Showing this Vapalux 300 as found before fettle. It has a manometer/ filler, lighting hole in glass and separate air release. Manometer is showing 60, any advice on this would be appreciated.thanks Lee.
Whoa, that’s a beaut Lee. Regarding the manometer, I’ve not worked on that specific type but it’ll surely have a bourden tube connected by a linkage to the indicator needle. That’s a Geniol stove manometer, same pattern as used on an Optimus stove or lantern. There was too much play in the mechanism of the one I needed to fix, which meant that when the bourden tube activated, the ‘slack’ resulted in the needle not registering a reading. Solution wass to gently expand the bourden tube loop, with a screwdriver, to ensure the needle returned to the datum stop, but not too forcefully, when a nil reading would result, as with too much play in the linkage. With your manometer having the needle right over the scale I suspect a linkage that’s out of engagement or a bourden tube that’s been distorted out of its correct curve - too flat a curve. Likely either fault can be put right. John
Thanks for the info John,I’ve only just got the lamp so will take it apart and investigate,will post more pictures when finished.
Don’t know Gary,I tried matching it with ones in the Terry Marsh book and thus thought it was a 300,but not sure. Lee
It certainly is and other examples can be seen here E41 and here Hand Lamps I wonder about the glass though. Originally, the holes where drilled not melted.
That’s really good of you Matthew,but I’ll hang on to it for now, however I’ll see you at Ashover mate,Do you reckon it’s a E41 with a 300 top?,because l can’t find another with this configuration.
@Greenboy23: I think you're right- an early E41 that's had a later 300 top (I can't quite make out the date- '43 or '45?) swapped onto it. Is the frame brass, steel or a mixture, and what is the jet cleaner knob made from? Pretty sure that the glass never came from W&B: as Henry said the hole is hot formed, plus it looks too small and too high up the glass, and the glass itself looks a little too narrow for the frame. Looks somehow familiar; something like Hasag perhaps? ETA: A quick check in the gallery seems to suggest that manometers marked "Willis and Bates" and that "T" style pressure release are both very early features...
Steerpike,just checked,the frame is all brass and the jet cleaner knob is brass with an arrow, the date is 1943. Lee
OK, that's the second version of the knob, I believe that would suggest that: a)Most of this lantern (except for the hood and the glass) left the factory together- it's not a bitza in the usual sense. b)It probably dates from mid to late 1941- if the frame is stamped "Patent Pending" then before October of that year.
It all points to it having the wrong hood,I’ve got a spare E41 hood I may swap it with that and keep this hood as a spare. Lee
Late to the party but yes that's right, stick your spare E41 hood on it and that'll be a cracking lamp. I've got a glass here with a hole in it and the edges are fire polished but I wouldn't like to say whether yours is original or not, fits well though so definitely look after it.
I will Matt,started the strip down now,the spare top is the one I bought off Mick at Newark about 4 years ago,Lee.
