Having finally cleared out my garage/workshop I began discovering things I didn't know I had (or had somehow ignored), like this... It is a Solar 200 made of brass which originated from the Union Metal Works in Hong Kong. Unfortunately it is missing quite a few parts. I was going to keep it for spares which are always useful but it looks too pretty to sacrifice. It needs the burner assembly, a red top hat (or any colour) although that's purely cosmetic and possibly a new valve assembly... oh and a nob but I can improvise one of those. It might not need the control valve if I could free the eccentric from the collar but it's been soaked for months and shows no sign of movement. I don't need genuine Solar parts, I'd happily replace bits from something else if they can be made to work with it. This is a long shot, I know but if anyone has any bits they don't want I'd definitely be interested.
Heat it with a blowtorch. Guaranteed to break the bond. Just be careful not to keep the ‘torch flame in one spot, particularly the eccentric pin, or it could melt. A dull red heat would be sufficient.
Funny you mentioned heating, that's exactly what I did and it worked, however, it was not plain sailing. Having separated the eccentric I decided toake a pricker rod as it didn't have one. I used a donor rod from an Anchor and set about shortening it. This meant identifying the thread as it's not the same as the Anchor. Turned it to be 6BA but very deeply cut so I had to use the adjustment screws to get down to the desired depth of thread. Disaster! On the third pass, the threaded section sheared off in the middle. Very frustrating! Undeterred, I tried again... very slowly and carefully. The same damned thing happened again and that was my last Anchor pricker rod! I ended up using a bit of brazing rod which took the thread perfectly... ...but this meant drilling and tapping a hole in the end of the rod to take the pricker needle. I discovered the correct size was 9BA! We'll, it sort of worked but the rod isn't really thick enough. The thread burst through the edge of the rod because there wasn't enough material. I may silver solder the end of the Anchor rod onto the brazing rod but I'll do that another day. Anyway, I decided to assemble the pricker rod, eccentric and control valve assembly to see if it all worked... This happened... And when I tightened up the 200cp jet as it was loose, this happened... So this is what I'm left with after a few hours work! Oh well, you can't always win I suppose. Looking at the jet and the threaded collar, they both seem to have had pre-existing stress cracks. Wish I'd known before I put the time in but you just never know. I have to say, my workshop is so much nicer to work in now it's cleared up and although I've had a few setbacks today, Ive learnt a lot too.
Sorry to hear that you had broken off so many parts in the process. You'd need to find equivalents of those if you want to complete the project. If none could be found, you might need to make new ones in a machine shop.
Rooting around my newly cleaned garage, I found a very rusty Anchor 350cp (it's in a pretty poor state TBH) which might have some salvageable parts but I'm not too hopeful. BUT... I've been offered a donor lantern of the same type, so hopefully I'll be able to sort something out by combining both of them to make one working lamp! Watch this space!
*** UPDATE *** I'd put the Solar project on hold awaiting parts but being the amazing place CPL is, fellow member @Rangie offered me another Solar 200 in the hope I could use it to make one decent lantern. I used the entire fuel assembly from the pickup tube, right up to the jet and the inner hood that mine was missing. I also transferred the red top hat as I was short of one of those as well. Having assembled everything I discovered the tank was badly stress cracked and fuel was literally gushing out! Having swapped them over and after a polish, I disassembled and reassembled everything but the inner hood needed some serious 're-engineering' including shortening the J tube and remodeling the inner 'wall'. That done I fitted a mantle, fuelled her up and away she went! I even re-engineered an old Anchor 350cp bail using a rivnut as a sleave and recutting the thread to 3/16 inch which you might just be able to see. For those who didn't know, here's a rivnut... Amazingly, the re-threaded rivnut was an interference fit with the aluminium bail screws so once they were forced in they weren't coming out. All in all it was a lot of work but definitely worth it, if only for the experience. I am now so pleased with the finished lantern! Thanks again @Rangie
Well done mate and although you had a bit of a drama with the pricker rod, jet and the pricker control, you won with the experience gained. Enjoy Pete
PS. The only thing I need now is the minute machine screw that keeps the pressure guage cap in place.
The words I used were very special ones - I'm pretty sure we've all used them from time to time when something proves a little vexing!
** UPDATE 2 ** This little lantern is a real workhorse! I've lit it a few times since finishing it and each time it 'just works'! It lights quickly without flare-ups, settles down quickly and sits there doing its thing, steady as a rock!
