Globe woes :-(

I don't know why but I was worried about the globe on the Light Brand from the beginning and my fears appear to have been justified. This just happened. Lit it just the same as I did last night and ping - cracked globe. I'm not 100% sure it was actually heat resistant glass, it seemed incredibly thin and felt fragile, which sounds subjective but it did. Oh well, the chances of finding another Light Brand globe are pretty much zero I'd say, so I'll have to be content with a generic one.

Anyone in the UK got suggestions where I could look, apart from eBay I mean?

 

base-camp.co.uk in Littlehampton may have a globe to fit?

 

Thanks KAB, I always forget to look at Base Camp! Good call!

 

Some of the globes suffer from heat stress, i've had a couple of straight Coleman and Vapalux/Bialaddin globes crack whilst just sitting on the window sill after cleaning them in warm soapy water, very frustrating!

 

For heat proof glass, thin is usually better. It is the uneven expansion that will kill it.
In a pinch a Coleman 214 or 339 globe will also work.

 

Did it crack while preheating or after turning on the gas?
No way to avoid if it was preheat but I never run them at wide open until the glass has warmed.

My Aladdin wickies in particular....they are long and thin chimneys and they need to be given a chance to adjust themselves to new conditions.
Commiserations.

 

My experience with globes is that they are liable to crack if they are 'tight'.
Make sure that they move freely.

 

The globe cracked after being fully alight for only about a couple of minutes and it was definitely not tight, quite the opposite! I just heard a 'ting' and there was a crack line. I plan to buy a replacement globe from Base Camp and then photograph the logo and replicate it on the new globe using etching fluid... I think. Will that be OK?

 

It was Chinese!

Some years ago, Base-Camp listed similar globes but warned potential purchasers of their fragility. Yer pays yer money...

Edit: It's still there:-

 

Ahhhh, so they are thin when they leave the factory - I even wondered if they were standard glass!

Base Camp are closed at the moment but as soon as they re-open I'll be buying at least one of their replacements.

 

A couple weeks ago I placed a bid on an Optimus 300 lantern with a, ............... wait for it............. bottomed out WECK pot as globe! (sitting upside down, so the logo was also upside down)
Someone else must have contacted the seller by mail or whatever and bought it. To bad! I confess my bid was rather low so I can only blame myself.
(For those wondering what a WECK pot is: these were glass jars and very popular to conserve food by sterilizing. This of course, was before everyone bought freezers and stopped gardening themselves. I remember well the days my mother was using these to conserve tons of home grown veggies.)

Best regards,

Wim

 

on different globes .
i have one made from a lab beaker .
it still has the volume markings on it .
it looks different , i think in a nice way .

kerry

 

Hmmmm, tell me more...

 

it is a 1000 mil pyrex beaker .
someone has cut the top and bottom off .
and also melted the cut edges to make them round .
kerry

 

@ColinG
i forgot to notify you .

kerry

 

I like that @kerry460 , I wonder what lamps it will fit?

 

I've just had an idea but it'll take time to experiment... the two cafetière we have are exactly the right diameter to fit in my Vapalux/Bialaddin lanterns. The question is, can they be cut to size easily without cracking or shattering? I have already successfully fitted the pyrex jug inside the lantern and it fits like a glove so the next stage will be cutting it to length.

The ones I have (unfortunately both wanted) fit the Vapalux frame but there is a larger size that might well do for Petromax/Coleman 290 type.

If this works and I see no reason why not as the beaker is also made of pyrex, this will be a cheap source for broken globes. In fact, it would best in some circumstances to use a cafetiere just and keep the original, particularly if it is etched with the makers name or logo.

This is going to be fun!

 

Here are some photos of what the fit is like. The pouring 'lip' might even make a useful place to light the preheat cup - not sure about that yet, but it's a possibility and it reduces the cutting involved.




The donor jug




Detail showing the pouring lip. It doesn't interfere with the seating of the glass.

 

If it works, this is the sort of jug that can be purchased. This one is £6.99 with free delivery or click and connect. They might be cheaper still if I search around! Charity shops nearly always have these for sale for a few pounds too!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-Litre-Glass-Coffee-Maker-Beaker-Jug-for-Bodum-8-Cup-Cafetieres/391617811181?_trkparms=aid%3D444000%26algo%3DSOI.DEFAULT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D48421%26meid%3Dae39fbcfa5c540dcae044d84e086abac%26pid%3D100752%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D311776628654%26itm%3D391617811181&_trksid=p2047675.c100752.m1982

 

I admire everyone's ingenuity and skill here, but wouldn't it just be easier to buy the correct glass globe?

 

Of course, but have you seen the prices? And for some lanterns it's almost impossible to obtain one and I'd rather not stuff a Coleman glove on an Anchor for instance and in any event, you'll pay through the nose for a genuine Coleman globe in it's packaging. This might not work, but it's worth a shot... and it's kinda fun!

 

@ColinG
G'day Colin,
Have a look at this post on cutting glass to fit.
Cutting glass globes

 

Nice! I think I need to take a few trips to the local charity shops to find a few old Pyrex cafetière jugs!

 

G,,day .
this is becoming very interesting

kerry

 

@kerry460, I made a globe for a Primus 1001 from a 2000ml pyrex glass lab beaker. I first polished off the markings with a hard stitched cloth polishing wheel and brown polish cake before cutting off the beaker top and bottom. It has given dozens of hours of service so far and is still fine.

 

G,,day
just in case of any confusion .
i did not cut down the beaker .
so i can not offer any help as to how to do it .

cheers
kerry

 

i bought a 242nl with the original globe and got a message from the seller that the globe cracked right in front of them. it had been moved to the other room they said so maybe temp change or something. they were nice and made good on globe replacement funds.

 

You can actually see the stresses in the glass if you look through polaroid glasses or a polaroid filter at the globe in a darkened room while shining light through a polaroid filter or lens onto the globe from the side. It shows up as a dark area or moire pattern in the glass. You may need to rotate the filter in front of your eyes or the one in front of the light source to get the best contrast.

 

Having searched for a while, I finally found an old cafetière in a second hand shop for £2 and used my new diamond cutter to take the bottom off. The resulting 'globe' is a bit rough round the top edge but it works. It's been in my Vapalux 300X for about half an hour so far and it's survived.

Here are some photos. If it lasts more than an hour I'll turn the lantern off and take some more photos of the globe on it's own. To keep the cutting down to a minimum I removed the base and left the pouring spout which actually makes priming and pre-heating a bit easier and leaves the heat treated rim intact.

 

Full marks for running with the idea, Colin!

Plate glass shops use a hand held belt sander to finish the edges of glass panes after cutting. If you feel the need to smooth the cut edge, an ordinary sheet of 80-120 grit water paper on a flat surface will do the job.