Hiya, Not sure if this is in the right section, but if its wrong then move it . Anyway Title says it all, Looking after your Lantern! assuming you have got your lantern working properly and outputting a good light, what do we do to keep it functioning long term, and how to keep it looking good. For example how often do you fire her up? Do you keep fuel in the font when not using it. I know you can polish the font with spray polish such as pledge, but what about the hood? how long do seals last? etc. etc. any advice welcome because I want my lanterns to always work and look as good as they can(without being blinged up) for their age and use. I'm 74 going on 75 and I like to think that when i leave this mortal plane, whoever gets my lamps will be able to say "That old fellow sure looked after his gear, his lanterns fired up first time, a new mantle and a bit of fuel and away we went" and maybe they will get the lantern collecting bug too!
Rubber Seals may last couple decade if you keep fresh fuel in it. White gas never goes bad for example and in some cases high grade treated kerosene. Got a bottle of Klean-Heat that advertises 2 year shelf life and 6 months after opening. I opened it and it's still good after three years. Just make sure everything is sealed to keep air from seeping in and contaminate with moisture. Hoods and vents will always go ugly and will tarnish or crack overtime with use, just the nature of the beast which is why collectors will swap out their pristine ones for a ratty looking one to use when they're not being used for display. It seems lanterns love being used vs sitting years on a shelf. Parts cycling, oils moving, kinda like rolling around in bed to keep from getting bed sores like deal.
Most kerosene lanterns don't have a shutoff valve so when not in use they need to breath. This allows kerosene to evaporate and moisture into the tank which eventually will cause problems. I store them empty, waxed and try to stop the dust getting too thick.
Can I also askabout leather pump cups. How often should you oil them, if you use the lamp infrequently should you be re-oiling before use?
Oil with neatsfoot or castor when your pump starts to slip when pumping, a freshly oiled cup shouldn't cause problems. I have a Coleman Milspec that I only oiled once after a light fettle and nary ever had to touch it again since, that was like a year ago?
To help stop rust appearing when out camping always put the lantern away in a sheltered place like the back of my 4wd upon turning the lantern off upon retiring. Rather than leaving the lantern hanging out in the open where dew can form on it.
I usually promptly return them on my shelf/indoor space where it's climate controlled, give a few pumps with the cap off to vent any humidity out to replace with dry air.
It can be quite a chore if you want to maintain a user lantern in 'Ever-Ready' working condition plus looking 'as good as possible' all the time. Except for white gas / light naphthas or Coleman Fuel, it is not so advisable to keep fuel in the fount when you store such lanterns. Most other fuels will turn bad after prolonged storage. You don't want them to turn bad in the founts. As mentioned earlier by Dashwood, keep the lanterns in active use as much as you practically can. Use oils that don't decompose to form leather-destroying acids, etc. As you keep them in active use, you tend to oil them more frequently, and thus cycle or replenish with fresh clean oil. This alone will keep the leather cup supple. They usually only get hard and crumbly after prolonged storage or neglect. For rubber seals, among the most resistant to degradation by a wide array of chemicals and fuels would be the fluoro-elastomers like Viton/FKM. For even higher resistance, Kalrez or FFKM, but they are usually less available and very expensive. In my opinion, if you intend to maintain the user lanterns looking great all the time, my suggestion would be pretty simple, but might sound a little too cumbersome:- When not in use, check that they are still functional, then remove the fuel, clean them up and spruce their appearance so that they look near as fit or pretty as Shelf Queens. And, ensure that you store them safely indoors on the showroom-styled shelves too. As mentioned, there isn't very much you can do to prevent heat-related damage on hoods for users. Heat tend to cause oxidation of some platings or porcelain enamel to detach from the hoods. Keep the exposed steel parts as rust free as possible and oiled during storage. If any parts start to get worn over time and use, replace them before storage or further use or even when you've decided to retire them from active service totally.
I find storing dry, don't leave full of fuel for too long is best. Using it frequently is good medicine for them!
