Well, I did find one I could get to without too much difficulty:- From the top down, it has a missing handle, a missing stud and ball-nut, a globe with a home-made lighting hole where the glass is less than a millimetre thick, a missing pricker wire, a replacement pump-rod with a home-made pump-washer lubricated with some blue-green goo which has dried up and hardened, a shredded control-cock seal and a tank with all sorts of sediment inside. The fuel cap washer is borderline serviceable, though, which is a plus point. So, all-in-all, probably not the world's finest example... What really stopped the job, though, was a phone-call from Sainsbury's telling me the delivery van bringing me essential supplies had been involved in an RTC so wouldn't be coming. Unfortunately, that meant the metal polish I'd ordered last night wouldn't be delivered and obviously without that there was no point continuing with the fettle. I'm sure you'll understand. I think I may need to find a better example tomorrow...
@David Shouksmith Hey David, that example works, bit of spit and polish, one hopes the jet is not worn to buggery and the rest is all doable. Cant wait to see the money shot ......... Cheers Pete
@David Shouksmith Let’s hope the accident didn’t involve any serious injuries and that the essential supplies arrive today to sustain you in your search for the perfect Superb. Regards Jeremy
OK, I stayed up all night making a new ball nut and a length of studding to suit, a new handle, re-enamelled the hood, made a pricker wire for the vapouriser, sorted out a new pump-leather and replaced all seals. Then I blew a new glass globe for it and made a decal before de-rusting it with my fingernail and cleaning and polishing it with my tongue. One of the world's better examples, without a doubt. I'd have lit it but I just couldn't make up my mind which mantle to use - an Anchor No.4 (300/400cp) or an Anchor 4D (500/600cp). Problems, problems...
@David Shouksmith That tongue of yours sure cleans a treat ......... If you ever give a lady a tonguey you'll strip all the enamel of her teeth It's looking good, now the money shot .......... be a devil Cheers Pete
Amazing transformation, the Veritas looks quite good as well? Seriously though, it looks pretty mint ? The decal ... wow !
Yeah, this one had been lit maybe once when I got it - if it had been a minter I wouldn't have lit it. Despite being virtually unused, it refused to light first time so I put a new vapouriser on it. The second time it ran for 35-40 minutes before giving up the ghost. I recall setting it away and taking pics every 10 minutes or so to post here because I knew the little blighter wouldn't last. At the time, I put it down to the fact the sun went down and it got appreciably cooler in my back garden. I've tried it a few times since with other mantles - the real-deal Veritas one, Bullfinch 1728 or whatever and various Optimus / Petromax / Butterfly types - but it won't go. I've used 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% naphtha added to the kero but it makes no real difference. I'll fart about with it over lunchtime when the sun's at its hottest i.e. not that hot given this is the north-east, fairly close to the North Sea. I imagine I'll soon get tired of it...
Well, I fitted an Anchor No.4 mantle and decided to use the old hood and the globe with a lighting hole. I burned off the mantle with the first prime then primed it twice more just to be on the safe side. I didn't have any panel-wipe to add to the kero to increase its volatility. Just as well, really:- Slightly over-fuelling - this has got to be a Friday afternoon / Monday morning lantern! It's possible to throttle it back with the pricker wire to the point it's not quite so likely to set the fence on fire so I suppose there's something wrong with the jet or vapouriser - despite them being virtually brand new. I found another new vapouriser for it this afternoon so I might have to give that a go in the morning. Meanwhile, where's that Bialaddin 310...
OK.... I've calmed down a bit now, had a cuppa, walked around the garden and prayed to the lantern God's. Do you think the jet may be just a teensy bit worn? In fact, has it actually got a jet at all or is it dumping kero into the burner like a fire-hose?
@David Shouksmith Bloody hell mate, there is something basically wrong here. Initially my first thought is it looks like it’s not had a preheat and pumping a full stream of kerosene straight into the mantle. My second thought is either the jet is way too large and absolutely buggered or that the jet is loose in its thread, or the thread or the jet’s seating is buggered, allowing fuel to bypass the jet. Simply a process of elimination, but of course you know all this. Cheers Pete
@AussiePete Or it could be deliberate sabotage just to save loosing face! One for Newark 2021! Regards Jeremy
@X246A @ColinG The thought never entered my mind ..... coz it would be so transparent ........ Nah, never ....... would he?
OK, once it had cooled down I checked the jet which did seem rather large especially when compared with a new one I found this afternoon. I'd been saving that NOS vapouriser for a rainy day so I suppose that was today. I put it all back together managing to save the mantle and triple primed it again. Et voila! It's been running nicely (and getting brighter as the mantle burns in) for an hour now which beats my previous record by 20 minutes - and counting! The Veritas Superb - a lovely lantern - sadly under-rated by some... Still burning brightly - time for a couple of tinnies to celebrate success!
Hahahaha @David Shouksmith you just had to have been taking the pith. They are a nice lantern, and reliable too. Cheers Pete
It looks like he almost did anyway. From what I've heard, I don't think it's uncommon for David to light his lamps in this manner anyway.
Nah, not recently - I used to do it deliberately to play up to Trevor who derived endless amusement from photographing my flare-ups and posting them on CCS. A lot of the time they were 'tactical' flare-ups intended to heat the burner outdoors in cold weather. Tonight's flare-up was all under control just to show you how crap the lantern was. Anyway, with its new vapouriser, the VS ran well for over two hours tonight although there's a slight kero leak from somewhere - probably the pricker gland nut just needs nipping up slightly. I'll attend to it in the morning - those celebratory tinnies went down rather too well for any spannering tonight...
I've been wonderfully entertained throughout the day, so in honour of the spirit of this post I give you the one and only, Kenneth Williams... Oooh matron!
Just be careful though David, unwarranted nut tightening can be exasurbated by weak pumping which often leads to insufficient fuel spurting out of your orifice. I find the only solution is to ask my wife to hold the pump shaft steady while I lubricate the joint! It's usually the only way!
