Happy New Year People...... Ok how do you straighten a slightly bent coleman burner frame. I put a burner frame i had in the vice and gently applied pressure and it put a kink in the tube Compared to Tilley’s Coleman are junk, nearly all the burner frames are bent. Poor quality and bad designs Anyhow whats the best way to straighten a bent frame, i have 6 frames i need to straighten out. Regards Darren
Hi Darren and Happy New Year to you. Wow....lots of sweeping statements there. I predominately collect Coleman and find them superb lanterns. They have been producing lamps/lanterns for over 100 years and in excess of 100 million lanterns... so can most likely be considered a successful company...something that you would not associate with poor quality and design. I agree that the later lanterns are not of similar quality as the earlier lanterns, but the same can be said of Tilley and their later production. I recently picked up a 93 year old Coleman lantern and filled it with fresh fuel and it lit without any fuss - something that happens often with Coleman. I doubt that could be said for a Tilley - I don' tthink they have been in production that long (happy to be corrected on this)? I have over 200 Colemans and rarely see bent frames - if dropped often the vent/collar or tank gets a bend or dent but rarely the frames (excluding later models). In particular the242,249,236 and 237 frames are very sturdy - perhaps be more specific and list the particulat models that you are having problems with? We all have different areas of interest (I pass on nice Tilleys I find for nice Colemans)and I understand your frustation but please go easy on my beloved Colemans. All the best to you and may 2020 be a great collecting year for you. Kindest regards Peter
So you bent 6 frames by tightening them in a vice? And you blame the frames?. I think more details are required and some photos.
Peterthevet fair call mate, good point raised. Blueflame......No I did not bend 6 burner frames in a vice. I received numerous colemans over the past year and have 6 bent burner tubes/frames. I have only put one in a vice and put a kink in the long burner tube trying to straighten it. I just wanted to know how people go about straightening the tube, the long tube from the valve to the top mixing chamber. Hi phaedrus mate coleman table lamps various models from 159x to CQ Regards Darren
Hi @Kiwiboy00 This may help. In these photos I’m straightening a CQ/C air intake tube. By using a snug fitting drill bit as a mandrill/anvil, and on a wooden base, the bend and any dents were removed using the judicious tapping from a wooden mallet. Progressively insert the drill bit up to the bend/dent and tap with the wooden mallet at the position of the drill bit’s end, you’ll find that you can now insert the drill bit further. Further inserting the drill bit still deeper and tapping the air tube, as before, the air tube was straightened and the dents removed. This description was modified from an extract from the description of my fettle of the CQ/C lamp, you can find it in “Recents” or the “Fettling Forumunder the title “Coleman CQ/C - Fettle”. Hope this helps Cheers Pete
Ok - now we know you are talking about lamps and not lanterns...important information as my comments apply mainly about lanterns. Coleman lamps are much harder to find in Australia compared to lanterns and therefore I have limited experience with them - the few I have found the main problem has been rusted base plates and/or missing parts. I do have a Duchess with a bent tube at the level of the threads (dropped).
This lamp is a perfect example, of how i received quite a few boxes of lamps over the past year or so. NOTE: This is how the lamps arrived, not from the same person, but multiple people from different parts of the world. Im guessing its the main/long burner tube from the valve to the mixing chamber that is bent. I just want to know a few tips and tricks to straighten them back out. Im hoping that im correct and its a common problem being the main/long burner tube that bends.
Aussiepete BIG BIG THANKYOU.....you have been an amazing help to me mate with the PM & photos along with your advise over my various posts. Also thankyou for the seals and packing nuts, very much appreciated, your a good man Peter.
Is this the wrong size packing nut ? or am i doing something incorrectly as the nut wont screw onto the valve thread. Should the packing nut fit inside the valve or the nut ? As it appears the carbon packing nut is bigger then the valve hole.
I think you have the right packing nut, judging by your earlier photos. Trim your graphite packing so it fits inside the packing nut and over the spindle, then get the packing nut to bite on the thread and tighten the nut. Tony
Hi @Kiwiboy00 I usually put the graphite seal inside the gland nut in the following order: 1. Slide the gland nut over the valve shaft and push it up to the valve knob. 2. Slide the graphite seal over the shaft up to and in the gland nut. 3. Slide the metal retaining collar over the shaft, with the beveled end facing the shaft’s pointy end. 3. Insert and crimp the retaining ring in its for purpose groove in the shaft. 4. Install the now loaded shaft into the valve body and screw it until the valve is roughly halfway closed. 5. Slide the gland nut up to the mating thread on the valve body and start screwing. (The graphite seal will be encapsulated inside the gland nut) 6. Screw up the gland nut until you feel a nice resistance when screwing the valve knob towards the valve closed position. (The tightening of the gland nut pressure forms the graphite seal around the shaft and valve body.) 7. Fully close and open the valve, using the knob, a couple of times, at the same time making any adjustments to the gland nut to achieve a firm-ish seal. Note, you should not have to trim the graphite seal. These are the correct ones for the Coleman CQ lamps. Hope this helps Cheers Pete
Bending tubing is it's own art form. As you've found, kinking the tube is the hazard. The key is providing support for the tube. Here is one method I use How to fix a bent generator Remember the coil was still inside the generator providing internal support. I also went very slowly when tightening the clamps. There are various purpose built tubing benders on the market. One of the less expensive styles look like a tightly coiled spring. You slip the proper diameter one over the tube and it provides support to all sides. Another method is to pack the tube with something inside that essentially turns the tube into a rod. Fine sand is the most commonly used. It would work well on something as large as a burner tube though you would need to plug the ends. You pack the sand tightly into the tube so it prevents the wall of the tube on the inside of the bend from collapsing and kinking. In small diameter tubing, especially with sharp bends, sand can become compacted and stuck so table salt is a better material. It can be dissolved and flushed out with water. Also, I suspect those bent burners are the result of mishandling rather than a flawed design. If knocked over onto its side the tube will bend like that. when they are no longer in use these lamps and lanterns don't always get the gentlest of treatments. I know I'm guilty of bending at least one by opening a drawer in a tool chest when the lamp was sitting on the floor in front of it. It didn't take much of a blow against the manifold to cant the tube.
@Reese Williams Yes these methods all work. As a young tradesman, 50 years ago , I used to watch plumbers and copper pipe fitters bend copper tubing with both the outside spring method and also the packed dry sand method, emphasising dry sand. These methods do work well. The method I detailed is useful with dented and deformed air tubes. The choice from of all three would mainly be done to suit the particular problem and the tools at hand. Thank you for sharing the alternative methods. They’re very useful. Cheers Pete
@AussiePete Yes, I've used you method of a rod up the middle as well. It's similar to the way dented metal bayonet scabbards are repaired, except they use a mandrel the shape of the inside of the scabbard. My dad did HVAC work so I've always had plenty of tubing tools available.
Sorry for the late reply guys work has been full on. AussiePete i did exactly what you suggested and it worked a treat, great advice given and very helpful. Reese Williams also great advice given, have taken point notes for future reference. In the process of getting a guy to make up a steel rod to fit up inside the burner tubes to use instead of drill parts. Also thankyou guys for your input really do appreciate your help and advice with my dilemma........Peterthevet, Blueflame, Phaedrus, Tony Press, Reece Williams, Aussiepete Kind Regards Darren
