Hi All, I have a Tilley X246B that I want to restore back to rude health. I also fancy going for the polished look for the base. So far I have stripped the paint off with nitromores (hope this was the right way of going about it) and was wondering what the next stage is. Is it rubbing it down with wire wool (if so, what grades) or using something like autosol cleaner on it? I've used the autosol to good effect on my Vaplaux's and petromaxs' but that was just to clean them up a bit. Many thanks.
I should add that the base was in a right state otherwise I would have kept the original paint, which I've done with my other Tilleys.
@daesm If you want it back to brass, use 000 steel wool (in moderation) and polish with Autosol. Tony
This is a bit of a noddy question and a 'how long is a piece of string' question. I had a go tonight at starting on the tilley base that I had removed the paint from. I followed the advice from Tony above and having read around I used GT85 (finer version of WD40) with the wire wool. I then polished with autosol afterwards. The result is shown in the photos. How long do I keep using the wire wool to remove all of the imperfections etc? Don't get me wrong, the result I have at the moment is a lot better than when I started but I would like to get better at this stuff.
From my experience you won't get those imperfections out with wire wool. You would have to use wet and dry paper, starting with a coarse grade to rub the metal back. Then use finer grades to get an even finish. It is possible but will require a lot of time and elbow grease or a buffing machine. Hope you succeed with your restoration
Yeah, some types of tank I've seen have an almost 'orange-peel' type of surface. I guess a lot of elbow grease and buffing would be needed to remove that (along with a lot of metal, unfortunately). Personally, I don't bother because most Tilleys were painted and I like to restore them rather than make them into something they never were. Anyway, I'm too lazy and once you polish them, you have to keep on polishing them. Then when you use them, you have to clean them and then polish them again. For me, that's far too much effort required. But it's horses for courses, naturally, and it would be a boring world if we were all the same...
I think I am now with your school of thought! I've spent the evening cleaning up the Tilley lamp that I got with the King Seeley, no paint stripper involved this time (both for £20, so quite pleased! Switched to do that one as it will become a house warming pressie for brother-in-law) and that has come up reasonably well but I think the vapouriser is knackered as I can't feel the pricker coming out of the top. I took the pricker out and cleaned it up to no avail. All good fun though Out of interest I don't know whether it is an X246 A or B. It is stamped XC99 on the base as far as I can make out. Photo attached (Ignore the mess that is our house!)
@daesm It's an X246B. If you visit the Reference Gallery you will see that the way the frame attaches to the tank, and the frame itself, differs between the A and the B. The "99" indicates 1999 as date of manufacture. Did you look at the pricker needle to see if it still had its little tip? Cheers Tony
I feel a bit of a prat now for not looking in the reference gallery - lesson learnt! Yes, the pricker needle still has a tip but when I reassemble I cannot feel it protruding from the tube when I turn the control cock.
@daesm Put a little dab of solder on the bottom of the pricker to lengthen it slightly (not too much). Cheers Tony
Never soldered before but luckily the dept I work in has a workshop with a chap who can solder! Thanks for the tip
@daesm You probably only need 0.5mm so be careful not to force the wide part of the pricker through the jet. Just enough to make the point poke through. Cheers Tony
Very droll, Trevor, very droll... daesm, your house reminds me of mine so I felt quite at home. [Bryan Sewell voice]I rather like the Clarice Cliff-esque ceramic pieces yet ponder their juxtaposition in a post-industrial society... [/Bryan Sewell voice].
Aye, but I'd probably just put a folded piece of kitchen foil down the top of the control cock which would achieve the same effect! Seriously though, I wonder if the seal at the bottom of the vapouriser is a non-Tilley replacement and slightly too thick. It's something I'd look at and probably replace anyway...
@David Shouksmith & @shagratork Surely there is no such thing as an ignorant stovie... I have had a couple of "pricker/vapouriser" combos where the pricker was just short - wouldn't work properly in other vapourisers as well. Foil could be a fix, but it could end up in the workings. Cheers Tony
It was, Trevor - I just thought you were making a joke of it as well. Good tip / tip of the pricker rod - geddit...
Ha! David, you are correct. I did think that Tony's advice was good and also thought my comment 'Very good tip' would make some people smile.
I like foil and solder for a test. But sadly I doubt they will last long... Foil will mangle quickly and end up "in the works" making other trouble - as predicted. Solder will work fine on Day 1. Then if left under any pressure it will cold flow (or even hot flow!) and not be where it used to be the next time. Tried all of this on my own X246B... still a project which is pending. Should I buy it a burner, new/old/otherwise? Not much else left to try.
@JonD That's interesting that you've had solder at the very bottom of your pricker rod flow. I've not seen that before. Cheers Tony
Once I've replaced all the seals I'll give it a try but I am resigned to the fact that I will have to buy a new one but they are not cheap - more than I paid for the lamp! - when I look on a well known auction site and other outlets.
It's OK to mention eBay here; assuming that's the site you're referring to. You can even link directly to live BIN auctions there (but not to the other kind of auction - until it's over anyway). Hope that helps...
The tip of the pricker wire is very very thin indeed, about 0.007", a bit like a bee sting, and almost invisible. It's possible for the very fine tip to break off or burn away. The point still looks and feels sharp but of course it won't go through the jet hole. Last week I had a pricker tip break off and block the jet, extinguishing the lamp and causing me some head-scratching. I had to clear the jet using a new pricker wire from the top.
