Here is my unique Continental 5315, I don’t know of another. It must be 100cp and it’s of the size of a Ditmar Maximette or Hasag Liliput. I didn’t test it m because the feeding tube seems to have an obstruction, probably a mesh with some carbon. Also my secret gunk destroyed didn’t make much. I didn’t remove the valve because it probably has some cement seal on the threads and I was scared to use brutal force on such a rare lamp, so for now it stays like this until I will have a safe plan to remove the valve. Cheers, Nicola
Thanks guys, it was fully painted violet, but under that paint I knew there was a Continental! Fortunately that paint was removed very easily Nicola
Great little lantern. I can't say for the lantern for sure. The globe has the post-1938 logo. So at least the globe is 1938/later. But as today: Globes break easily and get replaced. Erik
@Erik Leger well you know more than me for sure about Continental, I didn’t know they arrived so close to WWII. So this lamp can easily be dated around middle late ‘30. This should be the sister of the Kero version I have seen on your website, belonging to @Henry Plews ? Am I right?
Very pretty. I think the lantern's uncommon, perhaps even quite rare. Well, at least I haven't come across any in my area.
Yes, mine is the kero version. Unfortunately the tank has many stress cracks and some parts are missing but it is still a rare example of a model 5215.
@Henry Plews thanks for commenting, I always admired your 5215 lantern, clearly also if well used still is a beauty. @Erik Leger for your knowledge, do you know if Continental used some very hard threads sealant on valves of gasoline models? I tried to unscrew it, I also gently heated it to try to facilitate the operation but it is stuck as hell. Obviously I didn’t want to abuse with my force, I was really worried to damage the tank. Any suggestion? Thanks, Nicola
@nep036, you're welcome. I tried to unscrew the valve on my lantern - no chance. I'm sure that if I use more force, something will break. I think I'll leave it alone.
@Henry Plews so you experienced my same issue, problem is that on mine everything is clean and free, pressure is well created and kept but the air flow doesn’t go up into the valve, so that’s why I suppose that the end of the feeding tube must have some obstruction. Thanks, Nicola
It sounds like you need to try and backflush the valve from the top. Cleaning liquid, a rubber hose of suitable size to fit tightly over the top of the valve and the power of your lungs should wash any foreign materials backwards into the tank. I have several lamps with that brass mesh and they are always fun to fettle.
Hi @John I will try if I have not already, I worked on this lamp one year ago and I don’t remember what I tried. For sure I used this special cleaner I always use that dissolves any gunk inside the tank and valves in seconds, it really is something powerful that always make the internal of the tanks super clean... so there must be something different. What I suspect is a formation of rust on the mesh, considering that the tank bottom plate is made of metal and not brass. Thanks, Nicola
It could very well be; I’m hoping that the mesh is indeed non ferrous. Best of luck; that lamp is too beautiful not to run at least once.
The mesh, also if made of brass, could retain some rust powder and flakes from the bottom making a block. This is the first time I faced such a block and I have 600+ lamps and stoves... we’ll see!
No, i would not know of extraordinarily nasty seals or valve nut packings. ...apart from: The valve needle may have gotten stuck in the union nut in a concoction of asbestos strings, oil, fuel residues and some other more or less strange tar-like ingredients. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The whole valve block is sealed with a nice and big lead washer. And the valve block was screwed into its seating until everything was is a correct position, which means in some cases doing an almost complete additional turn of the thread. Needs some force. The brass block might break before the "cold welded" brass parts get apart. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. When I did disassemble these parts, it was helpful to fix the valve block in a vise and use the tank as a handle to unscrew the parts. Erik
Hi Erik thanks, every part has been dismantled and cleaned, apart the main valve block that would give me access to the feed tube mesh in the tank that I suppose is the cause of the block. Every part was very clean, the lamp didn’t have much use so no gunk in any part. That’s why I think is the rust close to the mesh or on the mesh that doesn’t let the air pass through the main valve up to the generator. I tried the vise method, still after applying a lot of force it didn’t unscrew. I will try again. Nicola
Its such a pretty lantern. Would be a shame to damage something while fettling. I have, in the past, successfully freed up a very tight or seized valve block from its fount by first stripping everything down as much as possible and then boiling the entire fount, fully immersed in water for about half an hour. I kept at least the fuel filler port opened to prevent overpressure. With a pair of welder's gloves, I swiftly lifted the fount from the boiling water, pour it out and quickly clamped the valve block on a bench vise before it cools down. While still very hot, I managed to turn it loose(gloves still on of course). I had, the day before, already pre-soak the fount in a mixture of acetone and paint thinner for almost 24hrs before using the boiling method. This might not work for all cases but still worth a try if you really intend to gain access to the internal pickup tube.
