My first lantern of the Hipolito/Geniol/Petromax 150cp type and I was willing to go a bit spendy on ebay. I helped @Simes fettle his Geniol at Newark one year and that must have sowed the seed. Reading Matti’s efforts HERE to get his Santrax 150 firing right added the incentive of a possible challenge. Turns out the seller had done most of the work by replacing the Hipolito vapouriser with a Petromax 150cp one. Reason was a badly worn nipple and a replacement couldn’t be found. The Hipolito nipple threads aren’t a match for a Petromax’s so it wasn’t as simple as just swapping a jet. Fortunately, the Petromax vaporiser’s securing nut is compatible with the Hipolito valve’s threads. Hipolito vapouriser top, Petromax’s below. Nipple comparison, Petromax top. Just how enlarged the Hipolito’s jet orifice had become can be seen here. It took a 0.23mm stove jet pricker. Should be 0.12-0.15mm I believe? The pricker control wheel would only move through an arc and not a whole 360 degrees, so I had to look into that. Stripped everything down to inspect/clean everything. In replacing the vapouriser the seller had screwed the pricker rod too far into the eccentric block, impinging in the slot and preventing the eccentric cam from moving more than half way, less than that in fact. I suspect that the Petromax pricker needle which he’d installed is longer than the Hipolito’s and he’d screwed the rod way too far into the eccentric block to compensate. I cut about 3mm off the rod threads, having ensured that if I ever resolve the worn Hipolito jet the pricker rod with Petromax needle will complement it, length-wise. Reading Geniol 150cp instructions, it’s evident there’s no J-tube air gap to set, unlike on larger lanterns and indeed, there’s no scope for adjustment. I compared the air gap as it would have been with the Hipolito vapouriser and jet installed ... ... with that provided by the Petromax parts - no difference. As well as the worn jet, wear on the filler cap and air screw suggests the lantern’s seen a lot of use, and has probably been polished excessively to exploit its decorative potential. Nevertheless, it’s largely come through unscathed. That’s down to good quality design and construction, typified by a thick-gauge backing plate with tapped holes for the cap screws and not just a couple of nuts. Pricker control knob and mounting arrangement is sturdy, stylish too. Non-return valve is of a paraffin stove pattern, though with an unusually deep ‘shoulder’. Lead washer installed prior to fitting, cork ‘pip’ seal replaced with a Fettlebox viton one. Font details. No idea what the ‘brass rash’ is. It’s cosmetic and not pitting and is only obvious at eye-boggling close-up distance. Only in that part too. Re-installing the valve/fuel pickup. I used a combination of a lead washer (enabled me to orientate the valve where I wanted it to be) and Loctite thread-lock (kept it there). Pose for the camera ... Quite how small these 150cp lanterns are is evident from this comparison with a Petromax 350/500cp clone, a Trainite, made in Hong Kong. That’s my next project, with its brass font riddled with stress cracks. I bought POR15 to help keep THIS pork-pie Tilley with a porous, soldered font fuel/pressure tight. I’ll be giving the Trainite and a John Shaw & Sons ‘New Governor’ paraffin stove fuel tank the treatment too. John
I’d been told the ‘little guys’ run hot - font too hot to touch after a while. Well, on a mild evening in the UK, and having had the Hipolito running for an hour (2/3 full of fuel to begin with) that wasn’t the case. Glass of Old Poultney to hand to calm the nerves, another demonstration of a font that was but warm to the touch.
The 150cp really are adorable once they behave. Oh yes! the tank can be real hot. I only light mine in windy nights. Hipolito ones looks way cool than the more modern Pmax 150 which is also now EOL. Ever wonder when Britelyt will reissue the 150?
@presscall Lovely job, you must be pleased. Nice to see your 150 in such good condition and running so well.
@presscall , yours is rather unique since it has no rapid. This makes it way more "proportional" then the 150cp lanterns with rapid.
Yes, I suppose visually it’s a lot to cram into that small space above the collar. @ROBBO55 Cheers Rob.
Update on this Hipolito. The Petromax vapouriser wasn’t in fact suitable, the Preston loop at 60mm outer diameter giving only 5mm clearance from the inner surface of the globe - 9mm clearance in the case of the Hipolito vapouriser’s loop. Consequence was scorching of the glass, fortunately not breaking it. Solution was to adapt the Hipolito vapouriser to take the Petromax nipple, a silbrazing job to attach the Petromax jet mount threads to the Hippolito vapouriser, having removed its jet mount threads. Details of the procedure are HERE. Here’s the Hipolito vapouriser able now to accept a Petromax 150cp nipple (and Petromax 150cp needle). Here it is installed in the lantern, working well and not scorching the globe! Reflector fitted ... ... actually a shallow brass dish, now painted white on the underside, incised design still visible. John
It appears to be working great. I hope the scorched glass remains intact. I've had some that do while others somehow shattered after a while.
Just noticed something, looking again at Luminator’s chrome 150cp lantern in the Lamp Reference Gallery. @Luminator ‘s photo. The colours of the control knob are reversed to those on mine.
@presscall In this post @Reinhard lists all the different colour combinations of the control knob. HIPOLITO 300 CP
@presscall May i know what does the tab at the alcohol plate? What is the main purpose of that being there? I might want to make perhaps make some of my 150s if it does something? Does it like aids the alcohol burning more upwards?
@presscall Your welcome John, I was working on a Hipolito 250 at the time so it was of a particular interest to me.
I believe that’s the idea, yes. It works reasonably well. It’s an old idea, seen in a more elaborate version on this early Optimus kerosene stove in my collection. During priming the component can be seen to send a ‘spike’ of flame upwards, which at the right moment can be used to ignite the burner - by closing the air screw and pressurising the fuel tank with the pump. On the stove, the spirit cup has a depression at the base of the priming device in which the last residue of burning alcohol collects. This gives the user a last few moments’ warning to pressurise the tank and ignite the burner.
Perhaps i will try making one, i do have some leftover brass shim stock from the Out-D frame. From the photo, the tab stands at 2x the nut height. I do have to say the heating of 150cp is not very effective as it is. I am also tempted to install the tube like jet thingy like on the larger lamps.
John, After some years of seeing and reading your contributions here and on CCS, I wish to express my appreciation of your input. Not only do you provide many captive topics, you also show how many a project can be done succesfully, even if this is beyond our - including mine - capacity. To top it all, I am impressed with and enjoying your photography which I find very inviting as well. It is members like you who make these sites not only a joy to follow, but lend authority to them as well. In thanks, Mike
@M.Meijer I’m bowled over by your kindness in saying that Mike. I think we shared the same thought recently in the topic of ‘what about my collection when I’m gone?’ that the posting this stuff here and on CCS offers another dimension to just owning (or being temporary custodian of) a lamp or stove. So I’ve a powerful motivation to make the effort, which actually is no effort because its fun. Best of all is prompting others’ thoughts and contributions on the object or topic and the enjoyment I derive from the insights they bring. But thank you, much appreciated. John
