There’s a lot to like these small Coleman lanterns?

Cheers

Tony

 

@Tony Press
That’s a very early 242, the hood not having the slots and the knob being the multi groove job. The hood looks to be in excellent condition too. It looks to be from the early 1935-ish.
A nice mica globe by Fred Kuntz would look so good.
A very lucky find ........ Enjoy the fettle.
Cheers
Pete

 

Well spotted, Peter. But it’s a bit earlier. The “chimney” is probably original.

Cheers

Tony

 

Yes, Tony, it probably goes back to 1934-35ish. The bail/handle is slightly different on the very early ones. These are rather hard to find in descent condition. Date is on the bottom but they are usually heavily galvanized and the date can be impossible to determine. Great running little lantern.

 

A lucky find!

 

Congratulations Tony, it looks to be in good condition.

 

It’s Canadian: “10 3”.

I’ll spend a bit of time cleaning this up in between working on the Gloria stove.

Cheers

Tony

 

@Tony Press
From your photos, I can’t see the pump configuration properly. My early 1935 242s have the bayonet type with the pip type NRV.


It looks like the pump on yours may not have the bayonet option of locking the pump in its down position, however it appears that your pump shaft is too small to take the later air stem positive shut off NRV assembly.
Is yours an even earlier version of pump?
Cheers
Pete

 

242s were sold with a straight sided Pyrex globe from the start in late 1931. I don't think they were ever fitted with mica. The catalogues and parts lists from 1933 to 1935 always state Pyrex. ::Neil::

 

Neil

The mica must be a replacement, then. It’s in reasonable shape.

I think one of my unmarked straight Austramax should fit.


Peter

No bayonet pump-lock. A straightforward kerosene pump.

Cheers

Tony

@Mackburner @AussiePete

 

I think the very early 242's were offered with mica globes, although as Neil pointed out they were equipped with Pyrex globes. I'll check that a little closer when I get home. I'm in the hospital right now waiting on my better half to receive her meds.
The early 220/228 were offered with mica globes.
I'll have to check when I get home.

 

Got home and checked about the 242 globe(s). Neil is correct they came with the straight sided Pyrex globe or as an option, the 444 mica globe. Found this strange, when the 242A was introduced the mica was identified as a 440. Not sure what the difference was...

 

I've lost it.... sure the numbers are different, one is for straight sided and the other is bulged globes!

 

It’s a good looking example of a 242.
Any age 242 is not common here in SA.

 

@Tony Press Tony, This is my Coleman 242, dated around 1931/32. It's so heavily galvanized on the bottom I can't make out a date. Check out the handle. Unless I'm all wet on this, the handle here is considered the very early type.

 

Beautiful lantern. I love the pump. Mine was upgraded to one of the newer style pumps with check valve. :-(

I'd love to make it original.

 

@george
That 242 of yours is a very nice lantern. I can’t quite see from your photos, but it looks to have the same pump configuration as Tony’s example. This pump setup looks to be a precursor to the bayonet capture type that’s on my 1935 examples. I haven’t seen this type before, and now ....... I want one ........
Cheers
Pete

 

That’s a very fine 242, George! I like the bail (handle).

I will try to get mine in the Reference Gallery later today.

Cheers

Tony

 

Pete & Tony,
Yes, it is earlier than the bayonet type. I believe it was the first. Later, especially on the 242A, the bayonet type appeared. Correct me if I'm wrong but by the time the 242B appeared that type pump was gone in favor of the "lock down" positive shut off type, a much more safer set up for a gasoline fueled lantern.
I had another 242, dated March 1933, with a slightly different handle but I can't find it and I think it was stolen. Disappeared from my garage around July/August.

 

Mmm... The NRV is not working, and it’s stuck tight in the pump tube. I might have to desolder the pump tube from the tank, but first I’ll try Penetrene and boiling the tank in water.

Tony

 

Before I make a complete idiot of myself, am I correct in assuming that the pump tube is soft soldered to the tank?


Tony

 

@Tony Press
I’m currently fettling a 242A June 1935. The NRV was stuck fast in the pump tube, nothing would shift it.
However, finally, it came out easily using the following process:

1. Soak the NRV with penetrating oil (I actually don’t think this did any good, however it wouldn’t have done any harm either).
2. Heat the pump tube with boiling water.
3. Put a large screw driver, that has a blade that fits snugly in the NRV’s slot, in a vice with blade facing up / handle down.
4. After emptying the hot water out of the pump tube, invert the fount and slide the pump tube over the screw driver locating the blade into the NRV’s slot.
5. Grasp the fount securely in both hands. Ensuring adequate downwards pressure is being applied to the fount to hold the screw driver in the NRV’s slot, turn the fount anticlockwise about the pump tube’s axis. You should, as I, did get a satisfying click as the NRV breaks it’s seal.
If this works, immediately proceed to do a little dance around the workshop.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
Pete

 

Mmm... Done that. Still stuck!

Tony

 

Bloody hell mate, your NRV must be glued in. The above method puts a lot of torque in the turning force.

Because of the Coleman pump tube snorkel idea, desoldering and removing the pump tube will still leave you in the same boat. Up sh*t creek in a barbed wire canoe without a paddle.

Shelf Queen?

Cheers
Pete
@Tony Press

 

I refuse shelf queen!

Tony

 

Good for you ...... all lamps must work.

I was wondering, time for extreme .....

With the fuel cap off ....... fill the fount with water and freeze it. This will help with the high torque needed by the ice holding the pump tube in its position. It would be a disaster to twist the pump tube out of it’s soldered position in the fount.
Who knows, perhaps the freezing may have the same freeing result from the opposite effect ..... cold makes metal contract.

Just thinking ...

Cheers
Pete

@Tony Press

 

My next step is to fill the tank, and the pump tube, with penetrating oil for a week...

 

If there is a snorkel on this model, will it do any good to fill the tank?

 

Interesting to see if early fonts were soldered. I remembered seeing a video of Coleman manufacturing .
I found it on you tube () (at about 3 minute shows copper flow welding of fonts )

And this on a Coleman museum ()

 

I have not tried this yet but sometimes any NRV can be real tight and I wonder if a suitable bit in an electric impact driver might do the trick. Anyone tried this? ::Neil::