantern, it seems uncommon, at least when compared to the 3016 which I've seen several of. AGM (then owned by King-Seeley-Thermos) seems to have stopped producing lamps in 1968 so mine must be older than that.

I tried to order a pump for the Kerosafe today but Lehmans' says they're out of stock. I tried to contact them to ask when they'll be in stock but their webpage won't accept any email address so I don't know if my messages are getting through. At any rate that same page, which used to be excellent seems to have gotten mostly broken in a redesign. In the meantime I'm trying some other sources.

One mystery down

I've been wondering where the Kerosafe lamp came from and how did it get in my grandmother's house? Did it come with the house, a relic of a bygone era?

Well the answe is no. My dad bought it at a yard sale for $0.50 years ago because it "looked interesting".

I checked out my grandfather's whitegas lanterns. One is a fairly old (60's?) AGM double mantle. The other is a newer (mid 70's?) Coleman single lantern. I plan to snag them both. Technically the AGM is my cousin
Tom's and the Coleman is mine. We'd decided this years ago when were were kids. Tom has kids of his own now and lives in Texas. I think maybe I'll clean it up and give it to him the next time he comes to visit his folks.

So I keep thinking about the Kerosafe lamp, how could I not? It sits in the living room and mocks me...
I've done more research, its interesting that there is actually very little info on kerosene pressure lamps available. Most of what I've found relates to the Petromax and Butterfly lanterns.
In the meantime I've gotten the Coleman whitegas lantern Angie's pepre gave me working. The gas cap leaked but the one from my grandfather's whitegas stove works so I used that. I need to get some replacement seal rings as I've got a couple other stove caps that leak. That experience reminded me how cool whitegas lanterns (and pressure lanterns in general) are. My grandfather had two which both still hang in his garage. I'm on vacation next week (starting now actually) and I'm going to try to get those going.

I'm going to get a couple of the Petromax mantles in the Kerosafe. Apparently kerosene lamps burn at higher pressure and the Petromax mantles supposedly have a larger mesh which keeps them from blowing out. They're also supposed to be very bright and are only a little more expensive than Coleman mantles. With any luck I'll find the pressure pump for the Kerosafe where I found the kerosafe (in my grandmother's house) originally. If not I have a complete spare pump assembly from a Coleman stove I was trying to get working, I wonder if with a small piece of tubing I could make a pump. Thats the kind of can-do spirit this country was built on!

Kerosafe

We spent last weekend at my parent's house. When we were getting ready to leave my mother told me to take something of mine from my bedroom. I chose this:As near as I can tell its a Kerosafe M1001 made by the Thomas Manufacturing company of Dayton, Ohio sometime between about 1913 and 1926. Information is scarce about these though I did find Pressure Lamps International which basically has told me everything I know on the subject. If you Google Kerosafe m1001 there are 5 hits, one is in German...

I found the lamp in my Grandmother's house where it'd sat for who knows how long, my lifetime anyway. All I've done is clean it a bit with a wet paper towel. To fire it I need an airpump which it appears I can get from Lehman's, mantles which I've got and something that'll pass for Kerosene.

Apparently K1 which is what passes for kerosene these days isn't good for much and white gas is too volitile. I've read that a 50/50 mix of K1 and white gas or K1 and odorless mineral spirits will work. I've got to travel next week but when I get back I'll see what I can do. The lamp appears to be in near perfect condition. I'd like to have it useable.

-Curt