Pls need help dating this Bialaddin 300

Hi Guys

Got this lantern today and am very happy, it's beautiful and I believe in very good condition with I think the original paint and just a little rust or corrosion.
I'd like some help dating it please. I've read up on a few similar queries and I could be wrong but perhaps mine is a bitsa lantern ‍♂️.
On the hood there are no markings but the Vapalux Halifax logo.
On the bottom of the cage, you'll forgive a newbie for not knowing the term but the bottom ring before the collar there is a Pat number stamped 540987
Around the collar there are no markings saying the model number or anything.
You can't see in the pics but it does have the pressure nipple thing I thinks it's called the PIP.

The tank is steel and not brass. The filler cap is much heavier than the same size cap from a different not so early Vapalux 300x I have.

Thanjs guys in advance, the help is much appreciated

 

The steel tank dates it quite firmly to the second world war (I believe) when brass was required for the war effort. I have a steel tank lamp that is very similar but yours is in excellent condition compared to mine and many others that suffer from rust. GIt doesn't need much in the way of fettling apart fro a rub here and there and a quick rinse for the early glass globe with it's lighting hole. All in all, it's a great lantern, you must be very pleased.

One question, is the collar steel or brass?

 

There are several members much more knowledgeable than me but from memory 'early pre 43/44 300X' has the multi slotted vented collar, later 43/44 onwards has the single 'triangular are vent. The date is normally stamped on the hood. Yours is a late version but with the steel tank likely right on the change over. The holed glass is also up for debate as I understand this was also originally for the earlier type. Lovely lamp and one I have yet to acquire.

 

I believe the lantern dates from 1943-44. Towards the end of the war they went back to brass. They could get the brass so they used it! The color is more towards 1944/45 colors. I have one like this but it's the RAF blue/gray color and dated 1943, steel tank. Dates can be tricky with these.
Very nice example!!

 

I would also estimate 1943-45.
Lovely lamps, I have 2 brown ones just the same and a few earlier lamps with slotted collars.

 

It's WW2 for sure but I suspect not entirely original. Steel tank with pressure tit should be 1940 to 1942 but the triangular vent hole is 43 to 45 ish. Also the brown top is probably about 1944-45. Trouble is these were military lanterns in the main and because all the parts were compatible with all the lamps the often got mixed up in any repair or maintenance. So mongrels are common but it seems to be all from that five year period and I guess that is close enough.
Change the globe though. First thing is that globe with lighting hole is getting very hard to find so wants preserving for the right lamp. Second thing is the lamp won't like it when preheating. The hole allows air to flow through and partially blow the meth flame away from the vaporiser which makes it more difficult to preheat. ::Neil::

 

My buddy Shaun has the same mix, earlier steel tank, later triangular vented collar plus the holed glass. Vapalux, not Bialaddin, 300X not 300, the mix of parts is quite common. Possibly mixing during repair and maintenance but could have also been pick and mix on the factory floor as I doubt that there was any definitive change over point for the models, whatever came to hand or they had a surplus of. I'd like to think that someone chose to replace the glass with the holed version after the original broke, although rare now they were an option back in the day and may have been considered easier to light, despite interfering with the draw and pre-heat process.

 

It is unsafe to assume a precise chronolgy for WW2 Vapalux. We see so many that sort of look mixed and we don't really know why. We do know the pressure tit was dropped in about 1942 when the steel tanks appeared first. So it appears on both brass and steel tanks. We also know that the pressure tit was re introduced in 1945 ish and also appears on early Bialaddin lamps. As far as we know the 1945 and later product was all brass but it is perhaps possible that the pressure tit was also replaced in the steel tanks at about that time before the steel tank was discontinued. ::Neil::

 

I can imagine your lamp being original but made from whatever parts the factory had to hand like paparazzi said. I'm not sure why but it just looks right to me. Also if the paint and the enamel cap are all brown I'd say that's another clue that's the lamp is as it came out of the factory. Not sure about to the globe though.

 

Now that’s a great looking lamp!

 

Now that’s a great looking lamp!

 

Now that’s a great looking lamp!

 

Sorry guys, don’t know what happened there.....

 

A fine restoration project!

 

Too many of these lamps about for them alk to be 'pick and mix' lamps. I would describe your lamp as a late Vapalux 300. In general terms the evolution sequence appears to be Vapalux E41 - early 300 with slotted cage and glass with hole - late 300 with triangular hole in cage and no hole in glass - Vapalux 300x with squat tank hood with holes and plate type pre heater - a few intermediate versions - Bialaddin 300x with later tank but otherwise as vapalux 300x. Of course there are many minor variations as well.
This period of production are my favourite lamps I have a good few of them and one day will get my hands on the elusive E41.

 

Hi guys.. well replying to Colin the collar and everything barring the hood is all steel.

Everything is all brown from the hood cap to the tank. For my untrained eye it resembles a lantern that's been in storage for 70 years!

I had read about suspicions of a lantern similar to this perhaps being an E41 but mine does not have the top indentation in the tank where the cage/collar sits, as the e41 has.
I recall reading the globe with lighting hole are better suited to the collar with slots...which is another thing that confuses me about this lantern.
Also this glass is far sturdier than the non holed glass that I have in an early Vapalux 300x. The latter is very thin and fragile but this holed glass in comparison is quite thick. Though I shall buy a non original new glass as I intend to use this lantern and don't want to risk breakage... but in all honesty I have to wonder, what's the point in keeping the globe packaged away and not using it...just be careful..unless of course it hampers the lighting procedure enough to bother you.

