After several years of suffering mental health issues, depression/anxiety etc....going through a divorce after 35 years of marriage and settling into a new life with my new woman, I seem to have got some enthusiasm back for my hobbies. I've sorted my garage out and made a new fettling bench for my bench drill etc....the time is getting near to start fettling me lamps, some of which I've owned since the 1970's a couple I was given by my current next door neighbour, along with a couple of Optimus stoves a couple of years ago.
A nice mix of blow lamps, stoves (including some wick ones) and lanterns to keep you busy for a while.
I've got more in me shed down the garden, along with about 100 hurricane lamps that I've started fettling some of since this ongoing lockdown. I'm getting very keen for this lockdown to end so my partner and me can drag our trailer tent off to a campsite and get some use out of some of them....you can't beat cooking on paraffin stoves and having the lamps lit up after dark.
@Cyril Benn Good to know you got your mojo back Looks like you got a HD sportster among your excellent collection. I had a 1200 custom and a 48 until recently. Other one is that a BSA? Is that a bottle of beer I spy on the shelf there? Is it a rather exotic brew? (A Barley Wine?) I had one I bought on a motorcycling/camping/real ale pub crawl tour of Devon and Cornwall I got in the 1970s and you had to keep it for ages before opening if I recall. I recognise from the gold tag, if I remember right... damned if I can remember the name of it and brewery. Is it still made?
The bike on the left with the hose hanging round the headlamp is a 1955 BSA B31, it's a 1956 model year with Ariel full width hubs...BSA used to launch the following years model range in the August of the year before. The Harley is an XLH1200 Sportster from 1998. I got that brand new, remember picking it up from the dealer on 1st August like it was yesterday. If you look very closely between those 2 bikes....under the box, which is actually an airgun target...you will see evidence of a 3rd bike, which is a 1967 BSA A65 Spitfire. There is a 4th one, lurking in the far right corner, which is another BSA...a 1939 B21 De-Luxe...I bought that one in the summer of 1978 when I was 18. The bottle of beer is Thomas Hardy, brewed by Eldridge Pope back in the 1980's...there is another one behind it, they are both serial numbered and unopen...well past their best now methinks. There is also another bottle of centenary ale which I can't remember the name of at present.
Your tidy up looks okay, but i think you need to dust and polish some of the lamps. great collection by the way.
Once restored they go on display and once in a while some get polished bit hard polishing up 250 on display inside house. The rest are in the shed lost count there.Bob.
@Cyril Benn Thanks for the info, some interesting bikes, if you get the B21 out sometime, I’d love to see a photo. My pal has a Jubilee Bonneville in his shed he bought new in 1977, he has the same memory from picking it up, it was like yesterday... Happy fettling mate.
My first "proper" motorcycle was a 1947 B31, the last one a 1971 A65. Also had a Morini 500 (only new bike), 750 and 850 Norton Commando and some other stuff thrown in between. I do miss motorcycling! On the beer front; I have a 2013 Batesman Limited Release Vintage Ale that clearly states "Best after 2013, best before 2037" so I still have plenty time to drink it!
My A65 is a 1970 Thunderbolt. Boring but it works. I do have a Mk IV Spitfire motor and a Lightning frame that was supposed to be the basis of a cafe racer. Maybe one day.
Hi Nils @Nils Stephenson , if you plan on giving the A65 engine a "run for its life" I recommend you have a needle/roller bearing conversion fitted to the crankshaft. The bush bearing is a very weak point in the design. I had both the Lightning (late 60s) and Thunderbolt (1971) versions and both let me down in that department! Also had an early '60s one which I started to build in the "café racer" mode and had the conversion fitted (SRM Engineering) but before it was finished I had to sell this one and the B31 (amongst other things, like most all my guns) to sponsor my divorce.
Yes I know about the bearing conversion and a few other things that SRM do. The Thunderbolt is on it's second engine because of a seized big end. These are all projects that are waiting for when there is time. Who knows when that will be.
My garage is a damn mess! However, everytime I go in it, it's like going through King Solomon's mine: I find a new lantern that I forgot I had! Modern treasure hunt!
SRM rebuilt my bottom end and bodged it, it lasted 8 1/2 thousand miles before the drive side big end seized due to a bad crank regrind. Also the idler gear bush was rotating in the crankcase which wore an oval hole where the bush should have fitted. I'll never be using them again.!! Me B21 has been in bits for too many years (38.!!) due to my ex wife spending all our money. I'll be starting the restoration this year, but it'll be a while before it's back on the road.
No, George - I think you'll find that's MY garage! Last time I was in there, I found this:- 1946 X246 Short-handle Porcupine... I thought someone had been in there raking around...
Hi Cyril @Cyril Benn Welcome to the forum. You have a nice collection of interesting pressure devices there and a nice introduction and first post. You have joined just in time to join in with the Virtual Newark and show some of your collection running: Virtual Newark - 30 May 2020 Regards Jeremy
