Just to add a bit more to my already growing collection I aquired a scruffy Bi-Alddin bowl fire the other day from flea-bay, and am waiting for another X246 Tilley to arrive. Not quite up to Tom Pedersen's collection yet though! After a bit of fiddling with new seals and a borrowed vapouriser, it seems to be a winner. Next job is probably to do a repaint. Looks like a 10/1966 from the faded dots on the bottom. Pity there is no wire shield. Has anyone attempted to make a lookey-likey one? They look a bit ugly in all the pictures I have seen, sort of a squashed-up skeletal bee-hive. The Tilley R1 produces more light but for me, less heat. The Bi-Aladdin seems to be more into the infra-red.
There’s no doubt that the Bialaddin is a bit of a dynamo.. i had planned some different mantle trials for a Tilley but it hasn’t happened yet :/ other members have used different shaped/ replacement type mantles with success i think i have seen one or two bialaddins with the Tilley replacement guard adapted? Not sure if the arms were just bent to suit or if they were altered.. the original ones are indeed a unique shape.. pb
Nice photos mate, yes it's a real thing this lampitus. I saw all the warnings signs and should have heeded the advice and warnings given to me, but it was already far too late for me as the virus had hit me hard and strong. Maybe I should have seeked professional help, oh well what a shame.
Bit of a disaster on the Aladdin front. I noticed that it was weeping fuel, only a drip but not a great idea on a heater. I found a tiny crack on the lower ring of the fount, so after emptying and washing with hot water and detergent, I did a solder repair. A subsequent water bucket test showed a further bubble. Same again with the solder. On reassembly it started to weep in another couple of places. There was some green gunge in the fount, so maybe washing has moved it from the joint. What to do? Repeat the hot wash, re solder and bubble test again? Maybe swill some Bakers fluid (flux) inside the fount then reheat it all to reflow the solder in the joint, followed by another very good wash as it is basically hydrochloric acid “killed” with zinc. Or maybe try Slosh sealant. More work either way.
That’s a shame.. hope you can get it sorted not sure what the green gunk would have been but a clean fount is a happy fount, especially where any form of soldering is concerned as im sure you know p edit : hmm yes bakers fluid, a good flux and probably deadly to lots of things but great for getting solder where its needed .. just dont get it in a cut or a dry skin crack in the end of your thumb round about feb/march ‘Oooo !!! Flippin Nora !!!’ (why Nora?? and why always after christmas with the ends of me fingers cracking???)
Yes! Been there done that. Bakers fluid in a cut makes lemon juice seem like a calming balm! The sellers tell me that Slosh Sealant is OK with brass but they are not sure about under pressure. Does anyone have an idea what sort of pressure we can expect to raise in a functioning fount with a normal burn? 1 bar, 2 bar? More? As stated before, I have a Tilley x 246 with a badly distended base. I would have thought that that would require a LOT of pressure as it is bowed by about 1/2". I may be brave and have a go at unbending the rim after heating it to anneal it. What is the scrap price of brass these days - just in case? @Tom Pederson: Yes I know. Two more X246s in the pipeline maybe! Flea-bay strikes agian at my flexible friend!
I've had a Bialaddin 300x tank do just the same the past few days. After reading a string of similar scenarios from past and current posters here, as well as elsewhere; I'll likely weigh it in. I put x3 blown X246a/b tanks in at my local non-ferrous merchant recently and I got around £4.60, lol. So only worth it when you've got a half dozen or so really imo...
Both my wife and I have got lampitis really badly, it started off with our collection of antique leccytrickle lampses, which is Ria's main interest, then I was tempted over to the dark side by a pink feurhand baby lantern and it just got worser from that point on. Now I've started to collect Tilley lampses, though the lack of space is severely limiting.
wow.. half an inch ???.. I don’t think i would try to light that one !!! mackburner reckoned working pressure 2 bar.. a few tons per sq in so if the pressure indicator and/or the vapouriser playing up then it was more than possible as indicated by the dozens or more that turn up! Cheers pb
