At the risk of causing heart attacks all round - what do members think about removing the paint on a beaten up old BR 49 and burnishing the whole lamp to a polished and shining brass beauty? I suspect I’ll get the same reaction as if I asked whether I should convert it to an electric table lamp! Although, I might be wrong............
Horrible - I hate to see polished lamps which bear no resemblance to how they looked when they left the manufacturer. To me, they're no more than useless ornaments which you have to keep polishing. You might as well bung a pair of candlesticks on your mantlepiece... Just my opinion - which you did solicit. Clearly you see beauty, though, and it's your lamp...
Thanks David. I tend to agree, especially on a slightly rarer lamp. I will clean it up and fettle it, as best I can and leave it in its original state. However, I do have a couple of really dirty/battered 264s which are in need of attention and cost nothing at boat jumbles etc, so might try something with those. Anybody got any ideas as to how to remove the original surface? Bench Polisher, Grit, wire, sandpaper, paint stripper? Obviously the aim is not to damage the brass underneath. Thanks again.
Nope, defo not! Now on a similar, yet inverted note, does anyone have a reasonable paint match code/colour for that 'mustard'? yellow on the BR 49 Southern Region lamps??
I have stripped the odd lamp when there's no alternative and used paint stripper from Wickes, I think it was. Modern paint strippers use a completely different formulation to the old stuff (i.e. not based on methylene chloride) and and are much more pleasant to use and better for the environment. They do take longer to work, though, so you'll need to be patient. I've found it best to put a good coating on the tank and then either wrap it in clingfilm or put it in a polythene bag with the top tied, either of which will stop the stripper drying out and keeping the chemical around the tank. To get the best match, take the tank to a local motor factor who mixes up car paint aerosols - obviously before you've stripped it! If you can find a bit that's been hidden away from sunlight etc. e.g. underneath, then get them to match that. They can add matting agents etc. to knock back the gloss a bit. Don't lose sleep about getting an exact match - near enough is good enough. These lanterns are around 70 years old now and it's highly unlikely there are any in existence with exactly the same shade paint as they left the factory. I don't think ANY of them left Tilley in highly burnished brass...
It's perfect timing, because I'm about to do precisely that, on exactly the same fount. I reckon I'm going to use Rustoleum Strawflower spray paint as it seems to be a duller, paler yellow which is what I want. Though I did consider the Sun Yellow option they have which would likely give the brighter, glossier 'straight from factory' appearance.
Hi. For anybody interested, here's the fount I'm doing sprayed using Plastikote Sun Yellow. It's a little more 'Sun', in the flesh it has to be said as the phone camera appears to give it a everso slightly paler hue. Just thought I'd update for the OP..
Great job. Thanks for all your help Muzzleflash. On your advice, I bought the lighter strawflower yellow and also a surface primer from the same company. How did go about it? I’m presuming I clean it as best I can, rub it down with fine sandpaper to key a layer of white primer and then spray the yellow on top. Is that about the gist of it?
Tbh, I tried a test area of the Strawflower and thought it was a little dull, so I then went with the Sun Yellow. The tank I have was already stripped back to bare brass and was dulled by oxidation - so I just keyed it with a medium grade sand paper, then washed it with meths, waited an hour then sprayed a first thin coat. Then wait another hour, then another. Then another hour up to 4 coats, which is what you see. I never bother with primer and cannot advise, but if you've already a paint layer, hit it with a rough sandpaper and key it heavily. That's what I do with gold Tilley tanks before respraying where they already have the rough original paint to key off. I'm sure others will chime in.
@achich Can you post a photo of the old BR 49 in its original finish? I just curious how beaten up it is currently. If its really that bad, then I guess burnishing, polishing or a new coat of paint wouldn't be too objectionable .
Thanks Myn, I’m up country but here’s a very poor photo from a long time ago. Hope it gives you an idea. Maybe I should leave it with its current patina. Views welcome.
The Plastikote Strawflower might give you that shade of colour or slightly paler if that's what you want? For me, given these lamps are comparatively rare, that patina on yours is a little too rough. So if it were me I'd hit it with a fairly rough sanding block and give it a decent key. Then 4 thinish coats of whatever shade you settle on. In decent, restored, complete condition these yellow SR lamps are worth upwards of £300 imo, or more.
It does look pretty rough at that stage, especially the fount's finish. Well, the choich is yours. You can just : 1. Clean it and get it functional. Rest assured that with the aged, 'unaldulterated' finish, its history would not be 'erased'. 2. Restore it to its 'New from Factory' look or as you suggested, polish/burnish it to turn it into a showroom piece.
The finished product, back together and hanging in the front room. I gave it 3 days on the backburner for the paint to properly cure. I'm happy with the shade of yellow, but obviously isn't quite accurate. Hope you post some pics of yours when done @achich
