I’ve suggested ‘early’ from a number of factors in its construction (quality, attention to detail) and from its being a product of the Sin Hsin Works, with a reference HERE to another of their products, which appears to be contemporary to this example. How early? I’d venture a pre-WWII date but would welcome more informed opinions. I’ve suggested a pre-WWII vintage but the globe at least presents a possible link to the communist era, lettering obliterated but interpreting it as Red Star isn’t too wild a guess. I’d a fair bit to do to get it running, the valve’s fuel pickup tube having corroded. I soldered in a replacement. Valve inscriptions. On the fuel entry end of the original pickup tube there was the remains of a gauze filter. I constructed an equivalent by soldering a short length of larger bore pipe in place to make it concentric with the inner tube … … then packed the space between them with brass gauze, covering the opening and functioning as a fuel filter. The steel pump rod was badly pitted with rust and I didn’t want it to compromise smooth pump action. I replaced it with a brass pump rod from my used spares stock. The pump knob threads were different however and I silbrazed the steel threaded section to the brass rod. I serviced the Anchor’s exceptionally long non-return valve, compared here with a conventional Swedish NRV (top). Its spring was perished and broken and the cork pip crumbled into dust. I mentioned at the outset elements that led me to describe the lantern as ‘early’ and the crumbling cork pip was one of them. Asbestos string as the pricker control gland packing - carefully removed, discarded and replaced with graphite. The jet nipple, marked ‘300’ was woefully worn. That’s a 0.32mm stove jet pricker passing easily through it. I happened to have a Petromax 350cp spare nipple, the threads of which were compatible fortunately. A potential snag was the absence of the rest of the burner! J-tube, manifold, all missing. Somewhat appropriately, modern era Chinese components fit, 350cp ones moreover. Finally, the manometer. A classy piece of work, largely of brass with a beautifully-formed gauge needle and steel bezel. Lithographic printed steel face, ripe for restoration. I intend to draw the inscription on 6-inch diameter white card, scan it and reduce the size in the computer to scale on gloss-finish self-adhesive printing paper. Clearly a 300cp lantern, here alongside my 500cp Prabhat. John
@presscall Well saved and your lantern is running very well indeed. As always you engineering skills are top notch indeed.
First brass Anchor ive seen.. good stuff and interesting to see the differences The top profile looks sleeker.. do you think it has always been brass or has traces of nickel/chrome?
Excellent fettle. This Anchor looks a lot more like the earlier Petromax(pre-WWII). The overall profile of the hood, the filler cap, slight variance on the pump knob/cap but still full metal. The main difference on the hood would be that it has six outlet vents and somewhat longer oblong slots than the old Petromax hood. Even the style of having twin logos on the fount. Even the pricker control knob was still black/dark brown instead of red. Shaped almost like the earliest 2-piece bakelite Petromax knobs. I'd assume this Anchor would be pretty rare.
A very interesting lantern and a top fettle as ever John. Easy to think of them as having no heritage.
@JEFF JOHNSON @podbros @MYN @Fireexit1 Thanks gentlemen. Well observed. Undoubtedly it was nickel plated originally. The evidence, an intact circle of plating under the collar. Four outlet vents. The hex nuts are my replacements for the corroded square ones pictured. Black and beautifully moulded and lettered with an inset nickel-plated brass disc for strength and positive register on the control spindle. Comparison with a recent era Anchor control wheel.
My error in spotting the vent outlets. Only 4 instead of 6. I guess they don't want to copy the shape of the original(pre-war) Petromax wheel too much for later models. However, I do personally prefer the looks of the older one .
Here’s the manometer dial face as drawn - wine bottle for scale … … and ready for the printer, suitably reduced in size. The bourdon tube in the gauge is perished, cracked and holed. I’m contemplating installing a replacement from a modern manometer rated up to 4 bar.
Nice work! I wonder if Your manometer fits the Optimus 200P, se my repair of one manometer no 62 in this Primus thread: Primus pressure gauge thread
@Matti Kucer Thanks Matti. I have a spare Sea Anchor manometer but was unsuccessful in removing its bourdon tube. That modern-era manometer has a housing of a smaller diameter than that of the one I’m trying to repair so swapping bezel and housing aren’t viable. Worst case is having a non-working manometer that looks ok, but I’ll persevere some more to get it working and will report back. John
I drilled out the tube from the old bigger house and placed the Butterfly in it and soldered it, then I could use the old ones housing. In my case the threads were (almost) the same. Regards
Repairing these tiny expanding Bourdon tubes can be sometimes be very trying. I have a mix of successes and failures on them. Besides using penetrating fluids, cleaning solvents, compressed air and mechanical fiddling on the mechanisms, I would also use heat. I have succesfully induced the hollow spring to expand better by the assistance of a soldering gun tip. Not too hot but just hot enough to momentarily soften the solder and a little. That managed to effectively free up the spring's hollow a bit and allowed the penetrating fluid and cleaning solvents to enter. However, in many instances, solvents, penetrants and compressed air alone wouldn't work on some tougher ones.
@Matti Kucer @MYN I’m awaiting delivery of an inexpensive manometer to use the bourdon tube out of that. Meanwhile, the dial face print, re-sized to 30mm diameter, is installed and looks pretty good.
I should have enquired of the seller how BIG their manometer is! Alongside the modern-era Sea Anchor manometer bourdon tube I ended up using instead. Not in the best of shape, but airtight when installed. Soldered onto a 3mm outside diameter brass tube, projecting through the gauge and soldered at the gauge mounting threads. Projecting tube trimmed off, gauge reassembled and tested for function on a low-pressure compressor setting.
Nearly finished. A manufacturing error of an air screw blade offset on the threaded section was inconsistent with the quality and fit of the rest of the lantern and when fully screwed in too much of the threads projected I felt. I separated blade from the screw part … … and cut a groove in the shaft to create a stronger joint when silbrazed and reduce the amount projecting from the filler cap. Done. Inscription on the vapouriser which I’ve not previously shown. Assembly and a test firing to come to complete the project. John
That is looking as good as new! Possibly working even better than it ever had. You need to show it to the guys who are making the current Sea Anchors and tell them what we would actually prefer.
