Three pins around the upper circumference of a lead-weighted base engage with lugs on the upper part. For both these examples, I ensured that potential gas sealing issues elderly pierceable-cartridge appliances are prone to were made safe. An obvious failure point is the valve-to-cartridge seal. Brittle and incapable of making a seal in this case. The two halves of a brittle O-ring in that photo illustrate another potential leakage point. First job is to remove that sprung plunger piston. A pin is drifted out … … and the plunger is removed - the control spindle from the valve is below. The O-ring on the piston and the two on the control spindle had to be replaced. Replaced and lightly smeared with silicone grease. Valve reassembled. A common mistake is to neglect to remove that plunger piston. Apart from the prospect of the O-ring on the piston failing to seal, the assembly grease will have aged, causing the piston to stick and not exert sufficient pressure on the valve-to-canister seal - another gas leakage point. Old grease cleaned out of the valve bore and off the piston, O-ring replaced and the piston re-greased, the spring action of the piston should be smooth, like this. Assembly of the lamp Valve removed, the gas canister is pressed up against those two leaf springs in the upper part of the lamp … … and the two clamp bars are engaged with the canister base. Control valve closed, the valve is screwed into place on the lamp housing, piercing the cartridge as it does so Mantle next. I favour this brand for the Veritas … … but tied on inside-out to create a ball shape when burned in and inflated rather than a sagging pear shape. The glassware One of the two lamps makes use of the 2 1/2-inch fitter to take a duplex ‘bulge’ chimney, an 8-inch white glass globe sitting in the 4-inch outer fitter. For the other lamp I utilised a ‘Juno’ chimney in borosilicate frosted glass. Suitable for the 4-inch fitter, I added four extended prongs to offer extra fitting security for the 12-inch tall chimney. John
@presscall Hi john these lamps look great i would never suspected them to be gas lamps at all Look good in house very tidy Cheers pete
Impeccable work and reportage as we've come to expect from you, John. Have I missed the bit where you replaced the main plunger to cartridge shaped seal? - it's very late, my eyes are a bit bleary and I'm slightly, er, 'refreshed'. I've one of these somewhere around here, suitably hidden because it looks a bit like w**** c*** but thanks to you, it's possible I may get it running when it eventually re-surfaces...
No, your eagle eye (however bleary) didn’t miss it David. I didn’t do a photo sequence, but the old one’s levered out - or as in the case of the one I replaced broken into bits in doing so - and a new one pushed in. Base Camp have them. The O-ring replacements were selected from one of those assortments Machine Mart and such places sell. I had an interesting chat with Mike at Base Camp when placing my order for the duplex chimney. I was aware that a classic duplex oil lamp typically has an oval-section chimney to accommodate the double wicks, but round-section chimneys are available in that fitter size also, as is the round-section ‘bulge’ pattern which I bought. I reasoned that as much clearance as possible between mantle and glass was desirable to cope with the radiant heat emitted all round the mantle as opposed to mainly upwards to the chimney outlet with a wick. The ‘bulge’ provides the most clearance and Mike’s listing for it mentions they’re for ‘electrified Duplex’. So ‘electrocution’ of oil lamps is as old a practice as there have been filament electric bulbs, such that the ‘bulge’ pattern best coped with the radiant heat from them too. I was aware of the existence of the ‘Juno’ pattern chimney from THIS post where one in clear glass is fitted to an 1895 US Miller oil lamp. 12-inches tall and with a 4-inch fitter, I realised that it was an ideal choice for one of the gassies. I chose an etched glass version to maintain the effect of an oil lamp better by diffusing the light’s intensity. Base Camp only lists the clear glass type but John Moncrieff glassworks stocks the etched (frosted) glass ones. One last point. The lamps are made of sheet brass and not brass-plated steel. Only the base plate is steel, ‘Veritas British Made’.
@David Shouksmith Forgot to mention, but a point that will save you a ponder if you get around to fettling the one you have. It’s that the threads on the control spindle packing nut are left-hand, so clockwise with the spanner to remove. The control spindle has to be removed to take the valve out of the fitter component it’s housed in, or just the control knob can be removed to do that.
Thanks John - great info! I well remember the struggle I had many decades ago with an Austin Maxi rear hub which I spent about a week trying to remove. Eventually I resorted to buying a Haynes manual when it proved to be held on by a left-hand threaded nut. It came off surprisingly quickly when I spannered it the correct way, despite all that extra tightening... I can about it now, but back then, not so much...
Beautiful lamps, work and presentation inspiring stuff and kind of draws me towards the older gas powered lamps thanks pb
@podbros Thanks Tim. They’re enjoyable and the facility to easily dim the lamp to low level without risk of carboning up or losing vapourisation on the paraffin and naptha lamps is an asset. I took the trouble to make the Juno glass equipped one’s support prongs more decorative with a bit of re-profiling and piercing. John
