Hello guys I have found Coleman col-max 300 c.p. at my grandparents garage. It was in very bad condition but I was managed to remove all the rust. After deep cleaning I want to fill it with oil but unfortunately I am not managed to unscrew the pressure indicator. Any suggestions? Attaching some photos Thanks Dror
Hello and welcome, you have made a good job of cleaning and polishing your lantern. I think the solder that holds the rounded part in the tank has failed and that is why it is spinning round. You will need to find a way to hold it firmly so that it does not spin when you try to unscrew the pressure indicator. Something like these but you may have to grind down the jaws so they will fit between the tank and the pressure indicator. The part that is spinning round needs to be resoldered. Make sure the area is clean on the inside as well as the ouside, sometimes it is enough to get the area hot enough for the existing solder to melt and then take the heat away but usually it is best to add a little more solder.
Thanks guys, i'm appreciate it Maybe it will be more easier to weld the rounded part to the body and then to unscrew the pressure indicator, what you guys think ?
Welcome to CPL @DrorTz Iam pretty sure the parts are brass, so can't be welded. In addition to advice already given, there is probably old fuel gum holding the pressure gauge. Turn it upside down and apply small amounts of paint thinners or acetone to the threads over an hour.
No, it cannot be welded like steel. You need to use solder instead. Apply some flux onto the surface before soldering the rounded part. Sometimes it can be difficult for solder to adhere to the plated surface, especially when heat gets conducted away too quickly. A propane torch might damage the pressure gauged filler cap. I'd use the combination of a powerful electric soldering gun(200-300W rating) and reactive zinc chloride flux. I had been amazed by its efficiency and ease by which solder wetted and adhered to the subject with no overheating of the surrounding metal.
I hope you manage to get it working again, it's definitely worth it! As others have said welding is a very bad idea and it wouldn't work anyway. You're more likely to blow a hole in the tank if you tried and then it would be ruined! Anyway, please tell us how it goes.
*** update *** The ring has been soldered. Now trying to fix the rubber of the pump , it's not fit directly to the tube and not pressuring the tank. Any suggestions?
The leather needs some light mineral oil soaked then massaged into the leather pump cup. As it softens splay the cup a bit. If that doesn't work you will need a new leather cup.
Hey guys, Thanks for your help and advices, I'm appreciate it ! I have few more questions, 1. How can I clean the inside of the oil tank ? I'm afraid it contains rust particles.. 2. The needle on the top of the tube was broken any idea how to fix/ restore it And basically I want to know more about what exactly I need to check before filing it and trying to light it ? What are the tests I should do before filling it with oil
Hi, tank cleaning seems to be based on what is in there. Filling with some small pieces of metal (nuts for example) and a liquid and shaking is popular. I have cleaned brass tanks with Caustic soda (good for fuel residue) as well. You might find just hot water and a good shake is all you need. I am assuming that the tank is all brass - if so where did any rust come from ? A Petromax pricker (needle) 350CP may fit or you may need to adjust it a little. Or you can try and replace it yourself with the correct diameter wire (Some here have use acupuncture needles as a source) If ordering you may as well replace the jet/nipple at the same time. You can pressurise it and put it in a bucket of water before fitting a mantle or puttng fuel into it. Any bubbles other than from the nipple/jet means leaks. Fuel in your case is Kerosene or Paraffin. C
1. We normally refer the fuel tank of such devices as the fount. It is not for storing oil so we don't call it the oil tank. You can fill it with citric acid and soak it for a day or so. It'll remove the rust. Rinse with water and dry. Otherwise, fill it with some ball bearings or steel nuts/screws plus some kerosene, mineral spirits, alcohol or any solvents. Close the cap and shake it up till most of the rust comes off and then rinse with clean kerosene. Repeat till most rust has been removed. Most similar Petromax-styled lanterns have all-brass founts. Some are steel. Coleman lanterns usually have steel baseplates for most of their lanterns. However, I'm not so sure about their Col-Max. 2. You can either purchase new needles or make them if you have the means. The needles are likely similar to those Petromax-styled lanterns. If you can share a picture of the broken needle, maybe it'd help. There might be some difference on the Col-Max. Since it is 300cp, the needle diametre would be around 0.19 to 0.2mm. The first thing to check would be if the fount can hold pressure and not leaking. The lantern does not have a positive shut off valve. So when you pressurize it, there might be some leakage at the jet/gas tip but this is normal.
