They seem to be finding me at the moment! A FB Marketplace advert only a 30 minute drive from home turned up a 1-50 Canadian Coleman 241A. Needs some TLC but should come up ok. Tickled the hood with a Dremel buffing wheel and it made light work of the corrosion, might be left with a bit of pitting depending on how far I take it back. Any thoughts on the globe? I’ve not seen the Pyrex text before, is it a replacement? The hood has a knock on the rim where it has bent a bit. How malleable is Aluminium? Can I heat it to bend it back or should I just accept it as part of its story?
That’s an interesting find Scott. The bent rim is part of its providence however, you may be able to carefully bend the aluminium hood back using judicious force by placing the rim flat on a table and slowly applying hand weight to straighten the rim. With some work I reckon she’ll come up a treat. Enjoy Pete
Stripped it down and started the clean up and it is showing promise. The hood should be salvageable despite the corrosion. I am a bit torn on the fount though. The paint isn’t great and typically I would have stripped it and repainted it, however I maybe uncovering a sympathetic restoration bone in me, maybe. If I leave the paint, it is about preserving what’s left of the original finish and it’s character not about respecting the 70 years of dirt and dust. If that’s the route I go down, should I just give it a gentle soapy wash, car wax, clear lacquer? How would you go about it? I don’t think the paint is that fragile, it should stand up to a clean!
That is a cool find, I do not think that there are that many of that model around. I have seen lots of Canadian export lanterns from around that period with that globe, so many that I would say it is most likely original. My choice would be to keep the paint unless you can find someone to mix a perfect match.
This lantern has been puzzling me for a while. The painted finish appears to be original and to me that suggests a replaced fount or a unique blue 241. I don't know of another 241 or 241A with that blue paint job. As far as I know a 1950 Canadian 241 had a painted green fount and 241A a nickel plated fount. That blue paint I would normally associate with the 243 range but they are gasoline burners with a control valve, three piece filler cap and double check pump and this looks to be a 241 kero burner without a control valve and with a European type pump and pressure release filler cap. It would be interesting to know what type of check valve is at the bottom of the pump tube; Spring loaded European type with a rubber pip or a steel ball Coleman type? So right now I would think preserving the paint could be important as this may just be a single known example of a blue paint model 241. ::Neil::
Thanks Neil, I haven’t had the NRV out yet but the head suggests it is a European type rather than a Coleman. I did read that the European NRV is right on this model but I would be interested to know why. I agree about the paint, it didn’t feel right to strip it. I have started work on the hood but only to deal with the corrosion. It still looks 70 years old!
@Mackburner I too have looked at this for awhile...... IMO ( no expertise at all ) this appears repainted to me....... Paint on the valve and frame rest...... It would be nice to see under the frame rest ( collar )
No need to pull the NRV if it looks European then it almost certainly is. The why is easy enough. It was simpler, cheaper to make and a double check not an essential safety feature for a kero lamp. Important to know which type though because from memory the threads for a double check are not compatible with the European type BUT to change that tube would damage the paint to heat and run the solder which is not apparent on this fount. Those aluminium hoods are soft and easy to bend back into shape by hand. The alloy will work harden and can therefore crack but for the minimal re-shaping you might need that is most unlikely. ::Neil:
So there are and that would mean a repainted model 241 not 241A. The only reference to the 1950 241 is from this 1950 price list which lists 241 as a 200cp lantern in green. That is another puzzle as I don't understand quite why it is rated 50cp less than 241A. ::Neil::
No arguing with that. Odd maybe but that 1950 price list is just a snapshot of the description from that date and being a typed export list may not have included all the variations but just the models requested by an overseas dealer. So a green painted 241A then in 1950. I do know of about four green 241As dating from Jan 1950 to around 1957. I think they were mostly found in Africa so perhaps they were mainly for export. I guess part of the problem here is that all 241A are not common and the green examples from the early-mid 1950s less so again. Nice find anyway. ::Neil::
I guess so! It really is interesting and makes sense that the only recent example of a 241A I could find on eBay was the one sold recently in South Africa. If eBay is to be believed that one fetched an eye watering sum, though it did have it’s original green paint job. I have to admit though with the blue paint being in poor condition and now identified as a respray, it is tempting to try and colour match the original factory green and reinstate it. Not for sale purposes, this one is definitely a keeper!
