I have my Bialaddin 315 in bits, my first pressure lantern. The overhaul kit has 6 washers in it. I can see: 2 for the filler cap / release screw. 1 for the valve seat at the bottom of the pump. 1 for the screw cap that goes over the pricker actuator shaft. 1 for the seat where the vapouriser sits. That makes 5. Where does the last one go / what else do I need to take apart?
Hi @Eoin I’m assuming it is a small pip which fits inside the NRV at the base of the pump. Regards Jeremy
Thanks, I had seen the 'pip' in with the seals but assumed it was a bit that fell out of the middle of one of the others! I hadn't looked inside the NRV, just done it and seen where the pip goes. That means I now have 6 from 7, not 5 from 6 - still 1 unknown!
OK, so I screw out the assembly with the pricker actuator shaft? Makes sense. I'm going to get pictures of this lot. Plenty of potential leak points on these things!
Yeah, I think that, originally, there were actually two kinds of seals kit - for the military and civvy versions where there is a difference in the diameter of the filler cap. I suspect what then happened is that the manufacturers found it less bother to simply issue one kit which would cater for either version. There was an illustration on the back of the paper packet showing which seal was intended for each location. Mind you, I'm surprised whoever supplied your kit didn't include a small slip of paper with the same information - basic customer care, I'd call that...
So, all re-assembled, filled with kerosene and lit. But, there are a lot of flames outside the mantle and these won't go away. From what I have read on here, that means the jet hole in to top of the vapouriser is enlarged and letting through too much fuel?
Sounds likely. There is a method of lightly hitting the jet hole with a round ended hammer. It's called peening I think.
I saw in another thread that the holes size should be 0.175 mm diameter. Mine is approx. 0.5 mm diameter.
Well a 300cp jet should be just under 0.2 mm, 0.17 is about right for 200cp. If you have a jet that is 0.5 mm, then it is dead.
I bought a new vapouriser. The hole is tiny, and the pricker acually has a fine end on it, not present on the original. Picture as bought: Cleaned up and first lighting after new vapouriser fitted:
Looks lovely and it's working well! Long term you could consider spraying the tank/fount silver. I notice the filler cap, pump and control valve still have silver paint left on them. This would stop the brass tarnishing and make it look closer to the original. Alternatively you could use spray laquer so you can see the shiny brass but be careful not to use Brasso as it can cause problems with the integrity of the metal. BTW the 315 is my favourite Bialaddin!
Non return valve internal seal: Valve with new seal dropped into housing: Housing assembled with external seal:
The silver is still present underneath as well. I think it would be nice to get it back to silver, I wanted to concentrate on the function first. Plus, I've never been any good at painting!
Well done on getting the lamp going. You could Practice spray painting a tin or bottle with a can of spray paint. This is a great hobby to learn new skills. Cheers Pete
I checked out some YouTube 'how to' videos that supposedly showed you how to spray using a can but the videos were hit and miss. Here are my tips. 1. Make sure the surface is clean and de-greased - I use the same panel wipe I bought for my Coleman Fuel based devices as this is actually what it's for! (1a. Consider practice spraying something else first) 2. Don't bother with an undercoat - if it's not matched with your paint you can get a reaction and you'll have to start again 3. Shake the can till your arm drops off 4. Don't spray paint in damp or moist conditions, in the cold or in direct sunlight. If it is cold you can warm the part up before you start but just warm, not blisteringly hot! 5. Keep the can at the recommended distance from the work 6. Take your finger off the nozzle after each 'stroke' - don't press the nozzle continuously or you'll get runs and patches. This is very important! Treat the can like an actual brush. 7. Aim to apply for 3 coats minimum: one thin coat and two or more top coats depending on the coverage. 8. Allow each coat to dry for an hour at least or use an oven to bake the painted part at about 50C - 90C deg 9. Try to get the part in a position where you can see surface reflections. It makes it easier to tell how thick each coat is and the surface liquiclity 10. Unless you have a workshop oven to quick cure your finished spray job (not your food oven unless you like eating chemical tasting chops!), leave the newly painted part at least a day before you try to assemble the lamp or stove. That's it. Apologies if some of this is seems obvious but I wanted to make sure I didn't forget anything! Happy spraying. Colin
Yes, I find this is usually the case when I look at any YouTube clips - about 90% are unhelpful / dubious / plain wrong / dangerous and about 10% are worthwhile. But that's what you get when you give Joe Public the facility to broadcast his views to the world. Yes, the only thing I would add to that is to begin the stroke (i.e. press the tit) before the tank and end the stroke (finger off the tit) beyond the tank. This is the skill that needs to be learned - an even, properly paced, swing of the arm at the correct distance and timing the spray 'on' and 'off' correctly with the swing. I suspect some beginners 'aim and shoot' too close and then wonder why they get an uneven coat of paint and lots of runs. One of these days I'm going to get an old record player deck, put the tank in the middle and set it away at either 33 or 45rpm. Then one spray of paint as the tank revolves, overlapping slightly from top to bottom should bring about the desired finish...
Your idea of using an old record deck is brilliant, David! I'm definitely going to find one and have a go, plus it'll be useful for spraying loads of different things as well as lanterns. Top Tip!
David, it sounds like you've been watching too many, "Looney Tunes". Now, having said that, I think the turn table idea is a damn good one! It's like a potter's wheel, only smaller!