Hi Folks. Had a look in a wee antique shop on my way to my bees and found a nice old Tilley. I've hunted high and low on the reference pages and it seems to be an EX100 base in steel with the light grey/blue paint which looks like RAF WW2. The handle is one piece and the base is domed. The pump is all brass it appears and is the one on the right of this picture http://0flo.com/index.php?threads/3554 The hood, globe and cage all appear to be from a PL53. i read somewhere of a PL53 with one piece handle but haven't found any pictures. there was also a bit on here somewhere about these lamps being for export and a few turning up in Scotland. Well, that's where I am. Not sure where to go from here. Will need a strip down and mantle. Any advice would be appreciated. Cheers Brian
Hello Brian, it's a PL-53 with a one piece handle. There are many odd lamps from the WW2., period, I find the variety interesting, Jeff.
Hi Jeff, that's brill. So 1939 - 45? So it's just the way it should be, minus the deflector. Just one of them to find and seals etc. Many thanks. Brian
Hello Brian, yes, that's the date range, I cannot be more specific. Because of the shortage of everything back then, the wartime PL-53 comes in several variations. For example, an all steel tank and handle, an all brass tank and handle, a steel tank with a brass handle and a brass base plate, a brass tank with a steel handle and a steel base plate. I have had them turn up with some parts of the handles made from steel and other parts made from brass, that is also true for the pumps. I reckon that Tilley were using whatever they had in the stores and whatever they could get a hold of to fill their wartime orders. There is also the type which you have, a top reflector will add to your lamp, but it's also correct without a reflector. Seals and washers can be obtained from the fettle box on this website, the link is at the top right hand corner of the page, Jeff.
Hi Jeff. Many thanks. Fettle box order coming up soon. Will have more questions when I start stripping. Cheers Brian
Hello Brian, the first task is to pressure test the tank. Remove the hood and globe and the globe cage, close the control cock and tighten it's gland nut, it's best to keep the vapouriser in the control cock and to tighten it too, then pump up the tank and immerse it in water. If it's leaking you will see the air bubbles, Jeff.
It is a bit confusing and we did think for a while that these one piece handle lanterns were EX100 and therefore export lanterns. However a couple have been seen with an intact decal giving the model number as PL53. In fact there is little difference in the models. PL53 has a PL53 hood and EX100 a 449 hood and a reflector with two support lugs. If you take the hoods and reflector of then they are the same. It is generally pretty safe to assume that a one piece handle lamp with PL53 hood found in the UK is in in fact a PL53. The date of yours will be from 1940 to 1945. No earlier as that is when the GF cock was introduced. I suspect these one piece lamps are later in the War when materiels were getting scarcer and they are possibly from 1943 to 45 ish. ::Neil::
Mackburner. Many thanks. Which came first. If the PL53 is later than the EX100 would it not just be old EX100 stock getting used up with a newer top etc. Just a thought. Nice to have a date and a good find I suppose a couple of days after joining the forum!
Hello Brian, the PL-53 was made from the 1920s and 1945 was the last year in which it was produced. The design went through some changes over the years, so there are several versions of it, Jeff.
