Next Project

Picked up a pair of Optimus 1550 lamps for next to nothing so on to the next project, make one goodun from the pair. Do you Optimus guys have the founts and bits re-chromed or just polish up the steel ? I can see one was originally chromed but the other looks like it was originally just polished steel. What do you think ?

 

Good fettling projects.

 

So long as it’s not mirror polished brass; I’m good with it.

 

Neither of them should be steel. They should be nickel plated brass. The only chrome used is on the hood. Old nickel never seems to get that mirror shine again, but it can be a lot better than it is. The left hand one shouldn't need any parts by the look of it. Both are most likely from the 1970s.

 

Try a magnet on the parts you think may be ferrous ?

Well done on finding the lanterns

 

Thanks for the replies. I’ve lurked on this forum a long while but all these pressure lamps are still a learning curve for me. I assumed they were steel but like Nils said, they’re brass. Don’t suppose it’s worth getting them re-nickelled ?

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it's worth it if you want them to look new.