Hi I've just purchased a chrome guardsman tilley lamp,it looks like it's only been lit once every thing looks new. it has an aspestos mantle that I thought was only for R1 radiators .I was going to replace it with a standard mantle when I noticed the picture on an original box I own shows an asbestos mantle is this the original mantle and also what date is it appreciate your comments many thanks.
Fine looking lantern you have there @col So are those in the backgound. Original or not, I'd leave the asbestos mantle as is. They are not common these days. Just make sure not to breathe in the dust.
Not real familiar with Tilley lanterns, although I own about 6 or 7. No expert on these, but I can't remember seeing a mantel like that on a Tilley lantern.
In my opinion, you should carefully remove that asbestos mantle and place it in a sealed container and then fit a proper lantern mantle. Tilley stopped producing asbestos mantles and started to produce wire mesh mantles for safety reasons, both types of mantles were for heaters only. That lantern is a fine example!
How about putting burner and mantle inside a glass jar and finding another for the lamp? That way a piece of history is preserved.
Hi @col Asbestos mantles are very dangerous and you would be wise to seal it in a container and put it away. Use hair spray first before removing it as suggested by @X246A. This asbestos mantel was used for the Tilley heaters only before asbestos became a known and acknowledged carcinogen. Nice lamp, very good example. Cheers Pete
Some gardeners use a lamp as a greenhouse heater, I suspect that is whats happened here, they fitted a heater mantel for more heat/less light. Martin
Thanks for the feedback everyone I'll replace it this afternoon ,strange how tilley advertised this lamp with an aspestos mantle.
No, I think the illustration shows an artist's impression of a correctly-inflated lamp mantle and not the asbestos heater mantle. I don't know for sure but I'd imagine the glass globe wouldn't be too happy if a heater mantle was run in a lantern - nor the hood, probably...
