Just as a matter of interest, what's the general rule of thumb about paraffin blow lamps on here? The reason being I have three that have turned up - all vastly different: A Primus 630, a Bladon and a petrol powered Optimus*, that looks frankly terrifying. There seems to be a marked lack of seals and the like and indeed technical stuff on the web... so I'm curious, how many of us on here actually fettle those as well? It's just a paraffin thing really isn't it? NOTE - I'm secretly looking forward to trying out the Optimus. Having dismantled it, it's in good fettle bar the seals... watch this space. And if anyone can recommend a good plastic surgeon then that's a bonus... Best as ever, Chris
Appropriate for an Open Forum topic, certainly. There’s plenty of interest in blowlamps (blowtorches USA) among members. ‘Plumber’s furnaces’ (a blowlamp of sorts set vertically in a frame) are a popular restoration topic also - more usually on Classic Camp Stoves. Tyers (Nottingham) Plumbers’ Furnace, paraffin-fuelled. Petrol-fuelled blowlamps are common enough. Most manufacturers of paraffin blowlamps made a petrol one too, such as this Svea from 1920. American ‘torches were more commonly gasoline-fuelled, as is this one from the Unique Manufacturing Co. Of Chicago John
Open Forum, no probs, many of us have several in our collections I regularly use a couple of Optimus 2235's for gently heating assemblies or for preheating things before welding. Firm favourite, a real powerhouse, good size, stable, poke a couple of these through firebricks to heat an assembly inside and they do it in short order! And the hilariously powerful Primus 866 fire breather gets dusted off for display purposes as well.... It drinks 6L/h of Naptha (white petrol) so a full tank lasts just over half an hour Its not fired up too often Alec.
I agree with the above comments re chat in the Members Lounge for blow lamps/blow torches, but you’re likely to get more out of a CCS post than here. Cheers Tony
Well if anyone knows anything about this bizarre Bladon blow lamp I’d appreciate some knowledge - especially with the NRV which looks like nothing I’ve ever seen before
Well if folks can help they will ^_^ and photographs will help speak volumes (at least for me, anyway) p ((closet blow lamp collector)) or is it blow torch???
I have an odd one or two blowlamps and agree with @podbros that a photo of the part will help enormously as there are so many different brands and it may be similar to one I am more familiar with.
Ask and ye shall receive … so this is the Bladon. Made in Birmingham and equipped with a safety valve on the filler cap, which is intriguing. The pump itself is also quite unusual and I can’t remove the NRV to look at it - but from the poor pic I’ve taken down the pump tube you should be able to see it’s like a flat disc with a hole in the middle. Once restored I’m sure it’ll be amazing… but how to restore! The other miscreant is a Primus 630 that came in its box with instructions - replaced the seals where needed and pricked the jet and replaced the NRV pip. Alas… it fires out to the left as shown. Don’t laugh but have I just put the nipple in wrong - the hinged jet key isn’t the easiest of creatures to master and it had occurred to me I made a blunder. It’s a shame as it really does want to do something, just not in the right direction
The pump tube unscrews (hexagon flats) and the NRV is external to that. A jointed nipple key isn’t necessary, the flame tube of the blowlamp is removed to get at the jet nipple.
@presscall Thank you as ever... that was my first thought too re; the flame tube - but there is a framework inside with a square opening at the end - in theory the standard Primus jet keys should fit in this square but alas don't, it's a few mm too small ... hence the hinged job. I'm assuming the nipple is offset then and needs reinstalling? I'll crack the pump tube off on the Bladon this weekend - it needs more soaking in penetrating fluid first as that thing is TIGHT C
Should the penetrating fluid not aid on the nipple/jet, then a bit of heat-and-quench would usually help.
Ah, now that "NRV" on the Bladon looks to be an SRV / PRV - safety or pressure release valve. You shouldn't try to tinker with it because it's preset by the manufacturer to vent pressure from the tank if necessary. As John says, the NRV will be at the inner end of the pump which you can remove from the tank to get at it...
Following on… after some tests and checking of seals… one Bladon bursts into life with a very very loud roar! Ran beautifully for 10 minutes with no coughing or any other hiccups.
Very satisfying. The pump actually works like a Tilley one in that’s it’s integral with the tube. Even makes the same comedy farty noise… I can guarantee that blow lamp hasn’t run for at least 20 years… and probably a very long time before that! Now to give it a decent clean as it’s very much ex works right now
Just imagine the poor blokes on blinding iron roofs on Aussie 30c days soldering flashing on with these blowlamps.
A lot of us do collect blow torches/blowlamps one time or another. Here's a larger Thermidor unit that I have bought quite a while back. Its been over a year and I still haven't collected it from the seller . Besides the usual tinning and sheet metal work, this particular unit had mostly been used for heat-shaping/bending of rattan furnitures:
They really are wonderful things - deserving of their own forum for sure! Can only begin to think of the variety that would appear… I keep lighting the Bladon just for fun as it’s such a monster, and what a roar!
Which reminds me, I really should get my delicious brass 'Sievert' going properly. Oooh I'll do it tomorrow... but no Can't! I've got a banjo to restore tomorrow. Oh then we've got a 4 hour trip to feed our kid's cat... then maybe... Ah no, we've got a 5 hour trip to check out a new Forester for Mary. (Busy life!)
The way that torch head is angled with the flame blowing out of the side doesn't look right, though I know nothing about any particular torch, though I do like using them. Are you sure that's how it's supposed to burn? Never mind. I see an updated post now and the new burn looks MUCH more satisfying. :3
Might as well add to this enlightening thread, as opposed to starting a new one. I'm fettling this little Bladon B55 I picked up for a tenner last week. Any help appreciated. Looks fairly straight forward and I might try a Vapalux pump leather in it, but I just wondered about the NRV in the tube. Is there any special pips or packing you can get for these, or is it a case of 'make one up and mend', so to speak?? Any specific NRV tool required?
I have several blowlamps most of them I have fettled .. its coming to the time of the year when selective flame weeding is in a league of its own and real good.. the knack is not to vapourize the weed into oblivion but just enough to wither it and let nature take its course .. it will die and roots also as its struggles etc.....small blowlamps are therefore a useful gardening tool and there are of course arguments against them v chemicals deposited in the soil structure .. but dry day .. hey ho go it a go..
Yes, just scorch them and as they die the various breakdown products travel to the roots and poison them. It's particularly important with weeds that have a tap-root e.g. dandelions. If you incinerate the top, the root just grows back again and again - the b'st'rds...
The root thing is interesting, might give that a go, the Wife usually tries to recruit me on some form of garden duties each Spring/Summer and as I'm now of a certain age, well. . For the record, for anyone interested, the little Bladon lamp in my enquiry above has a standard Optimus style NRV and the associated tool I had in my inventory easily removed it. I'll post a pic of it in flame, when the fettle is complete..
You probably are aware of those big, orange weedguns made by Sheen - essentially a blowlamp on steroids. The tip about just scorching the weed-tops came from the instructions accompanying one of those. Yes, I'm a wimp - I read instructions...
