Tilley R1 heater mantle mod

Discussion in 'Fettling Forum' started by goldwinger11, Dec 29, 2019.

  1. goldwinger11

    goldwinger11 Subscriber

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    My Tilley’s metal screen mantle burned up prematurely. It barely lasted a year. I went back to my asbestos one but wanted another metal mantle. I have a propane reflector heater that utilizes a perforated metal mantle. Why not manufacture one from perforated metal? This is the result.

    The holes are 2.8mm or 0.113”
    The metal was a piece of mild steel 0.2mm or 0.087”.

    I drilled the holes, notched the plate ends and tig welded the seam to form a cylinder. The ends were then formed as shown. This was the result. I’m happy with the heat output. DDFD22D7-396E-41E0-90DE-4DB272FA4648.jpeg E082116D-2D4D-4B3D-9783-B7DF92F84E2A.jpeg 2966B11B-84FC-47B7-B9DD-CC943C9C246F.jpeg I’m not sure why the pics posted sideways.
     
  2. AussiePete

    AussiePete United States Subscriber

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    @goldwinger11
    Well done.
    She’s working very well. It’ll be interesting to see how long it lasts.
    Cheers
    Pete
     
  3. JEFF JOHNSON

    JEFF JOHNSON United Kingdom Subscriber

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    That does the job!:thumbup:
     
  4. goldwinger11

    goldwinger11 Subscriber

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    @AussiePete I'm curious as well about the longevity. I couldn't see spending $25 US for a replacement metal one that lasted less than a year.
     
  5. ROBBO55

    ROBBO55 Subscriber

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    It definitely looks the part. :thumbup::thumbup:
    Time will tell :)
     
  6. goldwinger11

    goldwinger11 Subscriber

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    I came across this post while searching for something else. Thought I would post some feedback. The metal mod is still working well without any signs of fatigue.
     
  7. Buggerlugs

    Buggerlugs Australia Subscriber

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    Looks like that will work, keep us posted on how long it lasts.
     
  8. David Shouksmith

    David Shouksmith United Kingdom Founder Member

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    OK, it seems to work well but why don't you just make it cylindrical and fashion a suitable baseplate to hold it in place - something in the style of the Bialaddin equivalent. Cosmetically at least, that would be better IMHO and also save a bit of work possibly... :)
     
  9. paul m

    paul m Subscriber

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    I've a lot of these, 2 1/4" diameter stainless steel out of steam traps, thought these could make some IMG_0879.JPG
     
  10. goldwinger11

    goldwinger11 Subscriber

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    @David Shouksmith I used this shape to imitate the shape of the steel mesh mantles. I never dawned on me to make a cylindrical mantle. Yesterday I saw someone else had manufactured a cylindrical mantle using wire mesh. Looked neat.
    @paul m The steam traps wouldn't fit in the existing preheat chimney and might be too large to heat to cherry red.
     
  11. Tony Press

    Tony Press Australia Subscriber

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    From this thread:

    https://classicpressurelamps.com/threads/fabricated-tilley-r1-mantle.16151/#post-125710



    Don’t get me wrong, @goldwinger11. I really like your mantle.


    Cheers

    Tony
     
  12. goldwinger11

    goldwinger11 Subscriber

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    @Tony Press thanks for the compliment. I like the idea of experimenting with different mantles.
    The references help a lot
     
  13. goldwinger11

    goldwinger11 Subscriber

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    Update: My homegrown metal mantle disintegrated today. It took 14 months to give up the ghost. The metal became brittle where the flames were almost touching the metal. Next I’ll try making a cylindrical one.
     

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