Well, 6th time lucky! I finally have an Aladdin 1A that works. The previous 5 have been beyond my skills for repair. I’m not a huge fan of these because they seem poorly manufactured (just my opinion given how most of them are damaged - cracked tanks, busted vents etc.). But when you get one that’s completely original, and it works - it does make a satisfying whisper. It’s going to need a lot of TLC to get it looking good in daylight but I think it might be worth it.
The Australian made Aladdin 1A comes in two forms: easy to fettle; and . The common problems of the latter form are: stress cracked tank; wrecked NRV; rusted burner assembly; loose ceramic burner assembly; a combination of the last two configurations that make disassembling the lantern impossible without wrecking something; and last but not least, a Preston loop so choked that the carbon is turning to diamond. I’ve fettled my fair share of these for folk. I don’t ever buy one without eyeballing it, and now have a good supply of spares. An Aladdin 1A in good condition is a fine lantern, though. Cheers Tony
I told myself “no-more Aladdin 1A’s” - but when I saw this one, whilst not in great shape cosmetically, I actually knew what to look for after 5 failures so I completely agree that they need inspecting before purchasing. All part of the fun!
I haven't tried that, great idea! It will be one of the first things I do when I get home... In a few months.