With no markings to indicate wether it's a 300 or 300x it is a bit difficult. There is just a Pat number on the collar.

HOWEVER.... rather romantically there is a surname inscribed on the collar which I'm assuming was the original owner. It's a rare name from a well to do family. I'd like to think that the original owner was a soldier/major/colonel that in his later years became a well respected botanist by the name of Anthony Hart Wolley Dod. Now he passed away in '48 at the age of I think 86 so perhaps this wasn't his but he may have bought it in his twilight years and this has been stored away since then ‍♂️... it's nice to think that anyway. If it wasn't his then there aren't many Wolley Dods out there and just the surname is inscribed. He had siblings but brothers mostly died in WW1 or before the WW2 period. Not many of the later Wolley Dods had sons, I'm assuming not many women of that period had use for a lantern in comparison to men. I haven't had much time to research further.

 

Haha Big Stevie thanks yes it's a lovely lantern.

Well to be honest Jeff... I love the lantern but I'm not sure exactly what to do with it now. I thought the collar would be brass so I was going to paint the tank, polish the collar inc the cage bars up the side and paint the hood black instead of polishing as I'm planning to occasionally use it.
However now finding that the parts I was intending to polish are steel, I'm at a loss as what to do. Quick query... I've heard that the hood if polished will quickly turn black or coke up maybe once used... would it be feasible for a polished hood to be occasionally be used and then re polished? Would it be a tough job to keep removing the blackening (‍♂️) after usage? Would it turn black after just say a couple of hours usage?

And lastly...I've read about cleaning the brass lanterns with a solution of warm water plus 1/3 vinegar.... but what about brass versions? Plus I can see some spots of rust inside the tank.

 

300x (x for export?) all have plate type pre heaters with a ring of small holes and hoods with multiple small holes rather than slots which I suspect was to make the lamps more insect proof for the intended export markets.

 

Perhaps you could clean it up and give it a full service and that would be enough.

All brass dulls and blackens with heat, the rust in the tank can usually be removed by putting ball bearings or nuts and bolts in it and shaking the tank a lot and then rinsing the tank with fresh paraffin/kerosene, sometimes the tank needs to be sealed with tank sealant.

 

Ah yes I recall doing the same with an old motorcycle tank...but with vinegar and nuts/ball bearings. Then rinsing. Do you think with vinegar would be a good idea? Thankfully the rust spots don't look too bad.
I meant to say before about cleaning a steel tank/cage etc rather than a brass one. Would 1/3 vinegar still be ok?

 

Vinegar should do the job.

 

I use distilled white vinegar, carefull not to leave items in it too long, a bit of fine (320 / 400) wet and dry and a suede brush on the stubborn bits then polish with a brillo pad as I don't like my brass work too shiny.

 

Cheers guys I'll get on it!

Re the exterior steel, pits of rust are showing through or under the paint. If I clean, service and leave then surely that rust will keep coming? ...albeit pretty slowly.

Would it be better to sand down, remove/treat rust then reapply new paint?

 

To be honest I've not seen the surface of the tank closely enough but it looks in better condition than most of its age. I'm not sure what others would suggest but I'd try to preserve the original paint at all costs. Even if you match it as closely as possible it'll never be quite the same... in fact I think it looks great like it is!

As I doubt this will be the last lantern you collect, great this one as the grandfather of your collection and keep adding more!

 

That indented tank top is not indicative of E41. The E41 came in a number of variations. I have 7 here all different but ony 2 have the indent tank. We identified about 14 variations a few years back in Newark when we lined around 30 up to study the variations. Less than half of them had that indented tank. So it is the hood and internal gallery for the burner that defines E41 not the tank. ::Neil::

 

Ian that makes sense, a gradual evolution from indented tank e41 to flat tank e41 to early 300 with slotted brass hood. Still need to get my hands on an e41 though but my early 300's are a very close rekation.

With regard to the rusty tank it is worthwhile persevering I have just restored an extremely rusty one, see pics, I will post the full restoration when its completed, hopefully later this week.

Cleaning up the old paint wasn't an option as only about 15% remained, the rest was rusty.

 

Evolution maybe but E41 and 300 were manufactured concurrently from 1940. We don't know why because in performance they are the same and with that internal gallery E41 must have been more expensive. What is interesting it that gallery is the same as the one for Tilley 500cp do nut lamps so that gallery tooling was probably in W&B workshop from years before in the days when they were making parts for Tilley. Makes me wonder if E41 was made because they had a considerable surplus in stock originally made for Tilley and when the two companies ceased cooperation in about 1939 they were left with a pile of stamped out parts and designed a hood to use them all up. ::Neil::

 

I also have the same lamp as this in brown with triangle vent hole and glass with a hole in. I think there are too many of them turning up like this to be a coincidence.
I have subsequently changed the glass because of the problems with pre heating.
I do however find it strange that they would leave the factory like that because of the problems with lighting. It could be a reason why they survived so well.

 

A real CRAP shoot!! And I thought Coleman 220/228B models were confusing with date reversals!

 

Taking another look at the lamp, I'd clean it gently with soapy water, dry it off well and keep it as-is in a dry place and enjoy it. Once the seals and washers etc are renewed I'm pretty sure it'll just work and give you years of faithful use.

I think I'm slowly falling in love with your lantern!!!